Panic Rooms

Often perceived as a requirement for the super-rich or high-profile Royalty, the use of a panic room should be something we all consider, whether that is for our homes, holiday properties or even business premises. 

Many of our clients hold the view that possessions are replaceable but life is not, and whilst this statement is certainly true, there can often be a crossover between the two. Criminals who want to steal your possessions don't normally want to harm you with violence, but they often will use it, either as a show of force to dominate the incident, or they will use violence to get you to comply in telling them what they need to know (safe codes, vehicle key locations, hiding places etc).  The use of a panic room breaks this link between possessions and life, providing you with a buffer zone between you and your attackers. 

In addition to the criminal threat, we also live in an age where terrorism can randomly strike anywhere, anytime. For us British, we have lived with the threat of terrorism for generations, but unlike years ago when the vast majority of terrorist strikes in our homeland were aimed at security services and government personnel, now we are all potential targets and the threat has never been so high to the innocent everyday person. A so-called 'Lone Wolf' type attack with the use of weapons can be seriously destructive if you are not able to shield yourself or escape the attacker. Our country have a very limited number of police armed response personnel, and whilst they are highly trained and effective, their response times would mean that buying yourself some time in a protected area would be vital to survival. The terrorist incidents in France over the last 12 months claimed many innocent lives, despite the fact that most French police are routinely armed, so it is likely that similar attacks in our country would result in more deaths than occurred in France.  

Whether the threat is criminal or terrorism, a panic room creates a buffer between you and the threat, and can buy you some vital time to maximise your chances of survival. 

A panic room can range from the very simple modification of an existing room, which retains the original function of the room, just with some very simple added security measures which make that room the allocated 'safe room' right up to a sophisticated purpose-built room with escape routes, communications and self-defence weapons. 

Our company have managed several panic room projects for our clients, both in private properties as well as commercial premises where the business owners considered it a duty of care responsibility to provide a safe haven for their staff. A recent case which highlights the commercial panic room requirement was this - On Wednesday 3rd February 2016, a warehouse manager was shot dead in Birmingham during a robbery by masked men who tied up staff - a panic room in this situation could have provided an area for staff to take refuge. 

Please contact us for advice and information on panic rooms.