HALON 1301 FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM FOR THE RAISED FLOOR SPACE IN THE COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT ROOMS, NEW HEADQUARTERS ADDITION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89-00244R000701410009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 20, 2009
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: June 20, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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STAT
STAT
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJ aT!? O do a
1 01 Fire Suppression System for the Raised Floor Space in the
Computer and Communications Equipment Rooms, New Headquarters Addition
FR
EXTENSION
NO.
Staff, DDA
DATE
19 June 1984
TO: (Officer designation, room
building)
number, and
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
1
. C/NBPO/OL
3E40 Hqs.
2.
3.
4.
rry
5
.
-
Paul
Pam ,
Jerry
6
Gary
Joe
Imo
Art: Route - c'
cys to:
V
------------
9.
Forward - Toss
lo.
File:
11
.
12.
13.
14.
15.
FORM 61 O USE PREVIOUS
I-79 EDITIONS
GPO : 1983 0 - 411-632
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20 JUN 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, New Building Planning Office,
Office of Logistics
STAT FROM:
Chief, Safety Staff, DDA
SUBJECT: Halon 1301 Fire Suppression System for the
Raised Floor Space in the Computer and
Communications Equipment Rooms,
New Headquarters Addition
REFERENCE: Memo for C/BPS/OL from C/SS/DDA
dated 31 May 1983. Subject: Fire Protection
for Computer Room Raised Floor Space in the
Planned Addition to Headquarters Building
1. Efforts to provide a Halon 1301 fire suppression system
for the raised floor space in the communications and computer
equipment areas in the Headquarters Addition Project have not
been successful. The Safety Staff believes that the lack of
these systems will expose these facilities to an unacceptable
risk and recommends that the issue be reconsidered.
2. A fire suppression system for the indicated spaces was
not incorporated into the building design project because of
the lack of enforcing criteria. In recognition that the fire
protection for these spaces may be deficient, the Safety Staff
fire protection engineer prepared the reference Memorandum
which compared fire protection criteria for similar
installations. Criteria investigated consisted of the
following:
a. GSA Handbook of Building Fire Safety Criteria.
b. Department of Commerce, RP-1, "Standard Practice
for the Fire Protection of Essential Electronic Equipment
Operations".
c. NAVFAC DM-8, Naval Facilities Engineering Command,
Fire Protection Engineering Design Manual.
d. Department of Defense Construction Criteria
Manual, DOD 4270.1-M.
OL 20291-84
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e. Final draft of the proposed Tri-Service Fire
Protection Engineering Manual for the Departments of the
Army, Navy and Air Force.
It was found that the Department of Defense Manual requires
underfloor fire suppression for all electronic equipment
areas. NAVFAC DM-8 and the DOD Tri-Service Manual require an
underfloor fire suppression system if the volume of the raised
floor space exceeds 2,000 cubic feet. The Department of
Commerce RP-1 Manual requires underfloor protection if the
height of the raised floor is 18 inches or higher. The GSA
Handbook, does not specifically address the subject of raised
floor space protection.
3. The New Building Project has utilized GSA criteria for
design of the building. The GSA Fire Protection Handbook
acknowledges that it "does not provide detailed guidelines for
safeguarding special valuable, important or critical operations
or equipment that does not present a particular fire risk.
Limited fire damage up to the destruction of the contents of
the room or area of origin, radiant heat damage to nearby
areas, and smoke damage extending for a considerable distance
from the point of fire origin is normally accepted. In
situations where this level of damage cannot be accepted,
additional safeguards may be necessary to protect against
damage from adjacent or nearby operations.... Each situation
must be individually considered and evaluated against the
potential exposures." Conversely, the criteria set forth by
DOD and military criteria recognizes the need to protect
computer areas where strategically important or mission
essential functions are conducted and continued operation of
equipment is essential to ongoing operations.
4. An uncontrolled fire in the raised floor space of a
communications center or computer room would result in complete
destruction of the area despite the overhead sprinkler system.
