Posted: 10/20/2008 6:11:57 AM EDT
|
Here's some tips on making your apt a little harder to get into if you can't bug out immediately. It's a post from the website listed in my sig line. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OK... You have a couple weeks worth of food, water , fuel, etc so what do you do to secure your perimeter? Here's some suggestions(some of which may seem obvious,but I'll list them anyway!). Entry Doors- If they are not metal fire doors already then change them out. Also have on hand 2 sets of bar brackets( made to hold a 2x4) and three inch heavy wood screws that you will use your battery powered heavy duty drill to install.Install one set of brackets halfway between the doorknob and the top of the door and the other in the same place below the doorknob.If you prefer, You can wait to install these when you determine if the SHTF will last more than a day or so. Have 2 2x4's precut to span the width of the door and fit in the brackets.Also have one of those doorknob alarms you can hang on the knob that will go off if anyone touches the outside knob.Remember to have extra towels to stuff under the door if there is a gap at the bottom. Windows- Eventhough you may be high up in the building, All Your wind ows can be vulnerable to attack from the floor above or below or across the alley. If you have a fire escape the danger is even greater!! In order to stop looky loos from scoping out your apt, have bubble wrap on hand. Precut pieces to fit and tape these to inside the window to obscure the view into your apt. This will still allow natural light into the apt. Next,to provide some security, buy or scrounge some chainlink fence fabric and cut panels that fit the window frames. When needed,nail these panels to the INSIDE of the window frame with 16p nails. Drive the nails in halfway and then bend them over the chain links to hold the panel in place. Also, you could use the large wire staples to drive in all the around the panel.Always have a small size bolt cutter tool on hand in case you need to access a fire escape quickly. If you have a balcony with another above and below, have a length of chainlink long enough to completely fence in your balcony. Hang it from hooks attached to the underside of the balcony above ahead of time. Secure at the bottom just like the window panels. Miscellaneous Have on hand a battery powered portable motion detector. You can purchase these at any hardware or home improvement store for $25.00. When you need to get some sleep,set it at a place that will cover the largest area of your apt given its range(30ftx270 degres of arc). Always have a 10lb ABC rated fire extinguisher on hand,for obvious reasons. You must have a firearm for defense. Usually, a shotgun is the easiest and cheapest to purchase and permit. The least expensive type are the single shot variety. They run about $100.00. Do some research and get the type best suited for you. IM me if you have any specific questions re. this subject. One thing to remember is that "booby" traps are illegal because of the danger to emergency personnel so don't do anything like that! These tips will provide minimal security for a short period of time.Burglar bars and a full blown security system would be better but we all can't afford those things. If any of you have any other tips,plse feel free to add them! Equipment List 1. Chain link fabric 2. Door Bar Brackets 3. Cordless Drill 4. Bolt Cutter 5. 16p Nails\ Wire Staples 6. Heavy Duty Wood Bolts or Screws(3 inch min) 7. Screw-in Hooks 8. Bubble Wrap 9. Tape or Tacks 10. 2 2x4s cut to fit brackets 11. Door Knob Alarm and Portable Motion Detector 12. 10lb ABC Fire Extinguisher 13. Heavy Duty Hammer Pic of one variety of defense firearm(tight budget). 
|