This is an email from one of the network admins here to one of the managers who was asking about fire protection in our server room:

Manager: Can you let me know which system (method) is installed in your server room.

NetAdmin: We just use the basic chemical powder as prescribed for "electrical fires" under bylaw codes.
There are Water sprinkler heads present too, but we cannot turn them off as per Fire Code/building Code regulations.

Manager: Does it require manual intervention or does it start automatically ?

NetAdmin: No just the canister on the wall. (manual)
Its standard procedure to send in helpdesk first! Run and get it!!! Hopefully they don't have to jump through the flames to get to it.
If there's a fire at night, then the room will burn up till it sets off the Water Sprinkler overhead and we will suffer water damage.
Other than that there is no other fire protection scenario outside the standard building requirements.
Remember helpdesk first, then Business analyst's second, Network support waits outside for truck.

I once had access to an IBM mainframe room with millions of dollars of mainframe, network routers the size of VW Beetles, disc drives the size of washing machines.

First lecture was fire safety.

Big red button on the wall marked HALON.

Head Eng says "In case of a fire, hit this button and run like hell"

-MF

Thats some craziness. Not that state of the art server room fire protection is any better if theres people in the room. If you dont get burned, you suffocate from the halon...

There's no way in HELL they'd pay for a HALON system here. Sure, there's millions of dollars of equipment in there, but we're an insurance company; and we've got off-site tape storage

Once it burns down, then we'll get the HALON system.

What if the server room was sealed and all oxygen removed? No fire.

I can't believe your fire codes prevent disabling the H2O sprinklers. 'Course you are in Canada, and are hell bent on keeping out riff-raff like Ducati...

Seriously, I had contacted my local fire inspector to get the OK to do this, but I also had the Halon gas canisters that automatically go off in the heat. I'll see if I can find a link for you.

Quote: Originally Posted by Im_gumby I can't believe your fire codes prevent disabling the H2O sprinklers. 'Course you are in Canada, and are hell bent on keeping out riff-raff like Ducati... Seriously, I had contacted my local fire inspector to get the OK to do this, but I also had the Halon gas canisters that automatically go off in the heat. I'll see if I can find a link for you.

We can't put a halon system in there cuz the room's not airtight. The reason why we can't disable the water is because there's no other system in there that automatically turns on. If there was a halon or equivalent system in there then losing the water would be fine.

Ducati's dangerous too.

I just thought it was funny that we have to send the helpdesk guys in there first, while the netadmins wait for the truck.

Quote: Originally Posted by Spectrum What if the server room was sealed and all oxygen removed? No fire.

i think that's the basic purpose of the Halon. it's great stuff...but inhaling=doom.

Quote: Originally Posted by pimp_joose We can't put a halon system in there cuz the room's not airtight. The reason why we can't disable the water is because there's no other system in there that automatically turns on. If there was a halon or equivalent system in there then losing the water would be fine. Ducati's dangerous too. I just thought it was funny that we have to send the helpdesk guys in there first, while the netadmins wait for the truck.

helpdesk guys have to be good for something, neh??

Quote: Originally Posted by Dakas i think that's the basic purpose of the Halon. it's great stuff...but inhaling=doom.

Halon isn't poisonous, its just that halon systems evacuate all the air AQAP, so your left with nothing breathable.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cyno01 Halon isn't poisonous, its just that halon systems evacuate all the air AQAP, so your left with nothing breathable.

Halon is heavier than air; when it's released into an airtight room, it forces the existing air up and out, thereby smothering the fire, and suffocating anything there.

Quote: Originally Posted by pimp_joose Halon is heavier than air; when it's released into an airtight room, it forces the existing air up and out, thereby smothering the fire, and suffocating anything there.

But a human can survive being shut in a room with Halon for somewhat short periods of time as long as they are evacuated in the proper amount of time before brain cells start dying. I don't remember the exact amount of time but we learned about it in firefighting training in the Navy.

Quote: Originally Posted by pimp_joose Halon is heavier than air; when it's released into an airtight room, it forces the existing air up and out, thereby smothering the fire, and suffocating anything there.

I know, i was just sayin halon isn't any more dangerous than anything thats not nitrogen/oxygen/water vapor/argon and wth ever else is in air. Not breathing oxygen'll kill ya, but IIRC halon wont mess you up like chlorine or somethin. Whats in halon anyway? Would it make your voice squeaky like everyones favorite inert gas?

Quote: Originally Posted by Cyno01 I know, i was just sayin halon isn't any more dangerous than anything thats not nitrogen/oxygen/water vapor/argon and wth ever else is in air. Not breathing oxygen'll kill ya, but IIRC halon wont mess you up like chlorine or somethin. Whats in halon anyway? Would it make your voice squeaky like everyones favorite inert gas?

Not if it's heavier than air.

Quote: Originally Posted by pimp_joose Halon is heavier than air; when it's released into an airtight room, it forces the existing air up and out, thereby smothering the fire, and suffocating anything there.

I wonder how long Fluffy would last in there??? ??

Quote: Originally Posted by godfoot But a human can survive being shut in a room with Halon for somewhat short periods of time as long as they are evacuated in the proper amount of time before brain cells start dying. I don't remember the exact amount of time but we learned about it in firefighting training in the Navy.

It's 5 minutes tops ... longer if the temparature is lower.

Fire training here usually consists of watching 70's footage of brazillians jumping of of tower blocks, & it your lucky playing with fire extinguishers. What are you supposed to learn from that? "Don't travel back in time & jump out of a tall building in Brazil"?

The only thing I learned was that it's a Good Thing to park your car upwind of where they're about to let off the extinguishers.

What colour are fire extinguishers in the US? EU rules here mean they all have to be red now
It used to be red = water, black = co2, beige = foam, blue = powder. It was useful having them colour coded like that - if the can wasn't beige or blue you knew not to bother. Now you'd have to stop to read the fricken' label

Only ones I have seen are red, white (usually for home grease fires IIRC) and silver for H2O. That is just for handhelds obviously. I haven't kept up with any outside my home.

Help Desk Guy- "F You man I ain't gettin burned for $15/hr job"

NetAdmin- "Dude you aren't as important to the company as me therefore you need to go in there and asses the situation and if its severe, then you need to let business analysts know what the problem is, and if its really detramental to business we go in, after the firemen get here to put out the fire."

Help Desk Guy-"So its like all the other corporate procedures out there?"

Business Analyst-"Yep little guy always gets screwed first,"


~Bob

Quote: Originally Posted by stereomod I wonder how long Fluffy would last in there??? ??

I guarontee it'll be about 5 minutes longer then your sorry ass would last in any room with ME in it!

maybe you guys should stick some OBAs in there for the people that get stuck when the halon goes off . ..