Apollo Fire Detectors Provides Essential Data Protection
Apollo intelligent fire detectors have been installed to protect
a new datacentre in Amsterdam operated by Equinix, a global
supplier of data co-location, interconnection, support and
monitoring services. Hi-Safe Systems, one of Apollo's
representatives in the Netherlands, won the contract to supply and
install the comprehensive fire protection and suppression
system.
Equinix offers data support and core internet infrastructure to
more than 300 networks and 2,000 customers worldwide. Some of the
world's leading companies are among its customers, including
Google, IBM, PayPal and YouTube. The new datacentre in Amsterdam
will not only house the multi-million pounds worth of equipment
necessary to support this level of data transfer, but will also
provide office space for up to 50 Equinix staff, plus some of its
customers. Ensuring that its premises are protected from any risk
of fire is therefore critical.
To meet these requirements, Hi-Safe supplied an intelligent fire
detection system that includes around 400 Apollo XP95 smoke and
flame detectors and 160 inert extinguishing cylinders with
distribution valves. In addition to a central control panel, each
of the 10 data suites has its own extinguishing panel. If any two
fire detectors in a given location raise an alarm, the central
control panel signals the appropriate extinguishing panel to
trigger warnings and discharge inert gas.
A special requirement of the project was to ensure that the fire
detectors located in the office areas do not detract from the
décor. As the datacentre has very modern offices with black
ceilings and sophisticated lighting, white detectors would have
looked very out of place. Apollo was able to supply its devices
with specially coloured black casings to match the office
interiors.
Hans den Boer, Managing Director, Hi-Safe Systems comments: "We
have worked closely with Apollo since the 1980s and have a very
good understanding of its product range. The XP95 intelligent fire
detectors met all the criteria for this project because they offer
proven reliability in the field and have a unique addressing
mechanism that enables the seat of any fire to be pinpointed. In
addition, we were able to go the extra mile for the customer and
offer colour co-ordinated devices so that the aesthetics of the
building were not compromised."