to be panicking a bit about potential emergency

[1wokeuplikethis]

I'm freaking out a little bit as I am solely responsible for my 18 month old daughter over the next few days as my husband is away. The days are fine but I'm panicking slightly about night time emergencies.

For instance, if we have a fire in the night we have a fire plan should we be unable to get down the stairs. But this only really works with both of us there to get our toddler into the low roof.

Anyway, the main thing I'm panicking about is if we get burgled or someone gets in the house. None of our doors lock in the house, so if this happens, should I phone 999 and then go into my lo's room (she would wake which would alert potential burger/murderer that we are in that room) or should I get out of the house & then phone police?

I want to have a plan in place rather than trying to think on the spot at that time should it happen.

So, do you have A Plan in an emergency? What would you do if home alone when something like the above happened?

You sound over anxious about this, but, perhaps camp out downstairs for the next few nights? A it will negate any need to throw children out of windows and B it will ward off any potential burglars (lights/activity etc).

I also sleep with a cricket bat next to the bed

Dh goes away around once a month so I test my smoke alarm each time he goes away.

I wouldn't worry about having a specific plan in place, there is such a thing as survival instinct

If you have under 5s, the fire service will come out and do a home safety assessment (well they will here) and fit extra smoke alarms. One thing they said when they came here (which seems obvious now of course) is to make sure the room you go to in the case of a fire is at the front of the house so they can easily get a ladder up to you.

Thanks, Bramshott! Come to think of it, DS's room goes from front to back of the house so gives options on both fire-ladder rescue or shrubbery-leaping.

I used to worry about things like this but my fire plan is toddler over my shoulder and cat in a pillowcase (if easily spotted), get out and phone 999. For burglars and fires that block off downstairs, wet towels if there's time and barracade us in DD's room and phone the fire brigade/police. I'd quite like one of those rope ladders though.

well, any emergency situation could involve the incapacitation for some reason of your husband, so I think you need to think about how you can personally manage emergencies whether he is there or not.

It is highly unlikely that anything is going to happen, but if it does, you can always chuck a quilt onto the low roof, lower your toddler down and then yourself.

Burglars - most of them would run away if you made a lot of noise. Keep the phone upstairs with you. go into the child's room and phone for help.

Murderers - unless you've really pissed someone off, probably unlikely to happen. As with burglars, grab phone and get into child's room and phone for help. If you are against the door, it buys a few minutes and if they can hear you on the phone, they are probably going to leg it rather than bludgeon you to death.

If zombies happen, get into the loft and stay quiet.

I would say that thinking about what you would do if.. is helpful (unless you are obsessing about it) because when you are in an emergency situation, you don't always think as clearly as you might think you would! If you have some plan to fall back on, or something you've practised, then that can kick in. Sometimes, shock, surprise, panic, etc can make you freeze and your brain just thinks run away run away - which can sometimes put you at more risk.

Mind I have to add obviously be aware anything you have as a weapon could be taken from you and used on you.

Messingabout, I did the same thing to start with, until it was pointed out to me that an undesirable is far more likely to be adept with a weapon than I am, and I'd be essentially providing them with one. My intruder plan now involves throwing a big sheet over them. It might sound like something off Home Alone I know, but I reckon it would give us a few seconds to get past them at least.

I also have a zombie plan and an OFRS. Obviously.

I'm beginning to realise I might be a bit deranged.

TheKnackeredChef

DP and I have a zombie plan too, obviously. It's just good sense!

.....If zombies happen, get into the loft and stay quiet.........

And there's me with a zombie plan and all!

All sensible people have a zombie plan

Why don't you put locks on the doors???!!! Locks and deadbolts!!!! It's quite common for people to chance their luck to see if the door opens so you should be worried. I wouldn't have the door unlocked during the day, let alone at night!!!

If nobody can get in you won't have to worry about that.

I think she means internal doors.

I think most households could benefit from a fire ladder as they're cheap and save lives. Other than that, keep your phone charged and near you, lights on downstairs so the property looks lived in and you'll be fine. Definitely might be worth seeing the gp about anxiety.

Quite, Rollontome, can't believe everyone is saying OP is overly anxious. Most of us would be if we had no locks on the house. Why ever haven't you, though?

*rollontome" I assume op means no locks on internal doors.

I think most of us have assumed she meant internal locks were lacking since she used the word "in" not "on".

When the fire brigade came to our house to install smoke alarms I asked about an escape route and they basically said don't have one. Doors will give at least 20 minutes protection by which time they would be with you anyway. Just close the door, put towels down and stay by the window. That is of course assuming you have a smoke alarm which would give you plenty of warning.

I was told by a police officer that it's a good idea to leave a handbag near the front door since that's what they're coming for. Obviously you don't want it to be in plain sight (eg through the letterbox) but if someone did come in, they'd likely just go again after taking your bag.

It reassured me, anyway!

I assume you switch everything off before you go to bed? If you do that and you don't smoke, how would a fire be caused?

Notthatshesaid, when I had my fire safety visit (four uniformed firemen and an engine. I nearly fainted) I asked about those ladders and they said they can be a bit counterproductive as unless you've had plenty of practice using them they can actually slow you down. More often than not, the safest way to get out of the house in a fire is out the front door. Sounds obvious, but I suppose it's so easy to get in a panic and start climbing out of windows all common sense goes, well, out of the window.

I was in the house alone overnight last and realised when I left for work this morning id left the front door unlocked! I have anxiety about all sorts of things but obviously not home security...!

On my fire safety visit, once I'd told them I kept a mobile by the bed, they just said 'Phone and close the door - we're only four streets away.'

(They brought the fire engine to my house as well!)

First thing I noticed, you said your doors don't lock.

You need to get locks on your doors, it invalidates your insurance. If you can't get them fitted tomorrow, go and get some door chains, and fit them - they're really easy to put up.

House is now secure.

Secondly, do you have smoke alarms? If not, pick some up tomorrow, and just put the batteries in, and put them on tables. They'll still work.

Thirdly, and most importantly, you sound very anxious; can you get an appointment with your GP? Being on such a high state of alert must be exhausting, lovely, and it's not helping you think rationally

We have a fire plan and DD1 knows if the door or handle are hot not to open the door but to get the window key. Unlock it, throw two mattresses out of the window and wait if the fire gets in the room to jump on to the mattress on the bay window then throw the mattresses on the floor then jump on them they would then cross the road to our neighbour and wake them up.

No plan for burglar's other than me most likely attacking them DDog sleeps down stairs and I'm a mama bear and never been afraid of the 'baddie's" but that's a whole other thread and something my DC will never know about.

Stratters, I think the OP meant she didn't have locks on internal doors. Her anxiety would be well founded if she didn't have any locks at all!