On Feb 8, 2014, at 12:01 AM, RECMGMT-L automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Snips:

> From: PeterK <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Iron Mountain fire in Buenos Aires kills 9, destroys corporate records - Computerworld
> Date: February 7, 2014 at 9:14:38 PM EST
> 
> 
> Iron Mountain fire in Buenos Aires kills 9, destroys corporate records -
> Computerworld
> 
> The fire yesterday is not a first for the company, which operates archives
> in 30 countries for storing digital and paper documents, film and other
> artifacts for both businesses and governments.

As several of us have reported over the last 14 years, the battle royal on this Records Protection technical committee has been over the issue of compartmentation. In looking at the photos of the fire, the one photos shows the fire fighter on the side where a demising wall exists which seems to have stopped the fire from spreading to the adjacent occupancy.

Fire science throughout the history of the NFPA, has shown that fire walls provide the best protection against the spread of fire. A large fire in Chicago also demonstrated the value of fire walls.

In 1999 the requirement was put in the Standard by the National Archives representatives that a compartmented records center cannot have a compartment larger than 250,000 cubic feet in size. There are no case histories of fires in compartmented facilities where the fire was able to burn through a legitimate fire wall. (Walls inserted into the foundation and protruding up through the roof structure to truly compartment the building.) 

Yet the battle on the Committee has been to remove the requirement for fire walls in records centers.

Sprinkler systems have been proven repeatedly to offer limited protection if the fire is an arson fire: as the pumps can be deactivated, the water supply can be shut off or if the arsonist is skilled, they can start a fire with agents that over run the water sprinkler system.  Water to every site is limited by the pipe supply and water towers and pumps that service the facility.

What does it say about the value of records that arsonists target records centers?
Does the trend to burn down records center warrant moving records to ERMS as they never seem to be destroyed?
Or should records managers join the battle to improve the security of records centers?
Or should your company avoid these 2 million cubic foot mega centers and distribute your records to avoid such massive losses?

There are several new members on the NFPA Technical Committee that might be able to deliver a message if corporate and organization records managers and archivists render opinions.



Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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