Danger lurking in the twilight, situational awareness, and the five D’s of Defense are the key to surviving this week’s episode of The Changing Earth Audiodrama. Learning these fundamental concepts can save your life today and in whatever future you face.

The scouts return with news of an impending attack when they return to the group. Knowing that they couldn’t move position, they prepared for the inevitable. Having a firm understanding or being “situationally aware” is key to ensuring you don’t become a victim. When you grow too comfortable in your surroundings, you take your safety for granted and become vulnerable. Veteran L. Douglas Hogan has previously joined us to discuss personal, situational awareness, but what about your extended zone?

Knowing what is happening in your local community is just as important. Studying how the community responds to disaster and realizing what would happen to the flow of people in an extended disaster are critical for your long-term survival. You need to know what is happening to respond before it seriously affects you.

To help keep your space safe, you need to deploy the five D’s of defense like Erika’s team did in our story. The first D is Deter. There was not much hope of deterring the marauders in our story, but you can do some simple things to prevent potential threats. Humans thrive off of return on investment. They will not do it if they do not receive the desired reward for an activity. If there is an easier way to get that reward, they will choose the path of least resistance. To deter people from choosing your home to rob, you could make your home less attractive than your neighbors or install security cameras – even fake ones. Put up a fence, and don’t leave expensive toys or evidence of prepping activities visible to pedestrians. If you live in an apartment or condo, encourage the apartment or condo association to restrict access to private/public areas and install security measures to monitor who does enter.

The second D is “detect.” In the story, they kept watch, but this is not practical in our current lives. You could get a small dog. They are good at barking A LOT. Remember, you must take the warnings seriously. If you don’t check, detection is useless. Alternatively, you could put a bell on a gate or dinger in the driveway. You need to know when someone has entered your space and allow maximum response time.

The third D is “deny.” Erika’s team tried to deny the marauders access by rolling giant boulders in front of their tent. In today’s world, landscaping can also be used to restrict access to your property and funnel visitors where you want them to go. Thorny bushes can guard windows when they are planted below them. Gates let people know they are accessing restricted areas. Provide a clear route firmly secured at the end.

The fourth D is “delay.” The more time and space you give yourself, the better. Create obstacles to entry. Installing a secondary gate helps create more time. Landscaping that is challenging to penetrate works as both a barrier and a detection tool. Make sure your door has multiple locks with no windows. Your obstacles may tire out the perpetrator.

The fifth D is “defend.” In the Changing Earth Audiodrama, Erika’s team defends their camp with bullets until they run out of ammo and then use hand-to-hand combat. That option may or may not be called for in today’s society. You should consider having a leather and non-lethal option easily accessible. Immediately call for help 9-1-1, even if you have to use a firearm, so you have another witness to the situation. Remember, any fight you and your family are not in is one you will survive, and if you have the option to remove yourself and your family from danger, that option should always be preferred over fighting.

For more information on defending your home check out Home Security.