Safe rooms are places people go when they are in danger. Since danger comes from a variety of sources, and the level of risk is determined by numerous factors, the answer to what is required to be safe is not easy to determine. The answer to what is required to feel safe is quite another matter.
Weather poses a danger. In some parts, of the country it is more a danger than others. In areas prone to tornadoes and hurricanes, the risk is so real that building codes have been updated to provide classifications for hardware and architectural items designed for use in those places.
Crime poses a danger. Some places are subject to a higher risk of crime than others because of where they are or what they contain. Some people are at a higher risk of becoming victims because of who they are or because of their actions.
Terrorism is definitely on the list of threats, and is unique in that it is not produced by a weather pattern, civilian demographic or lifestyle. It is seemingly random and is a threat we have learned to live with, yet are always shocked when it occurs.
Many Locksmith Ledger readers are old enough to remember the Cold War era, when America lived in the shadow of a nuclear holocaust. Many people borrowed techniques borrowed from shelter designed to protect against tornados to attempt to protect against mushrooms. Mushroom clouds, that is.
As locksmiths dealing with protecting our communities, we are most likely to be called upon to help our customers address more modest threats than widespread conflagration. Even in this scaled down context, the range of threats and possible defensive measures are extensive; and many of these measures are within the scope of many locksmiths to deliver.
What is a Safe Room?
One definition of a safe room or panic room is a fortified room that is installed in a private residence or business to provide a safe shelter or hiding place for the inhabitants in the event of a break-in, home invasion, tornado, terror attack or other threat. Safe rooms usually contain communications equipment, so that law enforcement authorities can be contacted.
An essential component of a safe room is an exterior-grade solid-core door that has a deadbolt and longer hinge screws and strike-plate screws to resist battering. There may also be a monitor for external security cameras and an alarm system. In basic safe rooms, a peephole in the door may be used for a similar purpose.
Safe rooms are typically stocked with basic emergency and survival items such as a flashlight, blankets, a first-aid kit, water, packaged food, self-defense tools, a gas mask, and a simple portable toilet.
Some safe rooms may also have externally vented ventilation systems and also connect to an escape shaft.
Safe rooms in the basement can be built with concrete walls, a building technique that is normally not possible on the upper floors of wood-framed structures unless there is substantial structural reinforcement to the building.
The U.S. State Department often uses steel grillwork much like a jail to seal off parts of a home used by U.S. Foreign Service
For strong storms or tornadoes, a storm safe room must be built to withstand high winds and flying debris, even if the rest of the residence becomes severely damaged or destroyed; specific concerns.
Safe rooms can be hidden behind mirrors, wardrobes, bookcases, sliding bookcases, and even fireplaces.
Some ships have a central citadel, with a degree of armour protection as well as a filtered air system. as a countermeasure against piracy. The crew can retreat into the safe room and call for help.
The safe room is typically constructed in a concealed location within a void within the ship, to resist efforts by the pirates to find the crew before help arrives.
Safe rooms sometimes have facilities to allow the crew to remotely disable the ship's engines and electronic systems,
Schools, businesses, houses of worship and local governments have all fallen prey to terrorism and or acts of violence and a great deal of effort has gone into attempting to provide enhanced levels of protection.
Code Concerns
When it comes to windstorm solutions, it’s all code-driven. The door, lock and hardware you put on an opening are determined by hurricane or tornado codes. The challenge comes with knowing which codes apply.
The 2015 edition of the International Building Code requires storm shelters in educational occupancies and emergency operations facilities in certain parts of the country. The new requirements will be adopted on a state-by-state basis so it’s important to check what your state requires. Regardless of whether your state adopts them, compliance with the new requirements reflects best practices nationwide.
In hurricane regions, many types of buildings are required to have windstorm solutions, including (but not limited to) schools, healthcare facilities, commercial buildings, retail locations and community storm shelters. In tornado regions, typically schools and community shelters are subject to windstorm shelter requirements. Shelters, however, may be built in a variety of buildings.
Make sure the products you use are performance tested. When in doubt, check with your manufacturer's specification consultant.
Hurricane: Tested to resist windborne debris impact loads, and cyclic and static wind pressures, as prescribed by the Florida Building Code.
