[98267] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Why do we use facilities with EPO's?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Daryl Jurbala)
Fri Jul 27 12:22:52 2007
In-Reply-To: <04c201c7cfd8$a317f3d0$3301a8c0@D3M1BS91>
Cc: "'Barry Shein'" <bzs@world.std.com>, <nanog@merit.edu>
From: Daryl Jurbala <daryl@introspect.net>
Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:21:51 -0400
To: Randy Epstein <repstein@chello.at>
Errors-To: owner-nanog@merit.edu
On Jul 26, 2007, at 6:59 PM, Randy Epstein wrote:
>
> I guess my point was that it's safer to power off a UPS system as
> best you
> can before you shoot water at it. :) Most likely you are doing
> this at
> somewhat close proximity, with step-down transformers nearby, etc.
Somewhat true.
> An EPO not only shuts down the power feed to the UPS, but the UPS
> as well.
> Which is a good thing.
The batteries still make pretty colors when you hit them and start
bridging things that shouldn't be bridged. But if it's not on fire,
it is usually avoided by the fire department.
>
I'm posting on this as a 17 year volunteer fire department member as
well as a professional (albeit part-time, with the rest of my time
spent in network ops) fire marshal for a town in PA.
EPOs are great, and as a fire marshal I like them (preventative) but
they really don't figure in to the picture when I've got my
firefighter hat (ok, helmet) on - because we just cut mains to
everything, and generally know what we're looking at and how to
handle it. Any building in any reasonably juristiction that has any
"real" sized UPS most likely has not only a pre-plan so the FD knows
what is where, but also at least annual inspections. Chances are
good the facility also has to hold a permit for the number/capacity
of the batteries in the unit (per IFC 105.7.2) and most likely the
fuel storage for the generators (IFC 105.6.16). Even in your
jurisdiction doesn't use that code, IFC and/or it's ancestors provide
the model code that most of the US operates on, so chances are high
there are similar restrictions/procedures/permitting requirements.
Daryl
