Would you dare to enter a burning building where you stood a distinct chance of being electrocuted, where your radios may not work, where there would be high-security and very limited means of emergency egress, virtually no capability of ventilating smoke, immense floor plates — containing a maze of aisle ways filled with highly energized equipment, a fuel load consisting of toxic, flammable gases, areas with massive banks of batteries containing sulfuric acid and explosive hydrogen gas, the presence of huge “generator farms” with major fuel supplies, the presence of “super air-conditioners” requiring significant amounts of refrigerant and electricity, the very real threat of smoke explosions or backdrafts, in addition to probable zero visibility conditions, with unseen trays containing thousands of wires dangling above your head? Sounds like a nightmare scenario, doesn’t it?
Now that I have your attention, did you ever wonder, like me, how the Internet really worked beyond the cables and wires leaving the back of your P.C.? Personally, I always thought a bunch of little green men somewhere huddled together and made it all happen, linking all the data flowing throughout the world and sending it back and forth from one computer to another. O.K., I’m the first to admit that I know as much about computers and the Internet as I do about the Australian Outback. I’m one of those people who are being forcibly dragged, kicking and screaming into the 21st century. So when I recently learned of the existence of “Telco Hotels” from reading a commercial real estate magazine, I wasn’t that amazed that I hadn’t heard of these before. However, when I read an article (by Dan Friedman, senior editor of Commercial Property News) describing the concept, the specific criteria relating to these buildings jumped out at me as having tremendous potential for firefighter injuries or worse. A lot of the knowledge I will convey to you regarding the concept is taken directly from Dan’s 2-part article and will appear as quotes. All of the firefighting concerns will be based on my views and research.
The hazards contained within these structures are truly mind-boggling and caused me to get on the phone and begin calling almost every major city fire department in the U.S. and even up in Canada. I found some departments did not know these highly specialized buildings were in their communities or the tremendous hazards that would be presented to firefighters responding to a fire in one of these facilities. It’s quite probable that the people responsible for plans review are aware of these building’s existence due to the need for a CO (Certificate of Occupancy). However, in most cases this information has not been passed on to the first responders. That’s why I made all my calls to the fire suppression divisions in each department, the very folks who would be dealing with emergencies in these buildings. What I discovered was that they were apparently not briefed of their existence, quite possibly due to the fact that they appear on the surface to be just another data center or telephone switching station, of which they are not. However, some similar features do exist but on a larger, more sophisticated scale. This is indeed a brand-new type of occupancy to both commercial real estate and the fire service. There are some unique challenges that these properties present which could prove to be difficult for firefighters to overcome. That’s why I felt so compelled to write this article and Harvey Eisner offered overwhelming support from the very beginning. The best avenue to me was getting the word out through the finest and most widely read fire service publication in the world. Hold onto your chairs ladies and gentlemen, as this promises to be a real eye opener!
First of all, as noted, I just learned of this concept — three weeks ago. I am trying to gain as much information on the topic in as short a time frame as possible, including rushing right out to two major cities in order to personally view and photograph four separate “Telco” facilities. I knew I could not write about dangers I had not personally seen. What I saw and learned was truly amazing. There may very well be a few mistakes in this article regarding some of the information, as there is a great deal to know and I am still learning as I go. Let’s begin with the base subject matter, “What is a Telco Hotel?” There are actually several nicknames — “Telco Hotels,” “Telecom Hotels,” “Carrier Hotels,” “Co-habitation Locations,” “Intelligent Building Cybercenters,” “Cyberports,” or the English version — “Telehouses.” Essentially, we’re describing Internet buildings that house the racks of switchers, routers and wires (copper, fiber-optic lines or both) that make telecommunications possible. The building itself “houses the equipment for a good number of different telecommunications firms under one roof, all of them connected to fiber-optic lines (or copper wiring) and often to each other in common “meet me” rooms. Hence the “hotel” in Telco Hotel, although the hospitality is extended to high-tech machinery, not to human beings.”
