Fire Protection 

and Fire Research 

Knowledge 

Management Digest, 

2013

NUREG/KM-0003

January 2014

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................1

Subject Areas....................................................................................................2

Document Collections......................................................................................5

How to use the DVD.......................................................................................12

Note: NUREG/KM-0003 supersedes NUREG/BR-0465

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NUREG/KM-0003 1

Introduction

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) knowledge management 

(NUREG/KM) publication series is intended to preserve the knowledge that has 

shaped the NRC’s history and regulatory programs. The NRC Office of Nuclear 

Regulatory Research (RES) Division of Risk Analysis (DRA) Fire Research 

Branch (FRB) has prepared NUREG/KM-0003, “Fire Protection and Fire 

Research Knowledge Management Digest,” in order to collect and share over 

35 years’ worth of NRC fire related experience with the Nuclear Fire Protection 

Community of Practice across the whole of NRC.

NUREG/KM-0003 provides fire related information for three major subject 

areas: current nuclear power plants, next generation nuclear power plants, 

and non-reactor and nuclear materials. The document collections that are 

used to inform the three subject areas are grouped into several categories that 

include: regulatory publications, technical publications, and non-NRC external 

documents. This digest supersedes previous fire protection digests and DVDs 

provided at the Regulatory Information Conference, including NUREG/BR-0465, 

“Fire Protection and Fire Research Knowledge Management Digest,” in 

their entirety.

The Browns Ferry (BFN) cable tray penetration after the 1975 fire. The fire forever 

changed how the NRC and industry view the threat of fire (NUREG/KM-0002).
2 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Subject Areas

Current Nuclear Power Plants

The NRC’s Office of Nuclear 

Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

pursues a variety of regulatory 

and oversight activities to protect 

people and the environment from 

the effects of fire in operating 

nuclear power plants. Current 

nuclear power plant documents 

are related to the regulation and 

safe operation of nuclear power 

plants currently operating in the 

United States. The majority of 

NRC regulatory and technical 

publications issued from 1975–

2013 pertain to currently operating 

nuclear power plants.

Important Note: Many of the documents on the DVD are historical in 

nature, and may contain information that is obsolete or superseded by today’s 

regulations and research results. Please refer to the NRC’s public Web site 

(www.nrc.gov) for current information on regulations, Commission policy 

statements, regulatory guidelines, regulatory processes, and research results.

Aerial view of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (TVA File photo)

Hope Creek Generating Station, Unit 1
NUREG/KM-0003 3

Next Generation Nuclear Power Plants

The NRC’s Office of New Reactors performs safety 

evaluations of fire protection programs, applicants’ 

approaches to loss of large areas of the plant due to 

fires or explosions, and aircraft impact assessments, 

for new and advanced reactor designs in order to 

safely meet the Nation’s future energy needs. Next 

generation nuclear power plant documents are 

related to the regulation, operation, and construction 

of new reactors. Several documents, such as 

Commission SECY papers and NRC technical reports 

(NUREGs), pertain only to new nuclear reactors. 

These documents provide additional guidance for 

advanced reactors designs, including passively cooled light water reactors, hightemperature gas-cooled reactors, and small modular reactor designs.

Vogtle Unit 3 (AP1000) nuclear island; rebar placement in preparation for concrete basemat 

pour (Top). Vogtle Unit 3 reactor pressure vessel arrives in the United States (Bottom).

Courtesy of Georgia Power, a Southern Company.

U.S. EPR containment 

Courtesy: AREVA NP
4 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Non-Reactor and Nuclear Materials

The NRC’s Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) 

administers the agency’s Fire Protection Program for Fuel Cycle Facilities 

through a combination of regulations, guidance, and related licensing 

and oversight activities (including reliability assessments and modeling). 

Non-reactor and nuclear materials documents address requirements and guidance 

for: non-reactor facilities, such as NRC licensed fuel fabrication facilities; the 

transportation of nuclear materials; and other NRC regulated activities, such as 

medical and industrial uses of nuclear materials.

