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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCUP 00-46B; Pacific Bell Harding Street Building Addition; Conditional Use Permit (CUP) (14)Date: August 16,2000 Subject: Telecommunications Company - Fire Protection 3368 Harding Street, Carlsbad To: Mr. Mike Smith Fire Marshal City of Carbbad Fire Department Dear Mr. Smith, This letter seeks your assistance in mutually exploring alternatives to automatic water suppression and examining the powribility of a sprinkler exemption in the equipment spaces at the Oceanside Central Office. I am a Senior Project manager in the Corporate Red Estate organization at Pacific Bell. I am writing this letter on behalf of our Design and Construction team in Southern California. The adsting Carlsbad Central Office is a single story building. The building's fire resistance rating, as classified National Building Code, is Type 1, Fire Resistant. NFPA 1, the Fire Prevention Code, requires buildings to be pmtected by automatic fire sprinkleers within 12 years of the adoption of the code. While there are no exceptions in NFPA1 for permissible sprinkler omissions, the fire code is in conflict with not only the Standard Building Code, but with other NFPA documents as well. NFPA 13, (1996 edition) the Standard fir the b&aUathn of Sprinkler Systems, dows an exemption for electrical equipment areas from sprinkler protection, as well as per the requirements of section 4- 13.10. Since there is no speciac section in the standard dealing with distinct telecommunication spaces, (switch, power room, main frome, cable vauit, standby engine) as there is in the model building codes and the IBC, the electrical equipment exception of that section is appropriate and applicable to all tebcommunications equipment areas. NFPA 76, the Standard for the Protectlion of the Telecommunicationr Facilities, While not yet published, is in its final draft form. The standard does not require any type of suppression in telecommunications equipment spaces, providing other conditions are met, such 8% compartmentation and smoke detection. In addition three model building codes, (which includes Standd Buildhg Code - Section 412.10.4, the find drafts of the International Building Uodes - Section 903.3.2.2, and the International Fire Code, all exempt tehcommunications equipment areas/spaces bm automatic sprinLTenr, whether in low or high rise buildings, given compliance with spec- alternate fire pmtection methods. Both NFPA and the bdding code industry recognize the exempbry f3re safety record in the telecommunications equipment facjlities. The Standard Building Code allows these exceptio= pmvid4.q that telecommunications equipment spaces are separated from non-equipment spaces by 1-hour wall separations, 2-hour noor separations, and that standard automatic fire detection systems are installed in all equipment spaces. White these code requirements sue deemed adequate by the code, and accepted by fire marshals and building officials alike, the Carlsbad Central Office (and ind4 all telecommunications central om-) far exceeds these code reqairement.. W equipment spaces are smparated fhm noa-equipment spaces by l-hour walls. In seved cases, the separation is by %-hoar walls. The building is protected by the smoke detection system deploying an early am detection system (aspirating) in the digital equipment spaces. These fire detection systems are superplired and mon&ored at a proprietary 7/24 Network Operations Center operated by Pacific Bell. Additionally, all through -penetrations are fire/smoke stopped with UL or FM approved 5 stopping systems. It is ab0 important to note that the Telecommunications equipment fire resistivity characteristics comply with the mort demanding industry standard, HEBS (Network Equipment Bdding Standards) published by Telecordfpl (formerly Bellcore). The building is equipped throughout with ftre extipgubhgrrr that meet or exceed the requirements of NFPA 10. Telecommanications Company has a Fire Fre-Plan and De-po-rrenlng strategy. All power cables in the buildings have been thermal scanned. Please let me assure you that the Padc BeWs primary objective is to retain uninterrupted telephone service to the subsdbems orlgfppiting ftom the carkbad Central Omce. Currently, there are approxhately 70,000 IVetwwk Access lines have been originated at this fix-, serving business, residential and gevemment customers, local hospitals and military base. Again, I cannot overemphasize that uninterrupted telephone service to Carlsbad is PaciRc Bell's primary concern. The Telecommunications Indnstrp is unarguably one of the rrafert industries in the country from a fire safe prpspective. The industry is over 100 years old, has over 21,000 central of€ices, and has not recorded one death due to fire or smoke. This remarkable fire saf" history is ackmowkdged by all three Model Codes and the new International Building and Fire Codes, all of whom endorse the same sprinkler exception for telecommunications. MFPA 76, the Standard for the Protection of Telecommunications fadities, whoee fht edition is wed in 2001, ako acknowledges an exception to sprinklers in telecommunications spaces. NFPA 13 exempts electronic equipment spaces. By deffnition, telecommunications spaces include switching, trparrmirwion, main distribution frame, cable entrance facittty, power, battery arear, and standby engine room. At Telecordia Technologies (firmefly BeRcore). The finrt paper addrwsses the history of fire protection in telecommunications hcilities and t4e second paper presents a comparison of cornmemially available suppression agentrr. I have been in the Teleconunan- Industry for 9 years, and hrrre worked on multiple fbe alarm projects. Pacific Ben is aggressiwe when it mmes fire protection and we exemplify a very high level of proactive strat-c planning in both fire prevention and 5 response procedures. Plelese ta&p iu$m account the aligned poerftiolu of the baildirrg des, the IOFPA, an4 the telecommunications industry, and consider a suppression exeipption for the Telecommunications equipment spaces in the Carlsbad Central Office. I lmk forward to d@-ing farther the City of Carbbad requirement to install a nwv sprinkler system as part of new building addition project at 3368 Qgrding, Carlsbad. If you would like to contact me, you can reach me by e-mail pr phone, as fQ&Bws: e-- mxlivsh(ihacbell.com ~rpCe (858) p86-4440 fv (858) 886-4559 paiger (858) 493-5600 Qp: RobRoyce Project Architect JWDA