“The concept is not really new — telecommunications facilities have been around as long as telegraphs and telephones. Originally, they were the self-contained switching centers for the communication monopolies such as AT&T and Western Union. With the break-up of AT&T in 1984 and the emergence of competitive local exchange carriers in the wake of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, a whole host of alternative Telcos needed space for their switching equipment. The earliest telecom co-location facilities began to appear about a decade ago. But in the past 2 – 3 years, as Internet use has avalanched, demand for this new type of real estate has likewise exploded, and for the time being at least, demand is driving supply full speed ahead,” doubling in the last year alone.
They are essentially a new type of telecommunications facility. Europe, for example, represents 31% of the global telecom market. However, the U.S. and Canada is experiencing rapid development of buildings dedicated to the Internet and long-distance phone service providers, resulting in the construction and renovation of existing buildings ranging anywhere from 40,000 square feet to 2.6 million square foot behemoths, taking up entire city blocks. They are being introduced in most every medium to large city. They can be brand-new dedicated facilities or converted office buildings, shopping malls, warehouses, hospitals, as well as grocery and catalog distribution centers with floor plates of up to 800,000 square feet. Consider search and rescue or initial interior attack in one of these puppies! “Telco hotels are a type of industrial property with very specific real estate requirements generated by their very specific function. Location for these facilities has taken on a new meaning: Instead of needing to be close to interstate exit ramps or airports, these New Economy facilities require proximity to a high-speed fiber optic line — typically found along railroad tracks. They also need ceilings at least 12′ high (high by office standards but low for industrial) and columns at least 20′ apart to fit the racks that hold the equipment. They need floor loading capacities of at least 150 lbs. per square foot to bear the weight. The high-tech machinery also consumes huge amounts of energy — a minimum of 100 watts (up to 175) per square foot, compared to about 5 – 8 watts per square foot in a typical office building (makes you wonder how we’re in an “energy crisis,” especially in California — with Silicon Valley, etc.). This energy consumption produces a great deal of heat, necessitating super air-conditioning. The Telco tenants also need space for fuel and generators to enable them to provide continuous service in the case of power brownouts or outages.” These would be located in dedicated areas.
“There are three types of ‘guests’ checking into these new ‘hotels.’ First are the national and international companies that are building the fiber-optic network, the infrastructure of the New Economy — firms like Qwest, Exodus, MCI and AT&T Broadband. They need space for their switches and routing signals. For them, the hotels are places where they can hand off signals to each other and to Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) that bring the Internet into the cities and neighborhoods. Often they will buy a facility and lease space to other Telco carriers and CLECs. These CLECs, along with local telecom service providers, are the second major tenant group. They need space for their equipment that routes the Internet from the hotel to your word processor. The third tenant group consists of Web hosting and data outsourcing companies. This part of the industry is basically about the storage of information. Corporations are increasingly finding it easier and more cost effective to outsource their data for storage in these secure and energy redundant environments than to manage it directly themselves.”
It is safe to say that data has become the world’s newest utility, joining telephone, water and electrical service. Telco hotels are truly crucial communication hubs for the Internet and home to the companies that make it all work. They are highly sensitive and very valuable occupancies that demand a greater level of response and protection from the local fire department. Yet, herein lies the problem and related challenges facing firefighters and their incident commanders. These buildings’ worth can reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars and the value of the data flowing through them can’t even be estimated. Everything from balancing your personal checking account and credit card purchases over your P.C., to billions of dollars of domestic and overseas banking loans goes through these buildings. Also include the daily trading of countless stocks, bonds and commodities, not to mention everyone’s e-mails.
According to research done on the Internet, every Telco hotel in the country sends ITS information through one of three “mother” facilities located in: California’s Silicon Valley; Dallas, Texas, and in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. They are called MAE West, MAE Central and MAE East. “MAE originally stood for Metropolitan Area Ethernet, but now its simply shorthand for central locations where Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can link their networks together. During peak business hours, MAE East handles as many as 2,200,000,000 bits of data per second!” These are the three largest connection points on the Internet. “A MAE is the MCI WorldCom facility where ISPs connect to each other to exchange Internet traffic — an Internet networks traffic exchange facility. The easiest way to think of it is as a LAN switch where all the “pieces” of the Internet connect together in order to exchange traffic at high-speeds. The MAE forms part of the “Inter” in “Internet.”
