NEC Article 700 Emergency Systems

The latest release of NEC/NFPA 70 edition 2026 (NEC 2026) has placed a greater emphasis on increasing personnel safety by mandating the use of Surge Protective Devices (SPDs).

From 2014 to 2026, the number articles now requiring SPDs has increased significantly for applications ranging from Modular Data Centers, Fire Pumps, Elevators, Critical Power Systems, Dwellings (Dormatories, Homes, Hospitals, Hotels), etc. This article will focus on Emergency Systems and how they are defined by NFPA 70 Article 700.

What are Emergency Systems?

As stated by Article 700, Emergency Systems consists of circuits and equipment intended to supply, distribute, and control electricity for illumination, power, or both, to required facilities when the normal electrical supply or system is interrupted.

Emergency systems will be identified by labels and use transfer equipment (such as automatic transfer switches) to switch from normal power to the emergency power source.

Selecting an SPD for Emergency Systems

The NEC/NFPA 70 also mentions the protection of the fire pump controller which is considered part of the emergency system.

CITEL has a range of UL listed, NEC compliant, Surge Protective Devices (SPDs). This means selecting a surge protector is easier than it has ever been. There are only a few choices available for SPDs that are UL Listed for any of the most commonly used surge standards including UL 1449 5th Edition, UL 497B, and UL 497E.

Recommended SPD for Emergency Systems