An electrical engineering and testing firm involved with a major banking facility recommended the fire consultants at Harrington Group to their long-term client. The client was becoming very concerned with the performance of a fire protection contractor who had been retained to design and install new protection systems in a large, existing mission-critical data processing room. Harrington Group reviewed the existing project documents, as well as the system components in place and to be installed, and provided information and guidance to the client. The existing contract was ultimately terminated, and Harrington Group was retained to carry out an assessment to determine the fire protection systems and features needed, and then to design the suppression and detection systems.

Based on the assessment, our fire consultants determined that the enclosure would be best protected by an FM-200 gaseous total flooding extinguishing system, with a double interlock preaction sprinkler system provided for secondary protection. Additionally, a highly sensitive air sampling-type smoke detection system design was developed in conjunction with a conventional spot-type smoke detector approach. Further, Harrington Group developed an approach to rerouting then existing wet-pipe sprinkler system mains which ran overhead within the space.

Due to a fast approaching regulatory deadline, our fire consultants suggested a negotiated contract approach and a suppression system contractor. Working closely with the client and the contractor, installation drawings were quickly developed and approved, and the systems installed, reviewed, tested, and commissioned within a very short time frame.

Value Delivered

The total time from initial assessment to system commissioning was approximately eight weeks, allowing the client to meet their regulatory commitment to improve the overall fire protection for the facility.

By Jeff Harrington, CEO and Founder of Harrington Group, Inc.