With the assumption that an event such as this cannot be
tolerated, the Safety Staff highly recommends the installation
of raised floor fire suppression systems for these areas. This
action would parallel Military and DOD regulations and would
provide an acceptable level of fire protection. The cost of
the systems for the initial 120,000 square feet of electronic
equipment area is approximately 100,000 dollars as shown on the
attachment.
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STAT
5. If there are any questions, or if additional
information is required, please contact the Safety Staff on
extension STAT
Attachment
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STAT
^'EF:CPAt-:DU1: [CI': Chief, Building Planninc; Staff
Oftice of Logistics
r?rcI.:
Chief, Safety Staff, DDA
SUI3JFC'_: Fire Protection for Computer Room Raised Floor
Space in the Planned Addition to headquarters
Building
REFERENCE: I:emo for C/SS/DDA from C/BPS, Subject: Planned
Addition to F:eadyuarters Building, Dated
17 May 1963.
1. Reference paragraph 1(c) stated that a Halon 1301 fire
E:xtin:juishinc; system will not be specified for computer room
protection in accordance with GSA policy.
2. The Safety Staff strongly recommends that a Halon 1301
Lire extinguishing system should be provided for the raised
floor space in the computer rooms. An investigation of
applicable codes, criteria, and related documents was performed
and the findings support the need for raises: floor plenum
protection.
a. The GSA Handbook of Building Fire Safety Criteria
states 'Halon 1301 extinguishing systems shall not be used
as a substitute for automatic sprinkler protection in GSA
installations;. however, GSA may_elect,to augment automatic
sprinklers with Halon 1301 protection.' (Chapt 5-5b).
This indicates that Ualon may riot be used to provide total
room fire protection. However, the area of concern is the
space below the raised floor which contains the cables for
the computer equipment. The overhead sprinkler system
would be ineffective for a fire originating tiithin this
space.
b. Chapter 6-4 of the Fire Safety Criteria Handbook
addresses fire protection for electrical conductors in
plenums, ceilings, voids and similar spaces. It indicates
that plenum spaces with non plenum rated conductors shall
be provided with automatic sprinkler protection or the
conductors shall be installed in conduit. This includes
all telephone, signal and equipment wires. Experience
shows that installing all wire and cable in conduit is not
Practical because of the transitory nature of computer
facilities.
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c. The GSA handbook acknowledges that ",his handbook
does not provide detailed guidelines for safeguarding
special valuable, important or critical operations or
ecuipner.t that does not present a particular fire risk.
Limited fire damage up to the destruction of the contents
of the room or area of origin, radiant heat damage to
nearby areas, and smoke damage extending for a considerable
distance from the point of fire origin is normally
accepted. In situations where this level of damage cannot
be accepted, additional safeguards may be necessary to
protect against damage from adjacent or nearby
operations .... Each situation must be individually
considered and evaluated against the potential exposures".
(Chapt 7-13).
G.
In addition to the requirements
stated in the GSA
handbook, Chapter 7-5 indicates that fire protection for
electronic equipment shall conform to the National Fire
Prevention and Control Administrations issue of RP-1,
"Standard Practice for the Fire Protection of Essential
Electronic Equipment operations".
e. RP-1 indicates that Iialon 1301 fire extinguishing
systems may be considered in electronic equipment areas
where there is acritical need to protect data in process,
a desire to reduce equipment fire damage through early
automatic fire extinguishment, a need to protect void
spaces not suitable for sprinkler protection (i.e., beneath
the raised floor), or a critical need to facilitate return
to service. Section 707 of RP-1 addresses the protection
requirements for raised floor areas. It notes that the
space under the raised floor presents a significant hazard
to the electronic equipment and warrants separate
consideration. The criteria set forth by RP-1 for raised
floor area protection is based upon the vertical distance
between the raised floor and the supporting slab. For a
depth of 18 inches or less, Iialon protection is optional.
