A systems administrator is contributing to the design of a new data center that will house business-critical servers. The key requirements for fire protection are to extinguish a fire rapidly, cause no damage to the sensitive electronic equipment, and pose no harm to personnel. Which of the following fire suppression systems BEST meets all of these requirements?
The correct answer is a clean agent suppression system. These systems use gaseous agents, such as HFC-227ea (FM-200) or inert gas mixtures (like Inergen), that extinguish fires without leaving residue, conducting electricity, or causing water damage to electronic components. They are also considered safe for use in occupied spaces.
A carbon dioxide (CO2) system is incorrect because, while it is a gas and leaves no residue, it extinguishes fires by displacing oxygen to levels that are lethal to humans, failing the personnel safety requirement.
A pre-action sprinkler system is a plausible but incorrect choice. While it is the safest type of water-based system for a data center because it requires a dual-trigger (e.g., smoke detection and sprinkler head activation) to release water, it ultimately still uses water, which would damage the electronic equipment.
A wet pipe sprinkler system is incorrect as it keeps water in the pipes at all times, posing a significant and constant risk of leaks and accidental discharge that could destroy server hardware.