Should We Panic if We Don’t Have a ‘Panic Room’?

It is a great question, and I hope to answer it today with this article. Basically, a panic room is a safe place where you can go in the event of some kind of disaster. Some are more expensive and some are less expensive, but the idea remains the same: it should be a safe place. As simple as that sounds, even the ‘panic room’ in the movie was not necessarily a safe place because of one little issue: there was no contact with the outside world. The character played by Jodie Foster had not installed the phone line, so it was in effect a veritable prison, not a safe place.

You might see the movies or television shows and think, how can I ever afford one of those huge steel, technologically-advanced safe rooms. The truth is, you don’t need one of those. The least inexpensive way to make a panic room or safe room is just by using a walk-in closet or some other kind of closet that you can fit in (such as a pantry). After you have picked out a safe place, you can then install a solid-core, bad guy resistant door coupled with a deadbolt and long hinges and plate screws. The idea is to at least delay burglars from getting to you so that you have a long enough time window to contact the police or security services. Some celebrities and other people tend to go all out with their safe rooms, putting bullet-proof materials such as Kevlar or steel along with high-tech equipment, but for the rest of us, a simple place to get away for a few minutes will do just fine!

There are many ways you can use your panic room, from ordinary events to large-scale disasters. One of the more practical ways in which panic rooms are being used now is for natural disasters such as tornadoes or hurricanes. It is a great idea to consider if you live in an area that experiences frequent disasters of some kind, and it can be relatively inexpensive using the right materials but can save your life in the long run.

No matter what you choose to use your panic room for, the basic principles are the same. There are certain things you should definitely have in your panic room in order to make it a safe room. The first thing you should make a priority to have in your panic room is some way to communicate with the outside world. If you already have a cell phone with you, you can put some other way to communicate with the outside such as a window or trap door of some kind. Also, make sure there is a good ventilation system to somehow provide outside air into the panic room. In addition, it is good to have about 72 hour’s worth of supplies in the panic room, with such supplies as water, flashlights, MRE’s, first aid kits, and other emergency supplies.

To conclude, a panic room is not necessary for your home security, but it is an important addition to protect yourself and your home. It need not be an expensive feature, but it can merely be a safe room to provide some time to hide from burglars or disasters. With the right accessories, any panic room can become a true safe room, providing an added level of security and becoming a true asset to your family’s safety.