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Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS

Section 913

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

FIRE PUMPS

[F] 913.1 General. Where provided, fire pumps for fire protection systems shall be installed in accordance with this section and NFPA 20.

Exception: Pumps for automatic sprinkler systems installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.3, or Section R313 of the California Residential Code .

[F] 913.2 Protection against interruption of service. The fire pump, driver and controller shall be protected in accordance with NFPA 20 against possible interruption of service through damage caused by explosion, fire, flood, earthquake, rodents, insects, windstorm, freezing, vandalism and other adverse conditions.

913.2.1 Protection of fire pump rooms. Fire pumps shall be located in rooms that are separated from all other areas of the building by 2-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 or 2-hour horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both.

Exceptions:

  1. In other than high-rise buildings, separation by 1hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 or 1-hour horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both, shall be permitted in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2.

  2. Separation is not required for fire pumps physically separated in accordance with NFPA 20.

[F] 913.2.2 Circuits supplying fire pumps. Cables used for survivability of circuits supplying fire pumps shall be protected using one of the following methods:

FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS

  1. Cables used for survivability of required critical circuits shall be listed in accordance with UL 2196 and shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour.

  2. Electrical circuit protective systems shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour. Electrical circuit protective systems shall be installed in accordance with their listing requirements.

  3. Construction having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour.

  4. The cable or raceway is encased in a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm) of concrete.

Exception: This section shall not apply to cables, or portions of cables, located within a fire pump room or generator room which is separated from the remainder of the occupancy with fire-resistance-rated construction.

[F] 913.3 Temperature of pump room. Suitable means shall be provided for maintaining the temperature of a pump room or pump house, where required, above 40°F (5°C).

[F] 913.3.1 Engine manufacturer’s recommendation. Temperature of the pump room, pump house or area where engines are installed shall never be less than the minimum recommended by the engine manufacturer. The engine manufacturer’s recommendations for oil heaters shall be followed.

[F] 913.4 Valve supervision. Where provided, the fire pump suction, discharge and bypass valves, and isolation valves on the backflow prevention device or assembly shall be supervised open by one of the following methods:

  1. Central-station, proprietary or remote-station signaling service.

  2. Local signaling service that will cause the sounding of an audible signal at a constantly attended location.

  3. Locking valves open.

  4. Sealing of valves and approved weekly recorded inspection where valves are located within fenced enclosures under the control of the owner.

[F] 913.4.1 Test outlet valve supervision. Fire pump test outlet valves shall be supervised in the closed position.

[F] 913.5 Acceptance test. Acceptance testing shall be done in accordance with the requirements of NFPA 20.

913.6 Fire pumps in high-rise buildings.

Engine-driven fire pumps and electric drive fire pumps supplied by generators shall both be provided with an on-premises fuel supply, suffi- cient for not less than 8-hour full-demand operation at 100 percent of the rated pump capacity in addition to all other required supply demands in accordance with NFPA 20 and this section.

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Appendix N — REPLICABLE
  6. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED
  7. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  8. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  9. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
  10. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  11. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  13. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  14. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  15. ▸Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
    Overview
    1. Section 901
    2. Section 902
    3. Section 903
    4. Section 904
    5. Section 905
    6. Section 906
    7. Section 907
    8. Section 908
    9. Section 909
    10. Section 910
    11. Section 911
    12. Section 912
    13. Section 913
    14. Section 914
    15. Section 915
    16. Section 916
    17. Section 917
    18. Section 918
  16. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  17. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  18. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  19. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  20. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  21. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  22. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  23. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  24. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  25. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  26. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  30. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  31. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  32. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  33. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  34. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  35. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  36. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  37. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  38. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  39. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  40. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  41. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  42. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  43. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  44. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  45. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  46. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  47. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  48. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  49. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  50. Appendix H — SIGNS
  51. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  52. Appendix J — GRADING
  53. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  54. Appendix P — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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