You always make sure you have smoke alarms installed in your home and your business; and we make sure they are in all of our facilities. Except we use alarms that detect even the smallest amount of smoke. They are called Very Early Smoke Detetection Apparatus, or VESDA. These sensitive, two-stage detectors are linked to the Data Centre Management System and are monitored constantly.
VESDA detectors work by sucking in the air from a room and sampling the quality for any smoke as it passes through. They are used when there is a need for high smoke sensitivity, so are perfect for our data centres. With multi-level warnings, the detectors allow us to catch even the smallest amounts of smoke.
We have detectors all around our facilities; crucially near sources where an electrical fire could start and where the smoke could travel.
VESDA is specifically designed to protect data centres from fires. The smoke detection is key to protecting the lives of people who work in the buildings, the servers and protecting business continuity.