I have been talking to some Insurance Underwriters and there are some
solid reasons why each of you as  Records Manager should support the
current NFPA 232 Protection of Records Standard.

The fires in five different large records storage warehouses revealed
to Insurance companies that sprinkler systems cannot prevent the spread
of fire in an arson type fire; or any fire that would be a multipoint
fire, such as occurs when lightning hits a building and ignites
multiple point fires.

Based on the case history of the fires in the late 90's;  had the NFPA
not acted to limit the volume of  records exposed in a fire, it is
likely that insurance rates would have climbed to adjust to the large
risk exposure of the insurance providers.  Those who wish to allow
unlimited loss by removing the compartment size requirement are able to
vote out limiting compartment size, then the increased insurance costs
will be borne by the companies storing in these new Astrodome sized
warehouses.

If an arson fire starts in these new style warehouses with 1,200,000
boxes or more, and as they say, "no sprinkler system can stop an arson
fire",  it is a given that the major insurance companies will react
with increased premiums for every corporate client. The Insurance
providers will pay out major claims based on loss of business,
inability to collect certain invoices, legal expenses involved with
recovery and on and on.

The impact of a loss of this size will be a regional disaster. No
records loss in history will be equal to what losing one of these
massive centers with 65' high racking and 40,000 sq. ft of floor space.
Can anyone think of a loss of 1,200,000 boxes in a disaster in our
history.  (Maybe the Federal Records Center in St. Louis?)

Those who oppose the 250,000 cubic feet of records stored per
compartment argue that sprinklers always work.  But they immediately
respond when asked about arson? "No technology can prevent arson!"

But the fire protection engineers that represent Underwriters claim
that by proper use of building alarms and security, card access and
video that arsonists can be deterred and losses can be minimized by
dividing a warehouse into compartments. History shows the arsonist will
be limited to one compartment per fire, since the risk of staying
onsite while a fire is already set is a risk that few would take.

Since the NFPA states "that arson is the leading cause of fire loss",
it would seem foolhardy to rely on only sprinklers, as the large
records storage companies propose.

A number of you have replied to Larry and Diane and myself but we need
your comments to go directly to the NFPA.  These comments must be on a
NFPA Comment Form.  Either Larry or I can email you the form in PDF
format and you can print it out and fax it to the NFPA.

This form is very short and you just fill in your comment and fax it to
the NFPA.  We will save you having to even navigate the NFPA Site to
download the form.

You have the ability to save your company large amounts on insurance
premiums.  Your risk manager may also write to the NFPA if you make the
aware of this issue.

Plus we are about 10 comments short of me losing my bet of having to
deliver on a Listserv Party.  So if you want to give yourself a Gift of
a Wings, Beer, Wine and Ribs Feast then ask one of us for the form.

Give the Gift of Professional Conduct to the whole records management
community by being one of the few who will actually speak out on what
may be the biggest records management issue of our time. Is 30 out of
1,600 too much to ask?

Imagine five years from now, reading in the paper that a records center
fire occurred and that 250,000 boxes of records were destroyed.  You
call your kids or grandchildren over to the paper and point to the
article and say proudly "If not for me, that loss could have been five
times that amount.  I saved that company a loss of a 1,000,000 boxes
that would have been at risk.  I, along with a few other really
professional records managers prevented this loss from being even more
catastrophic.  My presentation to the NFPA made them limit the loss of
valuable records that protect families college savings plans,
critically ill patients medical records and our culture."

"Really (Grandma) or (Grandpa)!  I didn't know you did things like
that!  I didn't know you were a hero!"


Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM

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