On Wed, 16 May 2012 11:14:25 -0500, "HeyBub" wrote:

Norminn wrote:

I agree....bars sufficient to keep out burglars may also keep out
fire/rescue folks. Happens every now and then, esp in high-crime
neighborhoods. I rather like the idea of a "safe room" (especially
in a rural area) with a sturdy door and a cell phone that stays
charged and in the room.

Believe me, some piddly burglar bars are not going to keep out the fire
department! They've got gear that can pull down* the whole damn house! The
apartment house across from me caught on fire about three years ago and the
first fire truck (they ended up with FORTY-TWO pieces of fire equipment on
the scene) pulled down the IRON PICKET FENCE and didn't break a sweat.

You bet. Those rigs aren't pulled by horses anymore.

Your idea of a "safe room" has much merit. I'm reinforcing a walk-in closet
to act as one, even though my house has burglar bars. I'm replacing the
interior sheerock with 3/4" plywood and putting up a steel-clad door with
interior throw-bolts. The closet will have an electrical outlet for the
'phone charger. And a .38 revolver with a box of ammunition.

My plan, too. I have a perfect room in the basement for a bomb shelter. It's
cement walls on two sides and there are several "rooms" (bare 2x6 studded
partitions) between it and the outside walls. I figure it's a good place for
some T&G ply I never has a chance to use. I'm not so worried about burglars
as weather, though.

I'm not sure whether a slot to pass a food tray will be required - I'm
thinking multi-use here.

Kinky!

---
* I recently found out where the term "Hook & Ladder" originated. Around the
turn of the last century, municipal fire departments were not tasked to put
out fires in a three-story brownstone - how much fire could the apparatus
extinguish with only 200 gallons of water on the horse-powered fire truck.
No, their job was to prevent the fire from spreading. To do that, brick- and
stone-faced buildings had steel eyelets attached to their facade. The
firemen, upon arrival, would use their "ladder" to attach a "hook" to the
eyelets and pull down the front of the building!

Just a bit of trivia...