I work in a high rise hotel in New York City. We regularly have guests from other countries who ask us what they should do during an emergency. They ask what the best way is to get out of the hotel? Any suggestions when it’s a massive building?

-From Martha K.

Answer: What I recommend doing is having a flashlight (and whatever weapons are allowed) in your office or room. If anything seems out of the ordinary, make for the exits immediately.

On September 11th, people didn’t initially evacuate because management came over the speakers and told them to remain in their offices.

Tell guests to ignore what other guests say and to contact the front desk if something seems wrong. The key is to trust your gut, and make for the exits immediately.

 

What is your opinion on a stun gun for self defense? I’m thinking about buying my wife one because she is not comfortable with a firearm.

-From Garth M.

Answer: I’m a gun guy, but I realize not everyone lives somewhere that they can legally carry a firearm.

Considering this, I think a stun gun is a great option for self-defense.

The thing is, not only can they be effective if you are being attacked, but if someone was running towards you to hurt you, the sound of the stun gun may cause them to think twice.

​The problem is you need to check your local and state laws. You’d be surprised at how many states have laws related to stun guns.

So, your next best option for self-defense is a tactical pen.

 

I’m looking to improve security at home. Would a steel screened security door with security lag bolts deny entry? Or is there a way to get past?

-From Kristi M.

Answer: With enough time a criminal can get through almost any type of door. But a steel screen door can make it harder for someone on the outside trying to break through.

Putting a steel screen door on your existing exterior door is a great way to add protection from intruders.

If you get a quality security door, they will have features such as hidden hinges, quality door locks, and durable metals and meshes.

Plus, most of the hardware used to install these types of doors is security oriented as well.

These doors will definitely slow down an intruder and give you plenty of time to get your gun or other weapon.

 

Jason, I’m a big fan of yours and have read/watched everything you do. My question is about getting through a roadblock. What do you do if you need to ram a vehicle and the engine is in the rear of the car?

-From Lilly H.

Answer: Ideally, you want to ram the lightest part of the vehicle, which is typically the trunk.

But if that’s not the case, ram the front of the car if the engine is in the back.

If you guess wrong and do ram the engine part, you will still be able to get through, it will just be more of a jolt and do more damage to your car. (I know this for a fact from training exercises.)

 

My husband and I moved to California for work. Since we can’t stand city life we moved into a cabin in the woods. I’m scared about the upcoming fire season. What do we do if we are evacuating and get caught in a wildfire?

-From Jenn R.

Answer: If you are caught in a wildfire and can’t escape, then I would definitely stay in your vehicle.

Unfortunately, Hollywood makes people think that if a fire gets near their car it will explode, which is simply untrue.

​These days, car gas tanks are heavily insulated and built to withstand accidents.

Also, buy yourself some smoke hoods and a fire blanket for emergencies.

 

I realize that everything we do these days is tracked. There is no running from it. But, how do I stop my cell phone company from tracking my every movement?

-From Cory G.

Answer: The problem is when you first signed up for your cell phone plan you probably agreed to typical data-sharing policies that are buried within pages and pages of privacy policies and terms of agreements.

Now, the first thing you should do is call your cell phone provider and tell them you want to opt-out of any and all sharing of your personal information or data.

​Next, you should consider turning off the GPS or location data on your cell phone. This is one of the many ways cell phone companies learn your habits for marketing purposes.