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CNN Live Saturday

Company Offers Steel Safe Rooms

Aired March 08, 2003 - 17:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Fear of an attack at home? Well, forget duct tape and gas masks. For those worried about war, don't panic, just buy your own safe room, fully equipped with high tech security and comfort. CNN's Kathleen Koch gives us an inspection.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "PANIC ROOM")

JODIE FOSTER, ACTRESS: What's to keep someone from prying open the door?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steel. Very thick steel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Panic Room," Hollywood's vision of ultimate security, but the new threat of terrorism has made reality as strange as fiction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An ax attack won't go through.

KOCH: Steel safe rooms on display at the Washington Home and Garden Show.

JEFF QUANTE, ZYTECH ENGINEERING: Actually, a customer has requested gun ports in his so that if someone were to break through the first door, which is highly unlikely, he can return fire through the second door. It gets crazy.

KOCH: The chambers promise protection against everything from thieves to tornadoes to terrorist attacks. Since July, Jeff Quante's company has sold eight of the safe rooms and has orders for six more, one this week from what he calls a high government official.

QUANTE: Protection for his family.

KOCH (on camera): So he's buying a large one?

QUANTE: Buying a large one.

MELINDA ZIMMERMAN: I was thinking about making some sort of underground system where I live.

KOCH (voice-over): Even some average Americans are preparing for Armageddon.

ZIMMERMAN: I'm close enough to potential ground zero that I figure it would be worth at least thinking about it.

KOCH: Others, though, who dove for shelters in the '50s aren't convinced.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Run and cover, under your desk. I mean, we did air raid warnings.

KOCH (on camera): So despite what's going on now, you're not ready to go to a bunker like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, not in the least. Not in the least.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sure the fear factor is weighing heavily on people's minds right now. But I think it's overblown myself.

KOCH (voice-over): Security experts agree.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If one is near the White House, well, then one has to think that, yes, this is a high-profile target area and how are they prepared to deal with this. But they don't need to go, I believe, to the extent of buying one of these.

KOCH: Still, companies are making and selling them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can go in here and call 911 on a cell phone. I'm locked in a steel safe.

KOCH (on camera): Where do people put things like these in their home?

QUANTE: Well, normally they'll put them in a concealed space, a hidden room, if you will.

KOCH (voice-over): The cost, $25,000 for this small model, or just $3,300 for a protective tent.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: Larger models of safe rooms, larger models of the safe rooms are available with everything from stereos to security monitors, phones and toilets. And those obviously for the rich and paranoid are going to cost a little bit more, $50,000 and up, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. All right, Kathleen, so say you spring $25,000 to $50,000 for one of these panic rooms, and thankfully nothing really happens, you never have to really put it to use. Do you get a refund, or can you?

KOCH: Well, actually, the people who make these point out that these are insulated chambers. They are fire proof. They can -- you can pay a little extra and have the temperature control system put in. So they can double as storage vaults for your gun collection, your fine paintings, even your favorite Bordeaux. WHITFIELD: OK, whatever works. All right, thanks a lot, Kathleen.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired March 8, 2003 - 17:47   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Fear of an attack at home? Well, forget duct tape and gas masks. For those worried about war, don't panic, just buy your own safe room, fully equipped with high tech security and comfort. CNN's Kathleen Koch gives us an inspection.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "PANIC ROOM")

JODIE FOSTER, ACTRESS: What's to keep someone from prying open the door?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steel. Very thick steel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Panic Room," Hollywood's vision of ultimate security, but the new threat of terrorism has made reality as strange as fiction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An ax attack won't go through.

KOCH: Steel safe rooms on display at the Washington Home and Garden Show.

JEFF QUANTE, ZYTECH ENGINEERING: Actually, a customer has requested gun ports in his so that if someone were to break through the first door, which is highly unlikely, he can return fire through the second door. It gets crazy.

KOCH: The chambers promise protection against everything from thieves to tornadoes to terrorist attacks. Since July, Jeff Quante's company has sold eight of the safe rooms and has orders for six more, one this week from what he calls a high government official.

QUANTE: Protection for his family.

KOCH (on camera): So he's buying a large one?

QUANTE: Buying a large one.

MELINDA ZIMMERMAN: I was thinking about making some sort of underground system where I live.

KOCH (voice-over): Even some average Americans are preparing for Armageddon.

ZIMMERMAN: I'm close enough to potential ground zero that I figure it would be worth at least thinking about it.

KOCH: Others, though, who dove for shelters in the '50s aren't convinced.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Run and cover, under your desk. I mean, we did air raid warnings.

KOCH (on camera): So despite what's going on now, you're not ready to go to a bunker like this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, not in the least. Not in the least.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sure the fear factor is weighing heavily on people's minds right now. But I think it's overblown myself.

KOCH (voice-over): Security experts agree.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If one is near the White House, well, then one has to think that, yes, this is a high-profile target area and how are they prepared to deal with this. But they don't need to go, I believe, to the extent of buying one of these.

KOCH: Still, companies are making and selling them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can go in here and call 911 on a cell phone. I'm locked in a steel safe.

KOCH (on camera): Where do people put things like these in their home?

QUANTE: Well, normally they'll put them in a concealed space, a hidden room, if you will.

KOCH (voice-over): The cost, $25,000 for this small model, or just $3,300 for a protective tent.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: Larger models of safe rooms, larger models of the safe rooms are available with everything from stereos to security monitors, phones and toilets. And those obviously for the rich and paranoid are going to cost a little bit more, $50,000 and up, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. All right, Kathleen, so say you spring $25,000 to $50,000 for one of these panic rooms, and thankfully nothing really happens, you never have to really put it to use. Do you get a refund, or can you?

KOCH: Well, actually, the people who make these point out that these are insulated chambers. They are fire proof. They can -- you can pay a little extra and have the temperature control system put in. So they can double as storage vaults for your gun collection, your fine paintings, even your favorite Bordeaux. WHITFIELD: OK, whatever works. All right, thanks a lot, Kathleen.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com