Shelter in Place
Dr. John Woods 11.15.16
For some the idea of a “bug in” is virtually the same as the concept of “shelter in place,” but they are not intended to mean the same thing. The “bug in” contingency is a more or less longer term involvement during an extended or indefinitely prolonged SHTF scenario.
In contrast, a “shelter in place” is a relatively short term event prompted by events such as an active shooter, gang riots, civil disobediences, accidents causing road closures, power disruptions, utilities down, or other situations where it is simply prudent to lock down in the house, office, or wherever you find yourself stuck at the time.
Hopefully an event requiring people to shelter in place will turn out to be a short term occurrence where law enforcement authorities “quickly” step in to regain control of the situation. Police today are somewhat hamstrung and a bit gun shy to respond with strong force when having to deal with political correctness and the fact that the iPhone cameras are always turned on trying to catch any infraction or mistake. This is a tough situation for them.
If you happen to get caught in the midst of a situation that demands a shelter in place action, then you need to act quickly and judiciously. If at home, lock every door and window. Close the garage door. If you have self-defense weapons, ready them. Call 911 immediately if there is a visible or known threat “at your doorstep.” Keep family, kids, and visitors in a closed room without windows if possible and keep the lights off in the evening. Have a low light or candle option available if it is dark outside. Remain calm and avoid panic by anybody.
If you are at work, ideally go to a room that can locked from the inside. Black out any door window and turn out the room lights. Keep away from the door and any windows especially on the ground level. If you cannot lock the door, then barricade it with desks, chairs, anything that can be quickly moved in place to block entry. Remain in the locked down room until authorities come to rescue you.
If the room happens to be breeched, then prepare for an immediate defense. Take a team approach. Find anything of use for defense. A chair, coat rack, tools, anything substantial to defer the threat. Having a concealed weapon would be great, but not always available. Think positive and be pro-active.
