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o Alley m Southern Safe Rooms


Tidwell created a new division of the company in 2011 dedi- cated solely to the manufacture of safe rooms.


“I saw the devastation from that event and I knew we could do something to help,” Tidwell said. “This community means so much to me and I want to do my part to help protect not only my family but other families in northeast Oklahoma. I want that peace of mind and I want my neighbors to have it, too. Staring down a tornado is a horrifying experience—it doesn’t matter if it’s an EF1 or an EF5. You want that certi- tude of safety.”


Southern Safe Rooms offers four standard sizes of shelters. Both the 3’ x 5’ and 4’ x 4’ models will accommodate two to four occupants, while the 4’ x 6’ model will hold four to six. Meanwhile, the 4’ x 8’ will shelter six to ten people. All four models have a height clearance of 6 ½ feet. If one of the standard sizes won’t fit your space, the company can work with you on a custom design. Customization is not a problem, according to Tidwell.


“Our customers purchase our rooms for a variety of uses,” Tidwell explained. “They are used as protection from torna- does and home invasions and even as a vault for safekeep- ing of valuables. We have had requests to add items such as gun racks, fireproof insulation, storage boxes and LED lighting with battery packs.” Custom paint colors are avail- able on request and Tidwell said units can even be upgrad- ed to “panic rooms” with bullet-proofing capabilities.


All units are equipped with covered ventilation panels on three sides to ensure an ample supply of air. Each room also has a door-mounted peep hole so that occupants can monitor storm status without having to open the door. Grade 1 Medeco Maxim deadbolt locks come standard on each model.


Clint Branham Communications Specialist


Southern Safe Rooms are constructed from 3/16” plate steel. Corners are molded instead of welded or bolted. This unique feature eliminates the possibility of breakage. The entire unit is then wrapped around a steel frame for addi- tional reinforcement.


“We have a 175-ton press break and that allows us to round corners, which makes the metal even stronger,” said Tidwell. “Having a welded corner weakens the structure. You are in trouble if the integrity of the shelter depends on the welds holding. If a piece of debris knocks a weld loose, then the whole shelter is compromised, along with its occu- pants.”


Southern’s shelters are built to withstand an EF5 tornado and all designs meet or exceed stringent impact guidelines established by FEMA sections 320/361 and ICC500. To ensure quality, the company put its product to the test at Texas Tech University’s Wind Science & Engineering Re- search Center. The rooms passed with flying colors.


“After three years of manufacturing and sales we feel we have the best unit available on the market,” said David, the company’s vice-president. “We possess equipment and capabilities that other companies simply do not have. Our knowledge of forming and manufacturing lends itself to seamless fabrication of our safe rooms. That sets us apart from our competition. There is a new safe room company that pops up about every month it seems. I’d put our prod- uct up against anything that is out there.”


A standard feature of all Southern Safe Rooms are in- ward-swinging doors. This prevents the possibility of occupants becoming blocked in by debris. As an added emergency measure, a hammer (provided with each unit) can be used to tap out hinge pins should the door need to be removed for any reason. Units meet ADA standards for


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