[Desdemona]

When I worked in the Archives and Rare Books Division of a MAJOR med school (millions and millions of dollars worth of irreplacable books and artifacts), we had a Halon system which was slated to be removed, like about now. I don't remember exactly why, but it was FDA or OSHA. Someone else mentioned Halon bonds with oxygen - then it sinks (like CFCs those molecules are heavy). The idea, as I understood it, was to give the people time to get out. After bonding with the oxygen it becomes inert, I think. Something like that. The valence shell fills, I know that much. Anyway, there would be enough time to get out and then the fire supressed due to lack of oxygen. RIght?

Dumb Dumb Dumb. Removing those systems is a total overreation. It's a remnant of the early 90's ozone hysteria.

[from occupied ga]

Halon does not bond with O₂, it simply displaces the air with a non combustable gas. Think about it - if it combines with O₂, then by definition it burns - not what you want in a fire supression system.