From an economic standpoint alone, the sheer importance of these facilities is absolutely staggering. The loss of one of the typical Telco hotels, much less a MAE facility to fire or other disaster is beyond comprehension. That’s how important these things are. And you are responsible for protecting them from catastrophe.
O.K., enough on the existence and criticality of these properties. Now let’s talk about the most important part of the issue … firefighter safety. These are the facts surrounding “Telco Hotels” based on what I was able to gather by interviews with engineers and technicians, as well as on-site visits:
TELCO BUILDING FEATURES
- They have extremely high electrical demands and are typically fed off at least two separate power grids from the local power company, with individual breakers for each floor or tenant (one small 40,000 sq. ft. building had 2,000 amp service with four 1,200 amp circuit breakers). Note: most of these breakers will not be found on their respective floors but where city services enter the base of the building
- They tend to have no mechanical smoke removal capability, although there may be small purge systems present for special suppression agents
- Although some equipment areas may be protected by special suppression agents (such as FM 200), most are protected by basic dry-pipe pre-action sprinkler systems, with each zone’s valve typically found in the Telco space in large red cabinets. These systems are completely separate from any other wet or dry system found on the floor or elsewhere in the building. Some systems utilize quick-response sprinkler heads. Battery rooms will use the “wax-coated” type heads due to concerns over corrosion
- Fire detection systems are usually comprised of smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual pull stations and possibly a relatively new type of “electronic sniffer” detection system. Although these devices are plentifully located throughout the tenant space, they may not be tied into a central monitoring agency
- Most Telcos are windowless buildings. If renovating an existing building, windows will be sealed for energy conservation and protection from outside threats (storm damage, vandalism, etc.)
- Walls in tenant areas may only have a 1-hour fire rating, although most Telco floors are wide-open floors, aside from possible dedicated battery rooms
- Telcos are secure buildings, with high-security touch pad and card key entry systems to tenant spaces (these should unlock on fire alarm, but will not unlock for other emergencies such as acid spills, refrigerant leaks, etc. unless a pull station is activated)
- Power to energized equipment will most likely stay on during a fire, fed by primary AC power, battery UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply), or emergency generators
- These buildings demand heavy floor loads due to the weight of equipment and high-ceilings and significant spacing between the columns for the large quantities of wiring. Add to this the noted preference of a windowless building and I’ve just described the ideal Telco facility and firefighter death trap……a cold storage building. These are being bought and renovated at an alarming pace, probably without notification to the first-due companies
- “Super air-conditioners” in tenant spaces (with Freon-type refrigerant piping, sometimes glycol) exist, along with massive “generator farms” with associated fuel supplies, (usually day tanks close to each generator and larger tanks elsewhere ¯ one building has 175,000 gallons of diesel fuel stored in the basement!) Each tenant normally requires at least 72 hours of fuel, running at full load on generators. Battery rooms or storage areas containing a high number of batteries stacked up to 8′ in the air will be present. Wet cell, gel-cell (gel paste/Vaseline type) or AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) are the batteries of choice. One Telco space which I viewed had 42 racks of batteries on one floor, with each rack containing 72 large batteries! Smaller batteries can also be found within each computer cabinet for minor “hiccups” in power distribution. The average temperature in tenant spaces will be kept between 64 – 71 degrees Fahrenheit by package units, even though significant heat will be generated by the equipment. Expect many of these powerful units per tenant, averaging one every 20’–30′ along the floor perimeter. Smoke detectors on AC units should shut down air flow in the fire area. No tie-in to the building’s main ventilation system will exist in older buildings converted to Telcos. There will be very low humidity (app. 46%) in equipment areas due to moisture concerns
- Monstrous cooling towers (or smaller, yet numerous & concentrated “dry” coolers) will be present. Note that these cooling towers may be situated adjacent to the building on the ground or on the roof along with the generator farms, adding a major load to the existing roof assembly which is supposed to be reinforced as per code. This is not something that should be taken for granted. Things sometimes slip by without the knowledge of officials. One renovated single-story warehouse turned Telco facility that added these very heavy items onto their roof did add reinforcement with a massive steel I-beam running between the load-bearing walls. The I-beam was unprotected/exposed steel, which met code. This beam can fail at 1100 degrees F in as little as five minutes into a fire, which would almost guarantee catastrophic structural failure of the entire building. In another case, I viewed twin steel I-beams holding up a huge bank of batteries in a Telco space spanning two support columns, because the floor couldn’t handle the load. Again, it was unprotected steel. However, in one building it was noted that existing structural elements were strengthened with a unique method called “carbon-fiber reinforcement,” which is applied to the member similar to fiberglass, supposedly increasing the load capacity by a reported 15%. I am uncertain what its performance under fire conditions might be. Remember though, just a standard 1,000 KW generator weighs 30,000 lbs. and these Telcos have entire “farms” of them. Also note that one Telco had installed its generator farm and fuel tanks on an adjacent building’s roof. Figure that one out in a fire!
