Data Centres: the engines of modern life and the importance of fire protection

Data centres aren’t just buildings packed with servers; they are the backbone of our digital existence. Every aspect of life relies on them, from global finance to healthcare, retail, and entertainment. Take them away, and businesses grind to a halt. Worse still, if data centres stopped functioning entirely, the real catastrophe would begin—families sent home only to realize their TV streaming services had crashed. Panic would ensue, children would be climbing the walls, and suddenly, the prospect of no internet becomes far more terrifying than any technical disruption.

Of course, I exaggerate (slightly). But the truth remains: data centres are mission-critical, and their resilience against fire incidents and disasters should never be taken lightly. Despite this, many businesses tend to lean on the practices of hyperscale data centres, assuming what works for the giants must work for them too. But that’s a dangerous misconception. Hyperscales operate on vast, dispersed architectures that help them withstand failures. Smaller enterprises do not share that advantage—so blindly mimicking their approach, especially in areas like fire protection and business continuity planning, can be a recipe for disaster.

The danger of copy-and-paste protection strategies

One of the most concerning industry trends is the tendency to copy and paste fire protection solutions from mismatched environments. Companies often adopt outdated or irrelevant methods, failing to assess whether the approach truly aligns with their specific risks. Fire protection isn’t just about deploying any detection system or suppression method—it’s about ensuring that every stakeholder is involved in shaping a strategy that actually works.

This was one of the driving forces behind Euralarm’s Guideline on Selection of fire protection systems for data centers, a project I had the privilege of contributing to. Charlotte Jones of CBS first raised the issue, sparking conversations that snowballed into a much broader discussion.  The input from many within Euralarm’s Extinguishing Section was invaluable, highlighting how different countries, industries, and operational requirements shape fire protection decisions. It’s frustrating that this level of insight isn’t more easily shared, but the resulting document is a more a leap than just a step in the right direction—providing much-needed clarity in an area where confusion could carry unfathomable cost.

Reframing how we think about data centres

One lingering issue, however, is terminology. “Data centre” (or Data Center) is often thrown around as a catch-all phrase, conjuring images of mysterious boxes hidden away in the cloud rather than the actual nerve centers of modern business. Whether “on-prem” enterprise, colocation, or outsourced and cloud-based, these facilities are far more than just racks of blinking lights. They are the brains of every company, and their protection must reflect their significance.

So, fancy a quick experiment? Turn off the Wi-Fi in your building and see how long it takes before the mayhem begins. It won’t take long.

That’s the reality of data centres today—they’re indispensable. And if they’re mission-critical to modern life, their fire protection should be taken just as seriously.  Code compliance, to be allowed to build and open the building, might just be a tad inadequate.