Houston Safe Rooms

Houston Safe Rooms
What is a Safe Room or Panic Room?

A safe room is an access controlled, fortified or “hardened” room (walk-in-vault) where you and your family members can go, quickly sealing the door behind you and remaining safe until police or law enforcement officers can assist in clearing the premises.

These rooms are quickly becoming a standard design in new, larger homes and a common retrofit in existing homes, where business owners and executives want to provide a safe area for family members to gather in the event of a break in or home invasion. Combined with alarm activated roll-down walls, your family or, in a commercial application, employees will have additional time and opportunity to get to a secure location.

Residential – Commonly located in or off of the master bedroom closet, newer designs are incorporating multiple paths from other bedrooms to a small closet sized room with protected walls, ceilings and floors. Additionally, safes, weapons and vaults can be located in or connected to a safe room so that access is protected.

The doors are usually steel or hardened and re-enforced to prevent someone from breaking through or shooting into the room.

A single button activates access and automatic closure and can only be opened from inside or by electronic access on the outside. The outer walls are either steel plate and plywood or concrete block with steel re-enforcement to make them bullet and battering ram proof. Options may include:

Access doors behind bookshelves, faux walls and under stairwells.
Bullet proofing fabric or steel
Waterproofing
Separate ventilation systems
Battery backup powered lights and power supply for communication and camera system
Cameras to view activities in and outside the home. Interior cameras should be covert.
Hidden roll down walls to protect additional areas of the home
Electric toilets for longer duration stays for severe weather or standoffs
Noise deterrents – Sound generating devices that make it physically impossible to remain in the home
There is usually phone, cellular and backup communication, back up power and other options to keep you in communication with law officials. Additionally, lights and sirens can selectively be activated to alert neighbors and passerby’s. For longer duration stays AND in the event of hurricane’s and tornado’s, an accessible water supply and toilet is necessary.
Optional Closed Circuit Surveillance Camera’s provide views of the exterior and interior of the residence to assist in the location of the intruders. Although a good panic room should be used for only a few minutes until help arrives, some have additional features for longer stays, including electric toilets, water supplies and propane gas operated refrigerators.

Once you have created a safe room in your home, remember the following:

1. Create a family plan for when and how to use the safe room
2. Keep your perimeter security system active whenever possible.
3. Have non-threatening drills with young children
4. Stock the safe room in advance with emergency supplies
5. If possible, have a trickle charge UPS for power and light or buy some battery operated stick up lighting.
6. Assume power and phone lines will be cut, so have a dedicated cellular phone in the room and keep it charged. Buy Purchase a pre-paid Walmart phone to avoid monthly bills..
7. Call the police and confirm your security monitoring company also called.
8. Refuse to come out of the safe room until police arrive
9. Remain calm…remember it’s not a panic room, it is a safe room.

Commercial & Industrial – Provide your staff secure passage to a safe “zone’ and reasonable security from the general public or disgruntled employees. Start with your public access areas, protecting receptionists, management and executives.

When considering the benefit of such a room for your business or executive offices, be sure you also enhance your existing electronic security system with backup cellular communication and additional perimeter security.

Any device allowing early detection of a threat can increase the time allowance to get to safety. In a gated, fenced area, this “pre-alarm” feature can provide several seconds head start. Conference rooms can be quickly converted to a secure mustering point.

Call me if you have any questions.

Steven Carr
713-553-6212