Tornado: Tested to the most stringent FEMA 361/FEMA 320/ICC 500 requirements, withstanding 250 mph sustained winds and 15-lb projectile impacts at 100 mph.
Door Hardware Options
ASSA ABLOY Group brands Ceco Door and Curries offer the Factory Glazed StormPro 320 system, designed for light commercial and residential buildings located in tornado-prone regions. This assembly shields against flying debris and helps ensure the safety of occupants in safe rooms and storm shelters of small business or residential homes during tornadoes and other extreme windstorm events.
"Tornadoes can bring violent winds of up to 250 miles per hour, with enough force to cause massive destruction to homes and towns, along with heartbreaking deaths and injuries.” said Jim Bell, Windstorm Coordinator, ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions. “By combining research, experience and technological advances, we can now offer this high performance opening solution with the unique optional feature of a window that allows occupants to safely see what’s happening outside the room.”
The Factory Glazed StormPro 320 door is always ready for the next tornado, without compromising operation and aesthetics in normal use. The door is available with a patent-pending, factory installed 10” x 10” tornado-resistant glass kit, enabling occupants to safely peer out to see if the storm has passed. An industry first, this tornado-resistant glazing is third-party UL tested and classified to FEMA 320 guidelines and ICC 500 standards.
The Ceco Door or Curries StormPro 320 fully-tested and certified assembly includes UL-labeled doors, plus cylindrical locks, dead bolts, hinges, closers, position switches, and power transfers from ASSA ABLOY hardware brands, creating a complete opening solution. The certification requires door, frame and hardware combinations as tested and should not be compromised. More Info: www.cecodoor.com
Von Duprin’s concealed vertical cable (CVC) exit devices, which install in minutes, have been tested to have a design rating of +/- 75 pounds per square foot (psf) with a large missile impact, thus meeting the Florida Building Code requirements for hurricane wind protection.
Instead of installing and adjusting vertical rods, the flexible cable latching system is inserted and secured into the door before the exit device is mounted. Once the latches are secured in the top and bottom of the door, the exit device is attached to the center slide of cable system. During the entire installation process, only one point of adjustment is required. Moreover, by eliminating the trigger mechanism typically found at the top of the frame, the Vertical Cable System significantly reduces the time and maintenance required to make adjustments when compared to a traditional vertical rod system. Instead of having to move adjustment screws in and out repeatedly, the user only tightens the screw at the point of attachment to ensure that the Concealed Vertical Cable System is properly installed. The height of the bottom latch can even be adjusted while the door is hanging.More info: http://us.allegion.com/
Steelcraft Hurricane (H and HE Series) exterior doors are suitable for installation in all types of building construction, but are specifically designed to resist cyclic and static wind pressures, and windborne debris impact loads, as prescribed by the Florida Building Code. The continuously bonded cores and full height mechanically interlocked edge seams provide attractive, flat and very durable doors to the commercial construction industry. Many options are available in this product series including edge construction, core variations and finishes. More Info: http://us.allegion.com/
Yale Windstorm products are tested to meet the following codes and standards: FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), NSSA (National Storm Shelter Association), IBC (International Building Code), FBC (Florida Building Code), including the Florida HVHZ (High Velocity Hurricane Zone), and ANSI A250.13. What is a windstorm? Door and hardware product testing methods define a windstorm event as either a hurricane or tornado.
Tornado-resistant products from Yale include multi-point locks and exit devices. The Yale hurricane-resistant product line includes mortise locks, interconnected locks, multi-point locks, exit devices and mullions. More Info: www.yalecommercial.com
Securitech offers a variety of Exit Devices & door Locks For Severe Windstorm & Hurricane Doors. Originally designed to prevent forced entry and meet safety code requirements, Securitech’s multi-point locking systems are ideally suited to meet FEMA 320 & 361 tornado guidelines and testing criteria found in the ICC 500-2008 Standard.
Frames, doors and hardware components are tested together as an assembly. By design, doors and frames are transferring load, created by wind or debris impact, to the main structure of the building. Locking hardware ensures that doors stay locked and do transfer that load regardless of the opening’s handing and/or function.
Visit Securitech online at www.securitech.com to download new tornado and windstorm solution brochures.
