Fire
The impact of a fire event can vary
greatly depending on many variables and largely on the materials consumed.
Heat and smoke are offenders which, ironically, are often
exacerbated by fire fighting efforts. Fire loss events have included
large telecommunications central offices, impacting switching gear.
In one case, the loss included service
interruption and availability of 911 emergency services. Service was
re-established using temporary measures. Concurrently, the impact the event had on
equipment was determined using inspection and analytical techniques.
This process was used to estimate the possible immediate and long-term
business interruption, the duration required for temporary switching gear,
the scope of damages to be addressed and consequently, acquiring
replacements for
equipment found to be unrecoverable and in need of replacement. Once
these variables were identified, final disposition of the equipment and
mitigating the loss followed.
When fire generated heat is the primary
concern in regard to equipment integrity, its impact may not be realized
immediately. Resources related to the manufacture and testing of
equipment are utilized, when possible, to assess the possible impact on
equipment operation and longevity. Electronic equipment is typically
designed and tested to operate at elevated temperatures and are expected to
perform to specification at these temperatures. Our knowledge in
reliability testing and equipment design is utilized in conjunction with
loss specific details to assess the impact of fire and heat on equipment
performance.
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