- Some Telcos even have large-capacity freight elevators to move delivery and maintenance trucks from street level up into the building in order to have equipment and supplies close to tenants. Firefighters would most likely not expect to deal with this unusual feature
- Microwave transmission equipment may be present on the roof, with associated high-radiation hazards and may not be seen at night or in smoke conditions. Most firefighters, without prior education, would not even recognize this equipment and would likely mistake it for a reception array
- Wiring throughout Telco spaces may be beneath the floor in “raised floor” areas or overhead, suspended by large wire trays. These trays are 12″–18″ wide and 8’–10′ off the floor. There most likely will be significant amounts of PVC wiring present, with its associated toxicity and flammability. New York City, for example, requires most of this wiring to be Teflon coated “plenum-rated” going into and out of tenant’s space. However, wiring inside equipment cabinets will not be. Even fire retardant coating on PVC wiring can give off gases such as hydrogen chloride and hydrogen bromide
- Most of these buildings are not staffed after hours, yet are “24/7” in terms of their operations, leaving firefighters completely on their own at night and on weekends. At best, you would be met by security personnel having no knowledge of building systems and hazards
- Telco tenants demand large, open floor areas with equipment situated closely together, creating very long, narrow aisle ways (typically 24″ – 28″) between computers. Wasted space is wasted money
- Telco tenants, in most cases, pretty much do their own thing, as to what happens within their space. There tends to be no hard, fast rules as to what each tenant does, although some owners have more stringent standards than others. There are no shared systems, except basic building services
- These buildings have a very light “life load,” which is certainly one major benefit
MAJOR FIREFIGHTING CONCERNS
- Expect the building not to be staffed after hours by knowledgeable technicians. At best, there may be basic security personnel present
- Expect entry problems due to high-security needs of tenants
- Expect more than one electrical feed to the building (likely from separate power grids) with dedicated (individual) breaker panels
- Beware of high-voltage wiring and equipment throughout building and tenant spaces
- Do not expect equipment on fire to be de-energized. Firefighters will have to isolate All AC feeds, battery UPS systems and emergency generators, possibly including batteries in computer/switching cabinets to “safely” fight fire with water. (Note: cabinet battery disconnects are usually on the front panels of each cabinet)
- Beware of the possibility of energized water on floor of tenant spaces from flowing sprinklers
- The use of CO2 and dry chemical portable fire extinguishers, although effective on Class C fires, may prove to be impractical in this setting with a decent volume of fire. You may not be able to gain proximity to the involved equipment, especially considering the possibility of energized water on the floor. Also, remember that dry powder/ABC extinguishers can cause a tremendous amount of damage to nearby valuable equipment not on fire
- Expect communication problems in these buildings, possibly due to the electromagnetic radiation given off by the high energy equipment, as well as the mass of the structure
- Expect a lack of smoke removal systems and very limited ventilation capabilities
- Expect the presence of large quantities of batteries
- Expect the presence of large amounts of diesel fuel (1 – 10,000 gallon tanks are the norm). If generators are on the roof and main tanks are in the basement, there will be a fuel riser in the core
- Expect the possible presence of large quantities of refrigerant and associated piping
- Expect the possible presence of vehicles (gasoline tanks) on upper floors near core of building
- Expect the possible presence of microwave transmitting equipment (radiation hazard) on roof — associated with wireless carriers
- Expect the presence of extremely heavy equipment on roofs (cooling towers, generators, etc.) and in tenant spaces (battery banks, computers, AC units) — Do not expect steel reinforcement to be protected with fire-resistive insulation
- Beware of possibility of backdrafts or smoke explosions. You will be entering through the only vent space to the tenant area during a fire
