1.) If you are using a media fireproof safe in the US make sure it is certified by UL or any other US testing laboratory. You may have a problem with your insurance company if the safe is not up to US standards.
2.) The National Fire Protection Association has standard 232 Provides requirements for records protection equipment and facilities and record-handling techniques that provide protection from the hazards of fire.
3.) Something to remember. When you see that a safe, door or wall is rated for say 2 hours, the intent is to give you 2 hours of protection until someone notices the fire and calls the Fire Department, the sprinkler system activates and extinguishes or controls the fire until the FD arrives or the fire goes undiscovered and hopefully the fire burns itself out or otherwise say goodbye to your backups. Fireproof safes are rated the same way. So, if you have a safe rated for 45 minutes, make sure there is adequate fire suppresion or the facility is staffed 24 hours 7 days a week.
Haligan
From my experience most properly installed and maintained fire suppression system CAN handle a normal fire. Unless you have an act of arson where someone spreads a load of some kind of accelerant or in case of 9-11 you had damage to the system itself and a large amount of accelerant. I know sometimes the Surround and Drown game has to be played, but I have seen some departments that do this in fire that could be stopped. Good fire inspections, visits from the companies that respond to the facility so that they become more familiar with it and good aggressive fire fighting is what should be done. Remember, I said that I realize that sometimes when it's blowing through the roof Surround and Drown is the only option left.
One reason why Halon works i sthat it displaces the air to remove that side of the fire tetrahedron. You cannot breathe in an atmosphere filled with Haoln, this is why there are big red buttons that will delay the discharge of the Halon. That way you have more time to escape the area that is about to be filled with Halon.
And you cannot buy nor recharge a Halon system in the U.S. anymore. A sprinkler system should have been in place instead. It might not have been required by the building code, but there has never been a multi-fatality fire in a building with a properly installed and maintained sprinkler system and statistics have shown there is a greater chance of recover from a fire as well. The DOE has placed many sprinkler systems in their Server rooms.
As a former fire fighter and fire inspector I must comment that yes the construction may have been type IV , but like most people , Architects included, you are forgetting that the contents are mostly flammable, (ie carpet, paint, some ceiling tiles).
Mike B.
Slashdot Mirror
1.) If you are using a media fireproof safe in the US make sure it is certified by UL or any other US testing laboratory. You may have a problem with your insurance company if the safe is not up to US standards. 2.) The National Fire Protection Association has standard 232 Provides requirements for records protection equipment and facilities and record-handling techniques that provide protection from the hazards of fire. 3.) Something to remember. When you see that a safe, door or wall is rated for say 2 hours, the intent is to give you 2 hours of protection until someone notices the fire and calls the Fire Department, the sprinkler system activates and extinguishes or controls the fire until the FD arrives or the fire goes undiscovered and hopefully the fire burns itself out or otherwise say goodbye to your backups. Fireproof safes are rated the same way. So, if you have a safe rated for 45 minutes, make sure there is adequate fire suppresion or the facility is staffed 24 hours 7 days a week. Haligan
From my experience most properly installed and maintained fire suppression system CAN handle a normal fire. Unless you have an act of arson where someone spreads a load of some kind of accelerant or in case of 9-11 you had damage to the system itself and a large amount of accelerant. I know sometimes the Surround and Drown game has to be played, but I have seen some departments that do this in fire that could be stopped. Good fire inspections, visits from the companies that respond to the facility so that they become more familiar with it and good aggressive fire fighting is what should be done. Remember, I said that I realize that sometimes when it's blowing through the roof Surround and Drown is the only option left.
One reason why Halon works i sthat it displaces the air to remove that side of the fire tetrahedron. You cannot breathe in an atmosphere filled with Haoln, this is why there are big red buttons that will delay the discharge of the Halon. That way you have more time to escape the area that is about to be filled with Halon. And you cannot buy nor recharge a Halon system in the U.S. anymore. A sprinkler system should have been in place instead. It might not have been required by the building code, but there has never been a multi-fatality fire in a building with a properly installed and maintained sprinkler system and statistics have shown there is a greater chance of recover from a fire as well. The DOE has placed many sprinkler systems in their Server rooms.
As a former fire fighter and fire inspector I must comment that yes the construction may have been type IV , but like most people , Architects included, you are forgetting that the contents are mostly flammable, (ie carpet, paint, some ceiling tiles). Mike B.