Staying In - Part II

I received so many comments and questions, I had to write more.

Most of us have a plan how to get out of the house in case of fire.  How many of us have a plan on how to stay in the house safely in case of a break in?  So you have a designated safe room where everyone knows to go to?  Do the kids know what to do, or maybe the safe room is a child’s room, with the parent going to them?  Do you have emergency supplies?  Phone, cell phone, flashlight, house keys on a bright, substantial, keychain that you can lob out a window to the police so they can get in without breaking in the door?  Bright to be seen, substantial, or heavy enough to get a good toss.  A gun?  Extra ammunition?

Do you know how to call the police?  If using a cell phone, you will probably need to give them your address, is it written down nearby?  We all forget the craziest things under stress.  I only have one child and I still messed up her name when I got flustered.  Give the police dispatcher as much information as possible and stay on the line with them.  Tell them you are armed, where you are, how many of you there are, if there are any pets in the home, describe yourself and family members, tell them why you think someone is in your home and where they might be.  Remember this is all being recorded.  If you hear someone approaching your safe room yell out in your best authoritative voice; “Stop, I have called the police.  I have a gun.  Leave now!”.  There are three likely outcomes.  They may run away.  They may keep coming, in which case you warn them again if there is time but you need to defend your family.  (Disclaimer, this is not to be taken as legal advice, the outcome of a personal defense shooting can vary substantially by state.) The third possibility is you will hear a response yelled back by a familiar voice, something like “Mom, it’s me, don’t shoot” from the teenager sneaking in late.

What about cover in your safe room?  A standard interior door provides concealment but not cover.  Concealment hides you from view, cover protects you from shots fired in your direction.  Where are your family members?  Hopefully, not directly behind you!  They should be low to the floor, behind cover if possible, and not in your direct line of fire.  What is on the other side of the door?  Is that a safe direction to shoot?  If you are in a condo, probably not, in which case you will really have to think through your plan.

There are a lot of things to consider.  Once you have a plan, and worked out the details, you need to practice it to ensure the whole family knows where to go and what to do.

I hope you never need it, but if you do…you will be glad you thought it through. 

Stay Safe!

Staying in with the family

My blog about out and about prompted some discussion.  We need a plan for in the house as well!  Do you have a safe room?  A place for the family to gather where you have access to a phone, flashlight, gun?  Does your family know where to go, how to respond?  Have you practiced?

Have a plan, rehearse your plan.  Even small children understand fire drills, so they can understand danger drills in the same way.

Stay Safe

Out and About with the Family

Concealed carry with loved ones requires some thought and planning.  I carry, my husband does not.  We are very protective of each other, and in the past would probably have knocked each other down to take on a threat and protect the other.  But the situation is a little different since I carry.  He always has pepper spray with him, and is quite capable of taking on an average threat, but my gun changes the mix.

We had to have a long talk about how to handle a situation if we were confronted.  We agreed our response will vary based on the threat, the number of people involved in the threat and where we are.  However, we agreed that the call is mine, and we agreed on a safe word, “Cover”.  If I say cover, he knows I intend to draw my gun, or am already in the process of doing so and I need him to move away from me, to the rear on a diagonal to the closest cover and call 911.  He also understands that he is to stay there until the shooting stops, so I can concentrate on the fight and not be worrying about him.  That is hard for him, but he understands.  The only thing he wouldn’t commit to was staying put until the police arrive.  If I get hurt, all bets are off. 

When you, as a person who carries, are out with your family, they need to know that if you use your code word, whatever it is, they need to move…fast.  You need to know they are on their way to a safe position and you can focus on the threat.  Behind you, even for children, is not the safest position.  You need to practice this, to ensure they respond quickly and without hesitation.  Also, so you can give the command, even while drawing your gun.

What is the difference between cover and concealment?  Concealment will screen you from view but will not stop or significantly slow a bullet.  Cover will screen and mostly likely stop a bullet.  Get used to looking around and having your family notice what is around so they can distinguish and select cover without having the think about it. 

Why move away at to the rear and at an angle?  You do not want them in your line of fire.  You do not want them in the threat’s line of fire.  If they are directly behind you, even moving, they are at a greater risk.  If they are moving away at an angle, 45-40 degrees, then you can monitor the threat and either keep his, or hers, attention on you while they move to safety.

These activities are important to discuss and practice.  Just like a fire drill in your home, a safety drill is critical to the safety of your family, and to your ability to focus and defend yourself and your family without the added stress of having them next to you.

Safe shooting!

A Bad Day at the Range Beats a Good Day in the Office

Have you ever had the experience where you went to the range and felt like you couldn’t hit anything? I shoot 2-3 times a month, dry fire, practice with a laser and teach. I had this experience recently. It was frustrating! I thought I was doing everything right, but I could get two shots within 6 inches of each other. Frustrating was the mildest term I had for the experience.

I slowed down, reminded myself to “Think Like an Instructor!”. What would I do with a student having this problem. First I cleared and laid down my gun, took a step back and physically, and mentally, shook off the stress that was building. Then I stepped back into the booth, got my stance, drove out without a pistol in my hands, mentally checking my posture. Ok. I brought my target back in to eight feet. Then I picked up my Glock, loaded it, checked my grip and came up to a low ready. I took a couple deep breaths, drove out, and fired three shots. The whole time I was focusing hard on the front sight, riding the trigger reset, making sure I had a good sight picture, solid grip, breathing naturally…I took my time. I brought the gun back to low ready and YEA! 3 new holes within about 1.5”. I’ll take that. I came back up and fired 3 more, focusing hard on fundamentals. I started to see light coming through the growing hole in my target. Ok, time to push out to 12 feet, 3 more rounds downrange, focusing hard on fundamentals…check? YEA! More light! Sent it back out to 15 feet and emptied a couple magazines making a very satisfying hole in the middle that I could stick my fingers through. Not exactly rabbit hole, but less than fist sized.

We all have an off day. The key is to not let it get to you. Shake it off, and go back to your basics. Focus on the fundamentals. Stance, grip, sight picture, sight alignment and trigger control.

Safe Shooting

Book Review - My Parents Open Carry

http://www.myparentsopencarry.com

Brian Jeffs and Nathan Nephew, with delightful illustrations by Lorna Bergman, wrote a book called My Parents Open Carry, available at the link above.  The offered two autographed copies in support of National Take Your Daughter to the Range Day. 

I read the book and it offers an easy to understand description of open carry, the 2nd Ammendment rights and the Unorganized Militia.  It provides thoughtful answers to the questions many have about why someone would open carry as opposed to concealed. 

It is written in easy to understand language suitable for tweens and older.  While there was one or two points I didn't entirely agree with, there were many that I did, and even I learned something reading it.  I live in a state that allows open carry but have always carried concealed.  After reading this book, I'm giving more thought to open carry.

Would I share it with a tween?  Absolutely!  I think it may be a little too much for a younger child, but it offers some interesting thoughts and answers on the idea of open carry, why someone would want to and how to handle those who may question or be fearful.

Enjoy the book!

Safe Shooting!"