Firelock - Fireproof Data Storage

Over the past 25 years Firelock has built over 1500 modular fireproof vaults to protect data backup tapes, micrographic media, IT equipment and other heat-sensitive assets.  In that time very few of these vaults have had the same dimensions as previously installed vaults.  Each vault is custom-sized to fit in an existing room or to provide for the client’s exact interior space requirements.  When length, width and height is easily customized it creates an almost infinite number of  vault size permutations.  This is why it is easy for Firelock to customize the Secure Agile Vault Environment (SAVE) units for each customer’s needs.

Of course building inside a shipping container limits the vault dimensions to some degree, but containers can be had in multiple sizes and the length of the vault can be customized.  The standard SAVE unit is constructed with a 40-foot shipping container and allocates space for a vestibule in front of the vault and a mechanical room behind it.  It also includes eight server racks, an overhead cable management system, internal fire suppression, Vette’s LiquiCool Rear Door Heat Exchanger system and the HVAC equipment to support it.  The SAVE unit can be delivered with all of these components, some of these components, or with just the vault itself.  It’s all up to the customer.  For clients who just need a secure storage environment for other heat-sensitive assets in a portable package, SAVE units can be customized for their exact needs.

If the water chiller and support systems are not needed inside the SAVE unit, the mechanical room can be eliminated and the vault can be expanded into that area.  If the unit will always be operated in an indoor space, such as a warehouse, and weather protection and improved physical security is not required then the vestibule area can be eliminated.  If more space is needed outside the vault for an office area, the vault can also be made smaller to accomodate this requirement.

With a history of customizing fireproof vaults to fit each individual customer’s needs, Firelock is able to do the same for the SAVE solution.  Just as it is with all Firelock vaults–it’s all about the customer.

Anyone familiar with Firelock’s vaults knows the primary value of the investment is unsurpassed fire protection, with the ability to keep the interior of the vault below critical temperature thresholds even if the fire reaches 2,000-degrees.  A beneficial by-product of the design that isn’t as well known is the added physical security–keeping intruders out of the vault chamber–that a Firelock vault provides. 

The panels that comprise the walls and roof are not specifically designed to keep people out, but it would take considerable time to hack or cut through them to gain entry into the vault.  If a motion detector or other intrusion detection device is installed outside the vault, then the time it takes to penetrate the vault structure gives security personnel or police more time to stop the bad guys.

The doors are also an excellent security measure.  The outer door (which is the only door needed in document vaults) is an 1,100-pound fire door with a combination lock.  When the door closes it automatically throws 10 steel bolts into the locked position in the steel door frame.  This would be a very difficult door to open without the combination.  On Class 125 data vaults double door assembly is needed to achieve this stringent fire rating, so this is another barrier to unauthorized entry.  The inner door is a steel door with a conventional door handle and lock that is often converted to a magnetic lock that can be activated by swipe cards or biometric access control systems.  These electronic lock systems are ideal for controlling access to the critical vault area during business hours and keeping track of authorized personnels’ entry and exit times.

Data security is more important than ever due to the incredible volume of data that can be stored on a single data tape or hard drive.  Server equipment is also very valuable and can be resold by thieves, even if they don’t access the information on the components.  By storing these mission critical assets in a Firelock vault the physical security part of the data protection equation is increased substantially–at no additional cost.