VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - His business is unique: Building homes all over the world for families to live off the grid and shelter in place.
"Some clients are worried about civil disobedience; other clients worried about nuclear weapons, dirty bomb, the anti-Christ. Over 32 years, we have heard it all," said Brian Camden, CEO of Hardened Structures Hardened Shelters.
But in the last week, there's been a new inquiry from people here in Hampton Roads and across the U.S. - callers asking if he could build a home to protect them from the rapidly spreading coronavirus.
"We had a call this morning, that exact same call," said Camden.
Camden's niche firm is headquartered right here in Virginia Beach. It specializes in building underground bunkers, fallout shelters and fortified homes.
"The fortified home itself is designed to be independent, to sustain its owners for a definite period of time and for self-quarantine," Camden explained. "All of them are designed to hide in place."
The cost of the homes can range anywhere from $170 to $325 per square foot.
"They are designed for off-the-grid living. Many of them are ballistic-proof; they have hardened windows and doors - very good for withstanding wind like hurricanes - but they are also adaptable to withstanding this virus event," said Camden.
Camden says many of the homes built even have ventilation systems that would keep airborne viruses like COVID-19 from entering.
"We try to provide a peace of mind," said Camden.
While the virus has prompted a flurry of calls to his firm, he is confident this unprecedented scenario won't be the last cause for concern.
"The one thing I know for sure - no one knows the future," said Camden.
