What is a safe room?

A safe room is a room in a home or building that is designed specifically to protect its occupants from bodily harm. However, the term “safe room” actually includes a number of different types of rooms, each of which protect against a different danger that could threaten an individual’s survival. While these different rooms all have the common denominator of protecting their occupants, they are slightly altered to work against the particular threats presented by natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and home invasions, respectively.

 

The most common safe room functions as an in-house storm shelter. During hurricanes and tornadoes, the intensity of wind force and the stress of the wind’s changes in direction combine to wreak havoc on homes and buildings. A safe room is designed specifically to withstand these winds while also protecting occupants against the primary danger in these disasters: flying debris. While disaster safe rooms may provide safety other disasters in addition to tornadoes and hurricanes, they are not safe against floods, so if you are aware of a flash flood warning in your area, you should evacuate your safe room.

 

Over the last few years, some groups have recommended maintaining safe rooms in preparation for a biochemical terror attack. Biochemical safe rooms, unlike storm safe rooms, should not be in the basement or ground floor of a building. In addition, these rooms are safe because, and only when, they are sealed from biochemical dangers, so you must seal the room using duct tape or other methods.

 

A recent movie, Panic Room, highlighted the use of a safe room as a protective measure during a home invasion. Wealthy and famous individuals often have these rooms in their homes as both a safe area in which to store valuables and an area of security in the event of danger. Once the room is sealed, it is impossible to enter, even using bullets or axes, and the occupant(s) can contact the police from inside the room.

 

Safe rooms can be useful in either your home or business, and they can offer protection against one or all of these threats. In reality, these rooms are expensive investments that many families would never need, but they offer some of the most complete security possible because they keep individuals safe by keeping out the danger.