(September 7) In an instant, a data center fire can devastate a business. Beyond downtime, there’s equipment damage, escalating insurance rates, and other related costs to deal with—hence the need for ire protection and suppression systems.
As Melanie Davy, Info-Tech Research Group analyst aptly says, however, there’s more riding on the outcome of these systems than costs. “Life safety always should be first priority,” she says. To that end, “installing and selecting a ire prevention and suppression system for the data center should not be a DIY project,” Davy says. “It requires the expertise of a ire engineer and/or third party to ensure the protection of property; continuity of business; and most importantly, life safety.”
✔Know The Basics
Chris Jelenewicz, P.E., engineering program manager at the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, points out several factors to contemplate when installing fire protection for a data center. Among them are the building’s structure, occupants, first responders, and equipment. Jelenewicz says both active ire systems (sprinkler, gaseous, alarm and communications, smoke management, etc.) and passive ire systems (ire doors, walls, etc.) are necessary to adequately protect people, property, and structures. What’s important, he says, is that both system types “should be designed so that they work together as one complete ire protection system.”