5 Ways to Protect Your Home During Chaos: Critical Layers of Security 

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Layering security is always the best way to plan. A well trained dog is often missed and seriously underrated. A good dog will wake you from a deep sleep and investigate before anyone is even close to breaking in, mine has proven that in the past.

Put nails thru boards facing up, camouflaged by leaves, dirt, sand, rocks, etc, place boards under windows where intruders would stand when looking thru ur windows at night....

I have questionable neighbors on all sides so we are moving soon. But the yappy little dog is definitely pulling her weight. :)

A dog is the number one deterent to criminals even if its a small yappy one. A large dog is even more of a deterent.

THOSE WHO FAIL TO PREPARE, ARE PREPARED TO FAIL.

My main floor has 13 accessible windows from the ground and back deck, plus a french door, and a walkout basement with french doors and 3 more windows. Purchasing glass break sensors and door/window sensors is too expensive when you can cover a room/area with a motion sensor. Don't get sucked into buying something for every entry point. At a minimum, all doors should have their screws, ALL of them, replaced with 3 1/2" or longer screws. Walk around your house at night and identify all the dead zones on your exterior camera/floodlight sensors and other areas with zero light. Most people just but camera floodlights w/sensors in the front and back, forgetting about the sides of the house. If you're game for an extended perimeter sensor, driveway or yard perimeter, look at a driveway sensor system, like Guardline or Chamberlain.

Thank you so much for mentioning to consider threats coming from outside your community. Living near some large cities, I had never thought about the effects of people coming into my community would have.

Layers of security are good but you need to be prepared to blow away those who threaten your life. It sucks to have to do that but it sucks even worse to be dead.

Home security is about layers. First thing everyone needs to do in their home or apartment is to replace the builder grade industry standard short screws in their exterior door(s) hinges with 4” wood screws that go into the actual door frame and or the wall stud. This is the number one vulnerability that criminals exploit by simply kicking in the front/back door in home burglaries/home invasions. Next replace your builder grade industry standard hollow core exterior door and or doors with large windows in them with a solid core security door. Next install security film on windows, film allows the glass to shatter but it will not give, US embassies use 3M security film on their windows that are high explosive rated but there are many levels of films for different budgets. Other layers include what was mentioned cameras, alarms, motion sensor lights, glass break censors. Other considerations are dogs, small breeds like Jack Russells are great alert dogs while larger breeds such as German Shepard’s/Belgian Malinois’ are good at protection as well. Poultry fence aka chicken wire is good to keep on hand as you can install it on the inside of exterior windows to prevent entry but also protects from having rocks, landscaping stones, bricks, Molotov cocktails, etc. from being thrown into your home.

Hey Chris, Thanks again for providing some great, well thought out content. Your information is always appreciated and given in a way that is thought provoking and easy to understand. 👍👍👏🏼🙏🇺🇸

In my adult life I have always been prepared for any disaster. Now in my old age my theory is if they get through 19 bullets and a shotgun blast, the 20th bullet is for me and they can have at it.

My house was constructed during the cold War. Its designed as a bomb shelter and looks like a concrete monolith with almost no windows. The doors I have are equipped with security screen doors outside. Any windows are blast resistant and too small for a person to climb through. We've survived forest fire, tornados and hurricanes over the past 55 years. Our only real threat is a tax sale.

I live in the UK so guns arnt much of a problem so I'm thankful for that lots of love to my American Prepper brothers 🇬🇧 💪 🇺🇸

This episode brought to mind some simple things I could do today or plan and complete tomorrow, security measures I’d never thought of. So I will get busy now but wanted to first thank you again for your focus that is helping those of us who believe our preparation matters! I never thought about locking the circuit box but that’s an easy fix and valuable security measure.

Here in Montana we have the wagons ready

I was once told to sleep with a can of Raid flying insect spray next to me. Shoots further away than Mace should you be awakened by an intruder.

Keeping car keys next to the bed to use the panic button is an excellent tip, thank you! With two car alarms going at once in the driveway I can imagine that would definitely bring unwanted attention to anybody trying to get in our house or being too close.

Excellent tip on locking the breaker box. Thanks for your videos you are one of my favorite You-tubers.

I never thought about the bus stop. Thanks for the heads up.

This was such an eye opener. I never thought about the larger picture... I live 15 minutes from Portland Oregon. Yeah the city where murder/violent crimes has gone up 800% in 24 months 😳😳😳 Great strategies for weapons in the home. But what blew me away was the closest under the stairs. For me it would be a perfect place to build a safe room. I just never thought about it. So TY!

