Demand for safe rooms grows

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Sandra Bullock -- like many other celebrities including Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez -- has a safe room. That's where she hid from her stalker until police arrived.

Security experts say safe rooms started becoming popular after Jodie Foster's 2002 movie "Panic Room." Now in light of recent high profile calamities, demand for these safe rooms has jumped.

More than a decade ago, former Chief Executive Alan Wilzig spent over $100,000 on his safe room. Wilzig is one of the only people in New York City who is open about the extra security. His Tribeca townhouse is covered with bullet-resistant glass. Wilzig has surveillance cameras both inside and outside his home and can access them from his master bedroom, which doubles as his safe room.

The nearly 1,700-pound steel core door has five deadbolts to make it close to impossible for an intruder to enter.

Gaffco Ballistics, a company that specializes in the design of safe rooms, has seen a 30-percent increase in revenue this year, compared to last. Gaffco tells us a lot of it has to do with an increase in global security or better yet, the lack of it.

Tom Gaffney, the president and CEO of Gaffco Ballistics, cites ISIS and ISIS-related or inspired attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. Gaffney says that before 9/11 he was installing 3 or 4 safe rooms a year. Now that number is closer to 50.

Ballistic fiberglass was once the preferred material for safe rooms. Now Gaffney uses Kevlar and steel that can withstand shots from an AK-47, but cost four times more. He says you can spend between $150,000 and $1 million depending on the space, size of the area, and kind of protection.

How has the industry changed today? More of Gaffney's safe rooms have air filtration systems with backup power to last 30 hours. He says you lock yourself in the room, and when the air is clear you come out.

Scary if it were to happen, but that's the price you pay for safety.