In the movie Panic Room Jodie Foster plays a woman who is frightened by burglars who have broken into her New York City condo. She retreats with her daughter to a high-tech "panic room" that is actually a part of her residence.

According to ABC news, panic rooms are not just in the movies. Security companies regularly install what they refer to as "safe rooms." Most requests come from wealthy families or celebrities who fear being targets of kidnapping, stalking, or home invasion. It is estimated there are thousands of such rooms in Bel Air and Holby Hills in Southern California.

"Safe rooms" can be as simple as oversized closets with reinforced doors, a phone, and a fridge. They can also be extravagant secret rooms with video banks, computers, and air systems that protect against biological warfare.

According to Bill Ridgon, an executive with Building Consensus (a Los Angeles company that specializes in safe-room construction), the requests for elaborate security systems have increased since the terrorist attacks of September 11th.