Another well done video. Just thinking about your rings of security will set you on the way to protect your family and your property.

Im Old School. Yappy lil dog with a big ol' shotgun. Always habe a pistol on my body and can fight like no tomorrow. Try if ya want.

You have good informative videos! It's nice to have a refresher and pick up a few more tips! Thanks for all you do! Much appreciated!

Hang bells, cans, chimes, etc on strings/rope and hang at entry points to ur home. Like if a window was opened you'd hear noise from that string of items. Maybe even hang at a back gate, in ur backyard or where they might jump ur fence. Just a thought

FACES...it is all about faces when it comes to your neighbors and neighborhoods. You do not have to know anything about any that lives in the neighborhood you reside in, not one shred of info you need. Though just get familiar with people's faces far as who comes in and out of what house/apartment, who delivers the mail, who works were, the face a of patrolmen in the area, the face of the kids playing in the area and even faces or the usual homeless people around. Once that is in your memory new faces will stick out easy and draw your attention.

These are crucial steps to guard your well being yet the most effective is the unseen, As a believer in Jesus Christ there is a benefit of spiritual warriors on your side, who got your back. I like to depend on that first of all and also use the normal cautions available to everyone else. Like the Bible says: unless the Lord guards the home, the watchmen guard it in vain.

A very good informative video about layered defensive strategies for those unfamiliar with such matters. Along with layered or defense in depth strategies, careful and well planned offensive strategies should be on the ready in case your defensive layers are breached and an armed response becomes necessary . Army and Marine veterans understand the term "Shoot, Move and Communicate".

You can mostly close your curtains and just put mirror film along one edge very cost effectively. See out without announcing yourself, they can't see you.

Thank you very much for your videos you really give a lot of great information

SimpliSafe, Excellent product, outstanding customer service and easy installation, a class act.

Logical and sensible information. Thanks!

Thank you so much

Super video! Thank you!

What a crappy time to develop several medical conditions at once.

Awesome! Sounds great!

Protecting yourself from a roaming mob of looters and arsonists is very different from protecting yourself from the typical mugger or burglar or other kind of career criminal. If an angry mob is heading in the direction of your home or place of business, just evacuate. This is safer than "making a stand" and having a shoot out with armed thugs in the mob. If you are protecting yourself against an increase in the usual activities of thieves, rapists and other thugs, then you start with situational awareness and you avoid doing things that make you an easy and predictable target. Here are some basic things you can do to lessen the chances a criminal will target you: 1) Vary your route and the time you start your trip on your daily commute to and from work. 2) Be especially vigilante during the time you are just leaving your home or workplace and the time you are just arriving at your home or workplace. Because these are the places someone can be sure of finding and targeting you. 3) When driving in slow-moving, congested traffic allow enough space between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of yours, so that you do not get boxed in -- drive up onto the sidewalk if that is what it takes to avoid a group of criminals that are targeting stopped vehicles. And always keep vehicle doors locked and windows closed when inside a vehicle. And pay attention to what is going on around your vehicle. Find some other time to have your head buried in the message traffic on your smart phone. Pay attention to your surroundings. Spot the approaching danger early so you can take evasive action. 4) Park your vehicle in a well-lighted place in clear view of other people who are using nearby buildings. Ask for an escort if you feel it is unsafe to walk alone to your parked vehicle. Check underneath and inside the vehicle for a concealed criminal before getting inside the vehicle. Lock the vehicle doors immediately after getting inside the vehicle and BEFORE buckling the seat belt or starting the engine. 5) Do not leave your home after dark unless it is for an essential errand. Criminals like the cover of darkness. 6) Carry a means of self-defense with you. Perhaps that is a vial of pepper spray in your hand and a hammer in your handbag. Perhaps it is a conceal carry firearm. If your local laws forbid citizens to carry self-defense items you will have to make the choice of whether you want to be defenseless and law-abiding or able to defend yourself and just risk arrest. For those who cannot afford a fire arm, a hunting knife is just as deadly at 10 feet or less but a lot of jurisdictions forbid concealed carry of hunting knives. Whether you chose to obey such laws is up to you -- just be prepared to face the consequences if caught disobeying a law. My opinion: It is better to be alive and need an attorney than to be dead and need a funeral. 7) It is always better to keep criminals from getting inside your home than to rely upon the police to respond to a burglar alarm that has been triggered by a criminal getting inside your home. Usually criminals have done their worst and are long gone before police arrive. It is up to you to provide the first line of defense for your home and its occupants. 8) Criminals are lazy. If your home is strengthened against break-ins, criminals will usually just move to easier nearby homes. 9) If you have an attached garage with an automatic garage door opener, then use that garage as a safe area when loading or unloading anything from your vehicle. And keep the garage door closed while doing the loading or unloading. Do not do your loading and unloading in the driveway. That includes putting your child into or taking him/her out of a car seat. 10) Make sure the door between your home and your attached garage is a steel security door with a peephole and is fitted with kick-resistant hinges and kick-resistant door plate/door handle. Install two, keyed dead bolt locks on this door. 11) Know how to unplug the power cord to the garage door opener and use pad locks on the rails of the garage door to prevent anyone from breaking into the garage through that vehicle door. If there is an exterior side door to your garage, make sure that door is just as solid as the door that goes to your house. 12) Keep sheer curtains closed during the day and opaque curtains or blinds closed at night so a criminal can never see inside your home, even if the criminal is using binoculars from across the street or from another building. 13) Strengthen your windows and exterior doors against break-ins. Keep doors and windows locked. Shatter-resistant film over window glass is a good thing. So are security screen doors over exterior steel security doors. Do something about patio doors and glass exterior doors -- those are easy break-in points. 14) Never leave unsecured outside your home something a burglar can use to break into your home: ladders, landscaping rocks the right size to pick up and throw through a window or patio door, unlocked garden sheds with handy crowbars, chisels, screw drivers or sticks of firewood.... Never ever leave a door key hidden in the landscaping around your house -- burglars know all the common hiding places. Use a lock box for a door key if you are worried about getting locked out of your house. Think twice about leaving a house key with a neighbor -- if they get a break-in, the burglar could get the key to your house. 15) Vary your daily patterns. Think twice about getting into the habit of leaving your home at the same time each morning or afternoon to go jogging, walking or bicycling. Make it hard for a criminal to guess when you will leave home. 16) If you have multiple adults living in your home, try to make sure there is always at least one adult at home at all times. 17) Medium-size, short haired dogs kept indoors make excellent burglar alarms and the dog alarm works even when the local power grid is down. Many burglar will avoid homes that have dogs. Original definition of the word "alarm": a call to arms. So make sure you can immediately arm yourself when your dog alarm starts barking.

