Proactive Monitoring to Prevent Fire Risk in Data Centers

Data centers rely on advanced fire detection systems to detect smoke as quickly as possible. Then fire suppression systems put the fire out as quickly as possible. It all comes down to damage control. That said, containing and limiting the risks before damage begins is a critical first step. Convergint is proud to partner with ServersCheck on a state-of-the-art infra-sensing fire platform that allows for early detection before a fire even happens. 

A smoke and fire event is often preceded by at least one of two stages. Each stage offers an opportunity to act and reduce the potential for a catastrophic event. 

This is the most important stage to monitor because it typically gives the facility time to react and fix a problem before it results in a catastrophic event.

• Detect – Sensors use thermal to detect when equipment is running abnormally hot.
• Prevent– Sensors can check for variable electrical conditions that may cause an equipment malfunction and assist in avoiding a catastrophic event.

This stage is characterized by smell; when gas is detected from smoldering overheating components and releasing gases may occur in this stage. The type of gas that is released depends on the type of equipment that is experiencing an abnormality.

• Alert – Utilizing a gas sensor for abnormal gases can trigger an alert before actual smoke is detected by the fire safety system. For example, lead-acid batteries may release hydrogen gas and when hydrogen gas is more than 4%, it may become explosive.
• Prevent – Using sensors to monitor gas detection typically catches a fire before it begins.

Using the infra-sensing sensor platform from ServersCheck enables a proactive approach to detecting stage 1 anomalies and stage 2 gas events. The contactless sensors do not replace fire safety systems instead, they complement them with adequate alerting and operational procedures to mitigate risk and safeguard the infrastructure.  

Convergint’s experience in mission-critical facilities allows us to assist not just in implementing the sensor platform but also by integrating it within business processes. Critical processes ensure that the business is informed when an anomaly is detected and correctly responds to it.