Secure I.T. completes fire system upgrade for council site

Secure I.T. Environments has completed a fire suppression system upgrade for the Isle of Wight Council's main data centre and communications room at County Hall in Newport.

The 221 m3 data centre, which remained operational throughout the project, had its fire suppression system revamped over two weeks. This involved decommissioning the existing system and installing a new gas suppression system. The updates included new control panels, cylinders, pipework, smoke detection, and audible alarms. A VESDA early warning system and remote monitoring were also incorporated into the upgrades.

The new fire suppression system utilises the FK-5-1-12 clean agent solution. This agent is stored under pressure and vaporises upon release to extinguish fires without leaving any residue. It is environmentally friendly, classified with zero ozone depletion and a global warming potential of under one.

David Watts, Principal Officer Corporate Property Maintenance and Project Lead, commented on the process: "SITE secured the opportunity following a competitive tender process in which they demonstrated best value for the Council and conveyed confidence they could deliver the most appropriate design and installation in our live data centre environment and they did not disappoint, completing the project on programme."

Chris Wellfair, Projects Director at Secure I.T. Environments, highlighted the project's importance: "Fire suppression systems can often be overlooked as a critical upgrade area in the data centre. But when they need to do their job, you want certainty that they will rapidly extinguish a fire and alert staff. Like all areas of data centre operations, regular maintenance, testing, and planning for the end of life of systems is important."

Secure I.T. Environments was also awarded a four-year maintenance contract for the newly installed suppression system, ensuring its continued optimal performance and safety.