HAVE A PLAN
The below pic is more of a place holder than anything, but the intent is to showcase plans outside the house are important. Plans are just as important as the equipment you own, or have access to.
Lets start with your house. Have you ever had to shoot someone inside your house? What about shooting someone or firing warning shots on your property? Lots of guys have deployed, but their families have not. YOUR personal plan starts with your household members, and persons likely to be at your house. If you fire rounds off without warning does your spouse notice? Does your spouse freak out? Does your spouse come running outside screaming your name? Do the dog(s) get released outside when there is a threat? What happens to any small children who are outside?
How long does it take you to access a firearm, high intensity flashlight, first aid kit, phone, and fire extinguisher? Does everyone in the house have direct knowledge of where those things are, and how to use them? Lets move past the idea of a riot or zombie apocalypse, and think of an accident in the house where a car falls or rolls onto you, a circular saw eats your hand, or a stray round catches you in the ribs (hunter or gang banger)...
You are certainly more likely to be the victim of an accident than having to shoot someone. Medical aid is a real concern, even if you only have the basics, do you know how to plug a wound or pinch an injury off with direct pressure? Does your spouse deal with blood and high stress very well? How about yourself? The first time you see yourself spurting blood you are probably going to be having a different feeling than regular cuts and bruises. At least have ice packs in the freezer, gauze, and wraps. Please, don't neglect this.
If you have kids consider making a trauma box for them. No, you don't need your kids popping IVs to all their neighborhood friends, but being able to clean and dress basic wounds at an early age is a blessing when they grow up. Any time I am cut or hurt and my nieces are over, I make a big act of hurting really bad and smear the blood all over. The kids have to act, figure out what to do, and dress the injury site. These kids are now more ruthless than a pissed off army medic. They sternly tell me to be silent, then make me state what the injury is from, then be silent again. They scrub wounds clean on me, and my understanding is they are awesome and compassionate when they fix each other.
The above are just a few things to think about, and regardless of what people tell you, you don't rise to the occasion of crisis. People tend to sink to their lowest level of training and that is what we are looking to work with. Fire drills, intruder drills, injury drills and the list goes on and on. If you make them into games, or keep the "training" to 5 minute blocks, the family should do pretty well.
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