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Safe room

Harden the house and perimeter, then plan, build and equip a safe room that can work as a storm shelter, an intrusion refuge and a secure store. Choose certified safes, protect cash, metals, documents and medicines from fire, water and theft, and store any legally held firearms exactly as your law requires.

Why it matters

When police, fire services and banks are out of reach, the household must protect its people and its essentials itself. A properly engineered room protects lives in storms and break-ins, and certified, anchored and dry storage keeps documents, money and medicines usable for the long term. Done badly, a sealed or locked room can become a trap, so ventilation, fire safety and an inside release matter as much as strength.

Harden the house and perimeter (Install)

1. Walk the perimeter and list weak points secure-25
2. Fit strong doors, locks and window locks secure-26
3. Light the approaches and lock outbuildings secure-27
4. Choose an alarm and installer secure-28
5. Keep security working when the power is out secure-29

Decide what the room is for and where it goes (Plan)

1. Decide the room's job: storm shelter, intrusion safe room, secure store, or all three secure-1
2. Check local codes, flood risk and permits before designing secure-2
3. Site the room in the house plan secure-3
4. Plan a refuge for radiation fallout and chemical incidents secure-24

Design the structure and life-support of the room (Design)

1. Commission the structural design secure-4
2. Specify the door, frame, locks and hinges as one tested assembly secure-5
3. Design ventilation and air supply for an occupied room secure-6
4. Plan CO, fire safety and a second way out secure-7
5. Plan communications from inside the room secure-8

Build, equip and conceal (Install)

1. Build, inspect and label the room secure-9
2. Stock water, light and sanitation inside secure-10
3. Store medical supplies inside secure-11
4. Apply discreet storage principles secure-12
5. Keep your preparations private (OPSEC) secure-30

Choose, anchor and protect safes (Design)

1. Choose safes by certified ratings, not by looks secure-13
2. Anchor every safe to the structure secure-14
3. Control humidity inside safes secure-15

Store valuables and documents (Run)

1. Store cash, precious metals and valuables against fire, water and theft secure-16
2. Build an inventory with photographs secure-17
3. Back up data and documents (the single backup step) secure-18

Lawful firearm storage, keys and the household plan (Run)

1. Confirm the firearm storage law where you live secure-19
2. Fit approved cabinets and store ammunition separately where required secure-20
3. Prevent child and unauthorised access secure-21
4. Manage keys and codes secure-22
5. Write and practise the household security plan secure-23

Open in the interactive guide