What is a Panic Room?

What is a panic room? It’s a room in your home where your family can stay safe if intruders enter your home or there are active threats in your neighbourhood. While not everyone needs a panic room, high-profile individuals who are concerned about being targeted for various reasons often choose to construct one. 

What is a Panic Room Used For and Which People Choose One?

Panic rooms are intended to provide a short-term safe haven during frightening incidents that may result in violent attacks. People who live or work in a building under threat can be safe in a well-secured panic room while they wait for help to arrive. 

Since this is a contingency situation, most people find more everyday uses to extend the functionality of panic rooms. For example, you can use a safe room as a secure location to store your valuables. 

People who choose to have a panic room include:

• High-net-worth individuals who are concerned that violent criminals may target their workplaces, homes, or families
• Political figures who are worried about attacks from extremists
• Other public figures or celebrities who have been subjected to stalking or threats
• Victims of domestic violence who are concerned that they may still be under threat
• High-profile legal figures or witnesses who have cause to fear reprisals against them or their families
• Survivalists and security-conscious householders who like knowing they are prepared for any eventuality or danger
• Collectors of high-value items who may offer a target for home invasion
• People in high-crime areas, or those who have confronted dangerous situations

In a sense, panic rooms are like an insurance policy. You hope you never have to use it to hide from danger, but when the need arises, having one can be a lifesaver. Naturally, the security features of the home itself are the first line of defence. If intruders breach the outer defences, the panic room offers a last-resort refuge. 

What Panic Room Features to Consider

The features you might include in a panic room depend, to a certain extent, on the nature and possible duration of threats you may face. Given the possibility of violent intruders entering your home, security and communication with the outside world become basic requirements. If you anticipate needing to stay in your panic room for an extended period, consider self-sufficiency as another key feature.

Examples of Panic Room Structural Elements

The structural elements of a panic room must be able to withstand different forms of onslaught. Consider each element, since intruders will seek out and attempt to exploit weak spots. You may include:

• Reinforced walls and ceilings that can withstand forced entry and even gunfire
• Sturdy security doors that will handle attacks from people armed with tools or firearms.
• High-strength hinges and locking systems that are tamper-proof and can withstand blows
• Bullet-proof windows or a windowless design

Access and Location Considerations

Your panic room should be located in a place where your family can rapidly access it. If you can conceal it, intruders may not know where to begin an attack on it, or you may buy some time while they search for it. Strategies include:

• Discreet locations behind a hidden door or with access through a closet or storage space
• Rapid access, for example, biometric locks that open at a touch for those with approved access
• Additional interior locks or bolts that allow you to strengthen your defences further once everyone is inside

Reliable Communication to Call For Help

In an emergency, you may not have a chance to summon assistance until you have reached your panic room, or you may need to update first responders on developments. Communication options include: 

• A panic button linked to a monitored service for emergency response
• A dedicated phone line or cell phone with a cell signal booster
• A secure internet connection separate from your home’s primary internet
• A surveillance monitor and cameras to help you analyse any threats and know if it's safe to exit

Ventilation and Air Filtration

In a worst-case scenario, you will need access to clean air, even if intruders set your home alight. In a situation such as this, a fire-rated security door and structural compartmentation can hold for a while. However, you will still need a ventilation system equipped with filters to keep the air breathable. Some very high-profile individuals may even choose filters to protect against attacks employing chemical or biological weaponry. 

Power, Lighting, Soundproofing, and Emergency Supplies

Provide for the possibility that you may be cut off from assistance for longer than you expect, especially if civil unrest is a potential threat:

• Lighting should not be visible from outside the room. 
• Have a backup power source in case your home’s central power system is disrupted.
• Soundproof the room to reduce the chance of giving away your location
• Provide for physical needs. Food and water, a portable chemical toilet, a first-aid kit, multi-purpose tools, and blankets are among the basics.

When Possible, an Escape Route

Taking this to the next level, some of the more advanced panic rooms provide an emergency exit. This might be through a hidden passageway or tunnel that allows panic room occupants to leave the scene discreetly. 

Panic Room Construction Costs

Panic rooms range from small, closet-like spaces meant to store valuables and provide protection for an hour or two to fully-equipped rooms in which occupants can withstand a protracted siege. For most people, a comparatively modest panic room will be enough, and the costs will include reinforcing walls and ceilings, securing any windows, and the cost of high-security doors and locks. 

For others, “panic rooms” become more like billionaire bunkers and are touted as status symbols. However, since the point of real panic rooms is that they should be kept secret, it is unclear how one would achieve bragging rights or occupy much space without compromising security. 

Are Panic Rooms a Sign of the Times?

The terrifying film “Panic Room”, released in 2002, brought panic rooms back into the limelight. However, the concept is nothing new. High-profile people have always feared home invasions. Historical castles often feature a “priest's hole,” an even larger secret room where people could hide out if trouble were to strike, or well-secured secret passages offering escape routes.

What has changed is the level of security, the power of remote communication, and the introduction of technology into the equation. The threats are possibly greater should an invasion occur, but compared to medieval times, we live in a comparatively stable society. For most people today, a safe room is a place that offers protection while help is definitely on the way. 

Keeping Threats Out With Stronghold Security Doors

For the average person, simply securing their homes properly is enough for peace of mind. For those who may be actively targeted, a safe room can provide an additional option. In all instances, Stronghold Security Doors offers you security doors that keep threats out and your home, family, and possessions safe. 

Whether you just want to secure your home or are planning to build a panic room or safe room, consult us about steel-reinforced security doors (bullet and blast proofing is an option). We customise our doors to your needs, combining discreet yet robust security with beauty and craftsmanship.