- Expect independent fire suppression systems in each tenant space (dry-pipe valves will most likely be found within their own zones IN fire area — rarely in stairwells)
- Note: If special suppression gases are present, expect a reduced oxygen environment and SCBA must be worn
- Beware of overhead lightweight metal trays holding wiring and cabling (these will also serve to deflect the sprinkler water from getting to the seat of the fire). In addition, if these collapse onto firefighters, they will be tangled in a mass of wiring inhibiting their escape. A cable could easily be confused with a rescue line attached to a firefighter
- Beware of operating in raised floor areas (fire involving cable/wiring may be beneath you and could also cause rapid failure of lightweight floor suspension grid which is never “fire-proofed.” CO explosions could also occur here, as with any confined space.) Also beware of “holes” in the floor, due to missing floor tiles during cable installation
- Beware of significant numbers of poke-throughs, horizontally and vertically. These may not be fire-stopped. Expect 5″ – 12″ diameter holes drilled through floor slabs for D.C. cable remote from the core, as well as many holes in the core itself, including elevator lobbies, converted janitor lockers and elevator shafts, even portions of stairwells — hidden, of course
- Beware of misleading or improper signage, such as a big red button adjacent to entry door to Telco space labeled “Emergency Power Off” that I noted in one city. When asked exactly what that button would cut-off, I was told “All AC power to nearby equipment.” I then asked if the power wouldn’t automatically transition over to emergency power UPS sources and stay energized. The answer was “yes, it would”
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Several tips or ideas that firefighters may want to consider from both a safety standpoint and an economic perspective of the building owners and the community:
- Contact your city’s building inspection department and fire prevention bureau. Find out if you have a Telco facility in your community. If so, go out and learn all you can about them. Watch for activity around old vacant buildings that fit the criteria
- Increase level of response. These facilities will require more manpower and equipment than standard structure fires, even for high-rises. Consider requesting a haz-mat team to the alarm if a working fire is confirmed or even suspected. They are clearly a “target hazard” and should be addressed as such. Establishing rapid intervention teams early into a fire is a must. Due to the significant floor and roof loads, consider the response of a structural engineer on any substantial fire. Don’t bank on reinforcement of existing structural members to have definitely taken place
- Remember that the size of some floor plates, the maze of energized equipment with very narrow aisles and all the other problems noted should merit a very cautious interior attack and in some cases, no interior attack at all. Hose stretches may be lengthy and time consuming. Avoid venturing too far into fire area. Use lifelines with any search crews. Remember heavy loads and possible wire/cable trays above your head. Chiefs: establish an emergency evacuation signal. Maintain strict control and coordination over crews. Perform PARS/accountability checks frequently
- Avoid using radios or cell phones in computer areas in non-emergency situations. They can wipe-out very important and extremely valuable data from computer memories and processors
- Pre-Incident planning is paramount. Having building utilities, haz-mat and systems data and floor plans on arrival for the command post is critical to the success of any fire department operation. With these facilities, you have to know in advance what your limitations are in working within the building
- Expect the unexpected. In one case, I was told a Telco tenant wanted to install a 10,000 gallon diesel fuel tank on an upper floor of a high-rise building for their roof generators since there was no room for a tank on the roof or in the basement. I wasn’t told which city, but hoped it wasn’t in an earthquake zone aside from obvious fire and terrorism concerns. I viewed another that had a 10″ chiller loop throughout a Telco space at ceiling height, with dedicated pumps, condensing lines, etc.