Great info!

I live in Lakewood. 10 minutes from Denver CO. I’m already freaking out as crime is growing in crazy amounts.

I live in western Colorado where we just voted in Lauren Boebart pistol packing restraunt owner 'Shooters ' to help protect our 2scd amendment rights. My community is up on a mesa with 3 entrances. Your not getting in unless you live here. This is oil&gas country. Badasses live here.

Thank you for this great video! I thought we were prepped, but NO! Sharing with all family members. AND: GET A BARKY DOG!

Great video!

Thank you so much for the way you deliver your information. There's an A prepper and a C Prepper. They both scare me and cause anxiety so I don't watch them. Information lost. Blessings to you.

I live in an upstairs apartment with only one entrance. You would need a ladder to go through a window. And the staircase is enclosed on both sides. Good luck.

My family members are pretty shitty when standing up for themselves. I on the otherhand have a quite strong plan to defend my home with hundreds of hours of brainstorming behind it. However, I personally think that protection of my community should be paramount. I live in a gated society and the community is pretty tightneat. That's what I'm relying upon to keep myself and my family safe.

Thankyou.

Awesome video

Technology won't do squat for you if the grid goes down.

American's don't seem to have security windows and security doors. These look like fly screens but you can't kick them in or cut them. In Australia these are much more predominant and also stop/deter any potential break ins. And we also have more locks on the door, not just the turn lock most American doors seem to have, we have something called deadlocks which only lock/open with a key. Sensor lights are good but don't necessarily deter criminals and a locked 6 foot fence around the perimeter of your home is also good to stop people from looking in to see any vulnerabilities. And finally, even if you car is in the garage, always keep your car locked unless you are in the car, and even then lock the car as soon as you are inside so no one can try and car jack you, and ladies - keep your handbag around the gear stick so if a criminal is able to open the door and tries to steal your bag, it makes it harder for them to access it because they can't just grab it and run, they have to unhook it from the gear stick (sorry if that's not the right American term).

