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The "big red button" is generally associated with one of two operations:
1. EPO or Emergency Power Off.
EPO buttons generally cut power to part or
all of the room it is located in, as you've described above. EPO can be
used in any number of instances which are typically defined by the occupant
of the room through some sort of procedure or inter-company process. With
regard to fire protection, it is generally recommended that power be cut to
the facility PRIOR to the discharge of any fire protection system. This
would include both waterless (clean agents) and water-based (sprinklers)
systems. In many system designs, the EPO operation is automatically tied
in with the control systems. In other words, the system will automatically
cut power to the room prior to discharging any agent or water, through the
use of smoke detection and an intelligent control panel.
In practice, many companies do NOT want power cut to the facility for any
reason. The decision whether to cut power or NOT cut power is typically
left up to a discussion between the local authority and the building owner
and/or occupant. The NFPA codes do not REQUIRE power to be cut, but generally
recommends it, in several different standards.
The benefit to cutting power to the room is the elimination of the most
common ignition source for a fire. With power continually present, the
risk or reflash or reignition is more pronounced in the hazard area. The
benefit to NOT providing EPO is a continuous operation of systems, with zero
interruption. The owner / AHJ together must make the determination of when
it is appropriate.
It is important to note that clean agents ARE PERMITTED and effective when
used in a facility that has not cut power, but that additional agent may be
necessary. Consult that NFPA 2001 standard for additional guidance.
2. System Abort. An abort switch is used to delay the discharge of a
clean agent system. Then audible or visual alarms indicate a discharge is
imminent, the abort switch can be depressed to delay the discharge if it is
known to be not needed or accidental. In most cases the abort switch does
NOT prevent discharge, rather resets the countdown period (typically 30
seconds) such that the alarm or trouble can be cleared. It is good
practice to have some sort of communication near the abort switch (phone or
intercom) in order to alert others that help is needed. This is especially
important if the switch is required to be depressed continuously (holding
it down) in order to delay the discharge.
The benefit to depressing the system abort switch is simply to avoid an
accidental discharge and the loss of agent contained in the system. It
should be noted that if a fire is occurring, it is NOT
recommended to use an abort switch. Let the system do its job!
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