- Ensure proper signage and labeling of anything and everything pertaining to firefighter concerns
- It’s possible that current municipal and maybe even national fire codes do not apply to these buildings, as evidenced by the aforementioned facts. Codes may have to be re-written to properly address these “new age” occupancies and the inherent risks they pose to firefighters
Now the clincher. Telco carriers also have begun taking floor space or even entire floors in typical occupied high-rise office buildings throughout the world. They are punching numerous holes through the floor slabs and, as noted, even converting janitor lockers and elevator shafts in order to run all their wire, cable and electrical feeds to their spaces. Remember, the electrical rooms on these floors will probably not contain any cut-offs for these tenant areas. Are these poke-throughs being fire-stopped after the work is done? All the hazards previously noted in this article will exist. Firefighters most likely will not know they are entering a Telco space in a fire, as they will be expecting a standard office floor lay-out. This application can be even more deceiving than a stand-alone “Telco hotel.” These are being built at such a frenetic pace that it will be tough for the over-worked and understaffed fire prevention inspectors to keep track of them.
I was recently told by one property manager of a high-rise office building that a research company tried to sneak stuff past him and his people (especially after hours) when moving in, such as wanting to put 5,700 lbs. of computer equipment on the freight elevator, when the load capacity was only 4,300 lbs. They also wanted to run electrical service from vacant space on upper floors down to their space to compensate for increased power demands. They were going to add equipment and battery banks in concentrated areas that definitely would have exceeded the designed floor load limits. This new tenant attempted to submit extremely rudimentary drawings that more closely resembled “artist’s renderings” than architectural or mechanical plans as to what they were going to do in their space. Fortunately, the vigilant manager rejected their drawings and proposals for obvious safety reasons, despite political pressure to comply with their unrealistic (and unsafe) demands. Although this was not a Telco tenant, it does give rise to thought as to what is really going on out there unbeknownst to the local fire department with some of these “new age” firms. I read a recent real estate article about one very large Telco tenant moving into space in an old industrial building in a major city. One of the main tenants in that same building who was unaware of their impending presence? You guessed it … the fire department.
Obviously, I just scratched the surface on this subject with this article. I implore firefighters everywhere to “take the ball and run with it.” Learn all you can and share your knowledge with others, especially in future articles. I am clearly not an expert in this area, but felt compelled to quickly get the word out on this new type of occupancy facing the fire service. Research web-sites on the topic, as I did. My objective here is to open up a dialogue of discussion and forum for ideas that all firefighters should participate in. It is intended to provoke thought and due caution relative to these facilities. Without question, Telcos have their inherent risks and challenges. However, also remember that they are also very necessary for the growth of the New Economy and are extremely high in value as well. You are responsible for them and of course, your own safety. Some owners, developers and managers don’t even want you to know they exist, while others are quite concerned about firefighter safety and the increased awareness and protection of their properties. Telco facilities obviously do not have to be feared or avoided, but respected and understood.
Very special thanks to the following people and companies: Dan Friedman, Stephen Boos, Paul Ruane, James Jenkins, Richard Amon, Richard Fitzpatrick (retired Assistant Deputy Commissioner – Chicago Fire Department), Battalion Chief Ken Burns (FDNY), Deputy Chief Michael Essex (Miami Fire & Rescue), Deputy Chief William Warthen (Atlanta Fire Department), Robert Drennen (retired Battalion Chief – Philadelphia Fire Department), Deputy Chief Tom Garrity (Philadelphia Fire Department), Battalion Chief Matthew Stuckey (Houston Fire Department), as well as the highly proactive folks at Insignia ESG Management Company and Taconic Investment Partners. If firefighter and civilian lives are saved from future possible occurrences in these properties, it will be due to the invaluable assistance and input of these individuals and firms.
The fire services everywhere thank them and believe in the notable cause that they’re contributing to with this story. Let it make a definitive impact, nurture ideas and then promote change. A lasting change that leaves a legacy of increased safety for all “the bravest” to appreciate!