For a depth of 18 inches to 36 inches, Halon protection or
automatic sprinkler protection must be provided. A depth
greater than 36 inches requires automatic sprinkler
protection. It is the opinion of the Safety Staff Fire
Protection Engineer that the depth criteria is unsound.
Progressive criteria for determining the need for Halon
protection is based upon the value of the equipment, the
strategic importance of the equipment, the volume of the
under floor area, the use of the under floor area as a
plenum and the replacement time of the computer equipment.
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=l Dupartei,,ent of Defense Construct ioi, Cr itc
f r is
Ilanua1?4270.1N and, the Department of the Navy Deign Ma nua1
DI-',-8 , Fire Protection L?'ngineering, specify protection
requirements for raised floor areas in military computer
installations. Their criteria requires &li raiser floor
spaces to be protected by a lialon or carbon dioxide fire
ext ingu is, ing system unless the value of the equipment is
less that; $500,000 or the volume of the space is less than
2000 cu. ft.
3. Aside from the combustibles located within the computer
room, the raised floor space is the most probable source of a
fire. '.'his is attributed to the power cables enclosed within
the space. A fire originating in this area presents a unique
fire extinguishing problem as explained below.
a . The actual location of the f ire may not tie '
pinpointed because of the high air flow in the raised floor
space. Smoke from the fire would be forced away from the
point of origin. The smoke detector that actuates may be
remote from the actual location of the fire.
b. The air flow under the raised floor is usually so
high it accelerates the spread of the fire. In addition,
the velocity of the air flow inhibits the ability of the
smoke detector to actuate. .In'order to combat this effect,
the spacing of the detectors is reduced from 900 sq. ft.
per detector to 125 sq. ft. per detector. However, the
detection capability of the detection system has been
reduced. This may result in delayed detection creating the
potential for a fire of a magnitude that could not'be
manually extinguished by the occupants.
c. The significant amount of electrical equipment,
work stations and storage racks located on the raised floor
limit accessibility to the space below. This hampers
efforts to locate the fire and effect extiiiquishnent.
d. The noxious fumes produced by the burning cable
insulation would hamper extinguishing efforts by the
computer room occupants. A minimal amount of smoke would
be sufficient for rendering the area untenable.
e. The amount of heat and smoke generated Ly the fire
could be significant before the fire is located and
extinguished. c The smoke itself has the capability of
Beverly damaging equipment and tapes due to the corrosive
nature of the particulates.
3
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?. An uncontrolled fire in the raised floor space
would destroy the computer facility and could injure those
occupants trying to suppress the fire.
4. A L'alon system for the raised floor space would
extinguish a fire involving cabling, power supplys or other
combustibles. A benefit of the system is that it also provides
protection for the computer equipment. Most computers will
draw air from the raised floor space for internal cooling. As
a result, the Halon gas is also drawn into the computer which
would extinguish an internal fire.
5. GSA criteria requires an extinguishing system for
plenums containing cabling and wire not in conduit. In
addition, NFPA No. 13, installation of Sprinkler systems,
requires combustible concealed spaces to be provided with
sprinkler protection. Omission of the Halon system would
require the installation of sprinklers in the raised floor
space. In recognition that the GSA criteria does not address
protection requirements for special important installations of
a vital nature, the criteria set forth by DOD and the
Department of the Navy should be followed. The function of the
Agency computer areas parallel the importance of DOD
installations.-The protection provided for our installations
should parallel theirs.
6. It should be recognized that the criteria referenced is
the minimal acceptable criteria and not a design guide. This
criteria.-is based :upon previous fire and >loss experience in
computer installations. To provide a level of protection that
is considered minimal could not be determined to be in the best
interests of the Agency. The risk assumed by not providing a
Halon system is considered excessive when compared to the
protection gained by installing the system. If only used once,
the system has more than paid for itself in equipment saved,
minimized down time and records protected.
7. If there are any add
the Safety Staff on extensio
STAT
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
Subject
- Chrono
STAT SS/DDA: jw(27 May
1983)
contact
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