I heard something pretty cool the other day. I don’t remember how the conversation first started, but one of my co-workers said there is an alternative to pepper spray. We’ll get to that in a moment. Although pepper spray is a good non-lethal alternative to using a firearm in the personal protection,if you’ve ever had to use pepper spray in an enclosed environment, you would have realized right away that it has some major drawbacks.

Since I work in a local confinement facility, I have had the opportunity, or the misfortune of experiencing pepper spray first hand. In the process of attempting to control an inmate, the officer behind me used his can of pepper spray and sprayed it on the inmate. The affect was immediate. Not only did it temporarily incapacitate the inmate, but the officers who responded were affected as well. They all began coughing and sneezing. Once pepper spray is used in an enclosed environment, it will affect everyone within a close proximity of its deployment. That’s not good!

If you plan to use pepper spray for the safety of your home in lieu of using firearms, just know that everyone will be affected. It will affect the person worse, into whose eyes you sprayed it, but the residual affect will be that anyone close by will begin to cough, sneeze and their eyes will water because of the burning sensation.

There is however, an alternative solution (I know you were hoping I’d cut to the chase). Wasp spray (excuse me, did you say wasp spray?). Yep! You can find it at any hardware store, Lowes or Walmart. If sprayed into an intruder’s eyes, it will have the same affect as pepper spray without the residual environmental problems associated with it. This works with a home invader who is not armed, of course. There are other devices, controls etc., for that scenario. Obviously you can’t carry a can of wasp spray in your purse for personal protection either. Pepper spray is probably still a good choice for personal protection when you’re out and about.

Without reliable statistical data, it would be difficult to speculate how effective the preventative measures for home invasions and burglaries would be. However, if I were a betting man, I’d venture a wager that those measures would be 80% effective in warding off the would-be burglar. There are too many other homes that don’t present such a risk. That being said, if there is something in your home the intruder wants (I mean really wants), he may have the brains to overcome any obstacle you place in his way. Once again, there are measures you can take to minimize injury in the event of an assault as a result of a home invasion. Keep in mind that these are measures taken by individuals that are not comfortable defending their home with a firearm (with the element of surprise, there may not be time enough to get the firearm.

1. This is going to sound silly. Plan and conduct rehearsals. Pick a few scenarios, develop courses of action and implement them in your plan. Obviously you won’t be able to plan for every scenario. Let you courses of action encompass many scenarios with minor adjustments.
2. Unless you believe that you are going to be killed anyway, don’t resist. Cooperate. Your valuables can be replaced. You cannot. Having said that, if able, do not allow yourself to be transported to another location. The odds are against survival.
3. If the Invader doesn’t have a firearm you can try the wasp spray if you have it in a strategic location like the umbrella basket at the door in the intruder’s eyes (See “Alternatives to Pepper Spray”).
4. Prepare a safe (panic) room into which you can escape. The door to this room should be reinforced to prevent the attacker from gaining entrance long enough for you to call for help. Make sure a cell phone has a good signal in that room.
5. Pre-planned signals that the neighbors are aware of. Whistles, signs in the window, any type of noise that may be unusual.
6. Use the panic alarm for your monitored home security system. Many systems now have key fobs, which means you can activate the alarm without having to go to the keypad. An audible alarm may scare the invader away. A silent alarm may allow the police the catch the crook.
7. This is easier said than done. Force yourself to stay calm. You’ll be able to think more effectively to develop a plan of escape.
8. Make mental notes of the attacker’s appearance. Anything you can remember will assist the authorities in apprehending him quickly.

This list is not comprehensive. The measures that can be utilized are open to the imagination. I can’t stress the importance of planning enough. Without a plan, it will be difficult to stay calm in the midst of the chaos of a home invasion. Since every situation will be different, you’ll have to tailor your response accordingly. Remember, in all situations, cool heads prevail!