The Data Center Boom
From The NFPA Podcast by National Fire Protection Association
February 24, 2026 · 1h 3m · Episode 132
About this episode
The episode discusses the rapid growth of data centers driven by artificial intelligence and features an interview with safety expert Michael Brune on overseeing safety during their construction.
The race to cash in on artificial intelligence has triggered a data center building boom that is quickly becoming the largest infrastructure effort of our time. With these enormous facilities being built all over the world, an army of safety professionals is now racing to understand the complex systems in data centers and mitigate their hazards, even as the technology inside continues to rapidly evolve. Today on the podcast, we welcome Michael Brune, one of those safety experts on the frontlines of overseeing safety during the data center buildout. As the fire marshal of Goodyear, Arizona, a suburb of Pheonix, Brune and his office review designs and issue permits for data centers, and oversee construction and inspections. He's had a lot to do. The city now has at least 30 data centers in various stages of completion, most of which have gone up in just the last few years. Brune shares his experiences and lessons learned as an AHJ overseeing several enormous data center projects, and what it's like playing a high-stakes safety tug-of-war with some of the richest corporations on earth. LINKS: Read the cover story of the NFPA Journal, "Fast, Furious, Immense." Learn more about NFPA…
People in this episode
Guest: Michael Brune
Topics covered
- data centers
- safety
- infrastructure
- artificial intelligence
- construction
- hazard mitigation
Keywords
- data center boom
- safety professionals
- infrastructure effort
- construction permits
- hazard mitigation
- artificial intelligence
- fire marshal
- Goodyear Arizona
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, NFPA 75
Books & works: Fast, Furious, Immense
Places: Goodyear, Arizona, Pheonix
More episodes of The NFPA Podcast
- 10 Years of Progress on Cancer · April 21, 2026 · 55 min
- Flying Cars are Finally Here. Are they Safe? · April 14, 2026 · 46 min
- How Australia is Tackling Wildfire · March 24, 2026 · 41 min
- Manatee Rescue · March 10, 2026 · 42 min
- The Volunteer Crisis · February 10, 2026 · 1h 6m
- Swiss Nightclub Fire Follows a Familiar and Tragic Script · January 27, 2026 · 50 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The NFPA Podcast podcast page.