PE-13 PE · Physical and Environmental Protection

Fire Protection

✓ LOW ✓ MODERATE ✓ HIGH
3 Enhancements 1 Overlay 1 Related Control
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Employ and maintain fire detection and suppression systems that are supported by an independent energy source.

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

The provision of fire detection and suppression systems applies primarily to organizational facilities that contain concentrations of system resources, including data centers, server rooms, and mainframe computer rooms. Fire detection and suppression systems that may require an independent energy source include sprinkler systems and smoke detectors. An independent energy source is an energy source, such as a microgrid, that is separate, or can be separated, from the energy sources providing power for the other parts of the facility.

Enhancements NIST SOURCE

PE-13(1) Detection Systems — Automatic Activation and Notification LOW ✓ MODERATE ✓ HIGH

Employ fire detection systems that activate automatically and notify [personnel or roles] and [emergency responders] in the event of a fire.

Discussion

Organizations can identify personnel, roles, and emergency responders if individuals on the notification list need to have access authorizations or clearances (e.g., to enter to facilities where access is restricted due to the classification or impact level of information within the facility). Notification mechanisms may require independent energy sources to ensure that the notification capability is not adversely affected by the fire.

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PE-13(2) Suppression Systems — Automatic Activation and Notification LOW MODERATE ✓ HIGH
  1. (a) Employ fire suppression systems that activate automatically and notify [personnel or roles] and [emergency responders] ; and
  2. (b) Employ an automatic fire suppression capability when the facility is not staffed on a continuous basis.
Discussion

Organizations can identify specific personnel, roles, and emergency responders if individuals on the notification list need to have appropriate access authorizations and/or clearances (e.g., to enter to facilities where access is restricted due to the impact level or classification of information within the facility). Notification mechanisms may require independent energy sources to ensure that the notification capability is not adversely affected by the fire.

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PE-13(3) Automatic Fire Suppression WITHDRAWN

Withdrawn. Incorporated into PE-13(2).

PE-13(4) Inspections LOW MODERATE HIGH

Ensure that the facility undergoes [frequency] fire protection inspections by authorized and qualified inspectors and identified deficiencies are resolved within [time period].

Discussion

Authorized and qualified personnel within the jurisdiction of the organization include state, county, and city fire inspectors and fire marshals. Organizations provide escorts during inspections in situations where the systems that reside within the facilities contain sensitive information.

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Implementation Guidance

Engineering Interpretation

Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.

No engineering interpretation has been authored for PE-13 yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.

Assessment

NIST SP 800-53A REV 5.2.0

Assessment Objectives

  1. fire detection systems are employed;
  2. employed fire detection systems are supported by an independent energy source;
  3. employed fire detection systems are maintained;
  4. fire suppression systems are employed;
  5. employed fire suppression systems are supported by an independent energy source;
  6. employed fire suppression systems are maintained.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Physical and environmental protection policy; procedures addressing fire protection; fire suppression and detection devices/systems; fire suppression and detection devices/systems documentation; test records of fire suppression and detection devices/systems; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with responsibilities for fire detection and suppression devices/systems; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing fire suppression/detection devices/systems].

Overlays

OT/ICS Overlay SP 800-82r3

NIST SP 800-82r3 Appendix F, Table 22. Blank baseline means the control/control enhancement is not selected in that initial OT baseline.

LOW

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1) (2)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for PE-13. This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.

Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →

Evidence

Potential Evidence — Derived

Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.

Policy

  • Physical and environmental protection policy
  • system security plan

Testing

  • Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing fire suppression/detection devices/systems

Other Records

  • procedures addressing fire protection
  • fire suppression and detection devices/systems
  • fire suppression and detection devices/systems documentation
  • test records of fire suppression and detection devices/systems
  • other relevant documents or records