Please explain the sandbags. Do you place them inside or outside? You said you keep empty sandbags in your garage. How in the world could you fill them fast enough in an emergency and what would you fill them with? Just curious if I should really consider adding this to my plans. Thank you!

good advice as always. some hints to further deter burglar or home invader is 3 inch screws in deadbolt catch on jamb and (providing you have solid to begin with) as well as in the hinges both on the door and the jamb. on both doors. always keep curtains close especially if you aren't there in the case of a burglar cause they don't like to break in while someone is home but also for tactical advantage when you are there and someone is wanting to invade while you are there. keep the tv or radio playin loud enough to hear from outside your door when you aren't home. i got this info from burglars who filled out surveys for new crews wantin to know what they look for when the chose a home to steal from. so as for the sand bags do you have them filled already? cause just having empty ones stored aint the best especially if you aint got sand to put in them just layin around. and there are fairly cheap options on alarms for windows and doors that are real simple to install yourself or you can just use the ole rock in a can routine. have a great day.

Another good video.

Simplisafe is awesome!

We have SimpliSafe. They’ve saved our basement on a couple of occasions from flooding. Well worth the investment!

THUMBS UP!

I'm fortunate that I live in a rual area, everyone knows everyone, I have plenty of exterior lighting and motion lights, security system with cameras, anti-shatter film on all windows, 3.5 inch screws in all doors and use extended strike plates, two Coonhounds, and then last but not least the bang sticks..

Is all this gonna work when the electrical power and interwebs go down? Agree w/ the neighborhood connections. Priceless. Know the people around you, and help protect them. They are your community, they are your anchor. Everyone has skills, whatever they are. Everyone can help as long as they are not antagonistic toward the people. Remember the lesson of King Louis et Marie Antoinette and don't be an asshole.

I've always had a non-doorhandle, inside the door/room lock on my bedroom door. Nobody's getting in my bedroom while I'm asleep and most vulnerable without waking me up. I don't like doorhandle locks because they can be picked and bypassed. I use this type of lock on my bedroom and inside my exterior doors: amzn.to/3mWmi5y You're not getting in unless you knock down the whole door frame and part of the wall.

Yes it would be nice to know safety about apt buildings. Blessings

Just installed shatterproof security film on all windows and slider door and installed garage door locks.

Wow Thank God We Live in the Country. 🙏

Its times like this im glad I was TAD with EOD team 2. I told everyone on my street if shit hits the fan come to my house.

I'd appreciate any additional insight you might have for those of us who live in a city apt. building. Thanks!

We have guns and are getting a dog soon, most likely. I’ve ordered dummy ADT signs and dome cameras. I just can’t have an actual alarm system because when we did have one, the false alarms had me on edge 24/7.

I had a wonderful dog until recently. At twelve-years-old he was bitten by a wolf spider and didn't make it. I don't think I will get another, though, as I have automated his job with motion detectors, cameras, and an alarm. A driveway alarm is in the mix, too. But an alarm can't bring you your slippers in the morning.

My 300 win mag begs to differ! But i hear your point

SimpliSafe is a good wireless system, but it has several detractors to being an only security system. One is that any siren you have mounted outside must be high enough that someone can not easily slide it off the mount and remove the batteries, or simply take it and come back later.....Another really big problem with it is that it can be defeated with a $30 ham radio (or even a small $10 Amazon device) - Of course, this is a problem with any wireless system. It is a trade-off for an easy install. (SimpliSafe did recently upgrade their firmware so now the base station will give an audible alert if it detects interference - a step in the right direction, but they really need to move to a frequency hopping system to further reduce the issue) Most common street thieves will not be aware of these issues, but any experienced burglar will. Of course, even with a professionally installed hard-wired system, it can still be circumvented. As it is pointed out in the video, layering is the key... SimpliSafe or any other alarm is one layer....Don't forget outdoor lighting, cameras (I just installed 4 wireless cameras for a total of about $380 plus $4/mo for cloud storage of up to 30gb), longer screws in your door latch, perhaps a dog, a couple of lamps plugged in to a random timer, stopping your mail when gone more than one day, a quality peep-hole in your doors, a simple door jamb (something as simple as a wedge you put in place in front of your door to keep it from opening more than a couple of inches), and a firearm if you are competent with one (or a bat, knife, hockey stick, or anything else besides just harsh words and stern looks). In urban areas, you may be on your own for 10-20 minutes before police will arrive, in the burbs, you are luckier, as most police calls get a response in 4-8 minutes. In the country, it may be up to an hour before a deputy arrives. You are the first responder always, whether at home or when you are out....Be as prepared as you practically can. Even with the issues above, I can endorse the SimpliSafe alarm system as an economical addition to your home. (I have had one for almost 3 years now) - another caveat though, be sure to check with your local police department if you have a monitored alarm system. Many departments will not respond unless you have a permit on file with them. (usually $10-$20 per year)

We have younger persons coming thru the woods circling our home at night! So far they haven’t hurt us and seem to become more active when riots are occurring. Not fun, don’t know what to do. Thx.

