At-Home Firearm Safety Preparation

At Citrus CCW we often have students that sign up for concealed weapons permit classes because an intruder came into their homes and they wish to prepare themselves in the event this occurrence happened again. Whatever reason you are deciding to get a concealed weapons permit, there are some things to keep in mind in terms of ‘being prepared’ and ‘being ready’ for a home invader.

All too often we speak to students who have invested the time in a CCW class, get licensed, but are never really ready to act in the event of a home intrusion. Picture the following scenario to help identify the difference between being prepared and being ready:

You and your family are asleep in bed and are suddenly awakened by loud noises coming from the other side of the house. From the sounds you feel as if though someone is already in the house or is very close to breaking in.

In ‘preparation,’ you make your way over to your gun case which is in the closet, unlock the case, load the gun with the magazine, and proceed to grab a flashlight and approach the sound. In the event that this was a real intruder you are likely to realize that the process of arming yourself took an additional 10-20 seconds and by that time something very bad could have happened. This is an example of a situation where you were ‘prepared’ but not ‘ready.’

Being Ready with Your Firearm

If you have purchased a firearm chances are you have done so for the above-mentioned reasons of keeping your family safe. However, having a firearm that takes valuable time to access can mean the difference of keeping your family safe and time you wished you had back. Citrus CCW recommends having a firearm that is accessible in three seconds or less. Maintaining safety is still priority and gun cases that are easily accessible but can be kept secure from children (if you have them) are a must. We recommend Gunvault pistol safes for this type of protection. These safes can be accessed in the dark and provide lightning-quick access.

Read our post on Where is the Best Place to Keep a Gun in the Home?

After you have established a way to keep your gun safe from others who you do not wish have access to it, establish some dry run scenarios where you simulate the above breaking and entering situation to test your preparation times. Time yourself to see how quickly you can access your gun and flashlight and get to the potential access points in your home. Additionally, inform your family of what they should do in the event an intruder enters the home.

The threat of an at-home invasion is always scary but can be prepared for. If you have not already, run through a simulated scenario to train your family how to respond in the event an unwanted criminal enters your home.

Get Your Florida CCW

To sign up for a Citrus County CCW class contact us today.