Panic Rooms – The private shelters provide security in an emergency. Unlike bunkers, however, they are only intended for a relatively short stay.
Worries about burglars, an attack by organized crime or the fear of being kidnapped – there are many different reasons why you might want to create a safe haven in your own house or apartment. For Jörg Allstädt, founder of panic room specialist Turtle Saferooms, this question is fundamental. This is because the potential danger determines which safety class the panic room must fulfill.
Specifically, it is about how long doors and walls can resist and what caliber they can withstand when fired upon. “If you only want to retreat into the room in the event of a break-in, walls and doors can be less strong than if you want to protect yourself from an assassination attempt or kidnapping,” says Allstädt. In the first case, reinforced concrete walls with a thickness of twelve centimeters are a good basis; in the other two, Allstädt also installs special cut protection mats that can withstand a concrete saw.
Panic room: easily accessible and virtually invisible
To ensure that the refuge, which is set up as a room within a room, fulfills its purpose in the event of a threat, it should be as easily accessible as possible. “We advise you not to choose a room in the basement, but one on the ground floor or – if available – on the upper floor. Ideally close to the bedrooms, as the threat also exists at night,” says Allstädt.
Bedrooms, dressing rooms and possibly also the bathroom can be used very well, so that no valuable living space is wasted on a panic room. According to Allstädt, these doors should always be open. If they only had to be opened in the event of a threat, this would cost valuable time. “You always have to be able to get into a panic room quickly,” says Allstädt.
Panic room for a short stay
The only requirements for the installation of a panic room, which can also be installed in a finished house or apartment, are a load-bearing floor and load-bearing walls in the room intended for this purpose.
The safe room doesn’t need a lot of space: according to the expert, the usual size of a dressing room is sufficient for a family of four. There is no ventilation or even a toilet. “A panic room is only intended for a temporary retreat until the emergency services arrive and not, like a bunker, for a longer stay,” says Allstädt. There is also the option of triggering an alarm for emergency services. In addition to the purely structural mechanical safety provided by a panic room, electronic and organizational measures are important to ensure that there is sufficient warning time in the event of an emergency and that everyone behaves correctly.
Panic Room offers security from 20,000 euros
If only a bullet-resistant door is required to convert the dressing room into a shelter, an investment of around €20,000 must be expected.
On the other hand, it becomes significantly more expensive when it comes to a complete panic room – from the walls to the door to the alarm technology and installation: “Then there is no upper limit,” says Allstädt.
Embedding in the overall concept
Of course, a panic room can also be considered as a stand-alone solution. However, it makes more sense to embed it in an overall security concept with an alarm system or video surveillance.
In addition to the overall security concept, it is important to know how best to protect your valuables. After all, it’s not just burglaries that pose a threat to our valuables: Security for large and small treasures
Lead image by Steffen Salow on Pixabay
Panic room open: Turtle Saferooms
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