I live in a small town of 30,000 people but only 25 minutes straight up the hwy from a larger city of 600,00 plus. I know for a fact that people from the larger city come here to go to the bars- for whatever reason. Am I crazy in thinking I should be prepared for this? No one around me talks or thinks like this but I have several lives in my home that only have me to rely on for protection and so I do think about this. I lock my doors when I leave. Those around me think im a bit paranoid.

Your strongest layer of protection is a firearm!

Great Video, Your Video's Are The Very Best On UTube.

im not even from the states i from roatan if you don't know search it on google i wonder if your information will help me ? but i do have family member in florida and texas

I really like your videos. You have a lot of great info that a lot of RU-vidrs don't seem to talk about.

CityPrepping for President. Canadian Prepper for Prime Minister

I know my area, but am pretty reliant on my phone to navigate outside of it. Think I'll get a new road atlas.

Sand Bags are not a practical means of protection. It takes too long to fill them. Where are you going to store your sand? (Plywood & a little Barbed Wire ). Enjoy your show. Many very helpful ideas. Thanks.

Do you know if this system is compatible with arlo cameras?

Been wanting to get simple safe. Know a lot of home owners ins will reduce you rates if you have an alarm system wonder if they will do it for simply safe

Yes, sandbags...but can you get sand readily? ( I am given to understand that plain dirt does not have the same ballistic stopping quality as sand. )

Infra red for night, recorder - how much space/resolution?

Does simply safe have doorbell camera?

You can get tactical flashlights now with thousands of lumens and strobe function that you can carry in your pocket. A great non-lethal self defense weapon that's not considered a weapon. But nobody can look at you and that strobe at the same time.

a mistake is hiring yard / landscape /roofing/ handy-man help. these people are often ex-cons. they more than likely cant get a fulltime job via fail a bk-gnd check. thus turn to selling / using drugs for money. plus they look for items with easy theft / resale potential . turning your back on them or anyone else on your property invites learning what 'sociopath' means.

Have you got sand for the bags?

I keep noticing R+ on your channel. Did you catch them before COVID by chance?

If the STHF, do you really think someone will be sitting somewhere monitoring SimpliSafe alarms and calling to check on customers??? Highly unlikely. Have learned quite a few things from you, but this advice leaves me very skeptical.

Yea all thiese theft deterrents are good if you still have power...but if the grid goes down or they cut the power to your house your screwed...

u could check how viet nam used in the wawr , how they made traps in there places

ooh it was a commercial!!

Caught a man coming out of my backyard huge dude it so happened when I had a text from my son 30 mins earlier to walking into this disturbing situation when I opened the front door thinking it was him and this guy came out of the Abyss from my back gate, I had cow bells on the gate which I turned around and he walked out instead of my son. Stuff happens fast God must of changed this dude's mind from literally knocking my head off with the object in his hand, bc I'm here making this comment. Dont know why or who he was he was in disguise biracial and ready to kill someone that night. He says "sorry wrong house" , I ran fast back inside. Never been so scared in my life.

I installed aluminum sheeting on my garage door its light and the motor that operates the door workes unimpeded but it would slow a brute force attack on the door i have deadbolts on all exterior doors and keep tools in the garage that are used on a regular basis but most if not all are capable of use in a self defense situation

Today me frontyard hedge got lowered from 2 meters to 1 meter. No more place to hide for crooks and a free view for me. Next is a sheep fence at the side. With pointy ends. ;) Luxaflex are a bitch to go through. Don't ask me how i know. ;))

I live on the road. But my german shepherd has proven a great layer of security. I also keep a gun on me. And if I have to fight with my hands. I at least have experience in doing so. Besides hundreds of people pass my home every day and never know it's even a home.

This video was done 2 years ago. It’s 2023 and now looking more likely to occur....

👍🏻

I have 3 well trained French mastiffs (turner and hooch) so looters are welcomed

Haha running out of stock footage to use (at 0:13)?

I'm safe I live rite next door to the state police dept

Uber‽ The bus‽ You really think that they will be reliable in a societal collapse‽ Guess I’ve been in the country too long!

Please remamber the Crooks are Us motto, Stay away from simply safe houses