Simulation of 

spent fuel cask 

response to a severe 

fire environment 

(NUREG/BR-0292, 

“Safety of Spent Fuel 

Transportation”)

Photos of JNES High Energy Arc Fault (480V) Test 1 (left) and Test 2 (right)

Important Note: Some documents contained in this NUREG/KM, especially fire 

research documents, may be applicable to two or all three subject areas. Some of 

these documents may be historical in nature, whereas the most recent documents 

may be state of the art research.
NUREG/KM-0003 5

Document Collections

The document collections are grouped into three subject areas with several 

categories that include: (1) regulatory publications, such as relevant fire 

protection regulatory requirements, regulatory guidance, and pertinent NRC 

Generic Communications, (2) technical publications, such as NRC technical 

reports (NUREGs), which include fire test reports, fire protection studies, and 

probabilistic risk assessments, and (3) non-NRC external documents, such as 

reports and guidance by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and 

the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), respectively. Each category of 

document is discussed in greater detail below.

Regulatory Publications

Regulatory publications are 

documents used by inspectors 

and licensees. All regulatory 

publications included in this DVD 

are NRC official records and are 

available to the public.

The regulatory publications part of 

the DVD includes the following:

• Title 10 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations Part 50, “Domestic 

Licensing of Production and 

Utilization Facilities”

This includes 10 CFR Section 50.48 “Fire Protection” and the appendices to 10 

CFR 50, “Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities,” that form 

the basis for fire protection requirements.

• Guidelines for Fire Protection in Nuclear Power Plants

This includes the Standard Review Plan for the “Fire Protection Program” and 

the NRC Branch Technical Positions (BTPs) on the guidelines for fire protection.

• Fire Inspection Procedures

This part includes procedures used in fire protection inspections.

Figure 3. How We Regulate

Regulations and Guidance

• Rulemaking

• Guidance Development

• Generic Communications

• Standards Development

Oversight

• Inspection

• Assessment of Performance

• Enforcement

• Allegations

• Investigations

Licensing,

Decommissioning

and Certification

• Licensing

• Decommissioning

• Certification

Support for Decisions

• Research Activities

• Risk Assessment

• Performance Assessment

• Advisory Activities

• Adjudication

Operational

Experience

• Events Assessment

• Generic Issues

1

4 5 2

3

Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Overview of NRC’s regulatory process

Source: http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory.html
6 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

• Fire Inspection Manual

This contains the significance determination process (SDP), power reactor 

inspection reports, and inspection documents and records. Also included is 

SDP guidance on identifying fire growth and damage sequences, mapping fire 

ignition sources, characterizing complex fire ignition sources, identifying targets 

and associated damage criteria, and analyzing nonsuppression probability.

• Regulatory Guide

A regulatory guide (RG) describes acceptable methods for implementing agency 

regulations, evaluating postulated accidents, and analyzing data that the NRC 

staff needs in reviewing applications for permits and licenses. RGs are not 

substitutes for regulations, and compliance with them is not required.

• Generic Issue

A generic issue (GI) is a well defined, discrete technical or security issues 

from which the risk or safety significance can be determined. A GI potentially 

affects the public health and safety, the common defense and security, and 

the environment. It must apply to two or more facilities, certificate holders, 

or licensees, and cannot be addressed through other regulatory programs or 

processes, existing regulations, policies, or guidance, or voluntary industry 

initiatives. NRC staff or members of the public may propose a GI when there is 

an issue that indicates weaknesses in NRC rules and regulations.

• Enforcement

This includes documents such as enforcement guidance memoranda (EGM) and 

notices of enforcement discretion (NOED). Enforcement Manual Appendix A 

contains temporary enforcement guidance, including temporary EGM that direct 

the staff with regard to emergent enforcement issues. A NOED is a special type 

of discretion that the agency may exercise under specific circumstances. NOED 

are addressed in Section VII.C of the NRC’s Enforcement Policy.

Picture of damaged cables resulting from 

an Electric Power Research Institute 

(EPRI) cable fire test
NUREG/KM-0003 7

• Generic Letter

The generic letter (GL) addresses either an emergent or routine technical issue 

or a policy position with generic applicability. Some GLs may also request 

information or compensatory actions, or require a written response from 

licensees regarding matters of safety, security, safeguards, or environmental 

significance.

• Bulletin

A bulletin request licensee actions or information to address urgent, significant 

issues regarding matters of safety, security, safeguards, or environmental 

significance.

• Administrative Letter

Administrative letters inform addressees of specific regulatory or administrative 

information, or clarify this information. The NRC discontinued use of these 

letters in September 1999.

• Information Notice

The information notice communicates recently identified operational 

information to the nuclear industry and the results of recently completed 

research that may affect addressees. The NRC expects the nuclear industry to 

review the information for applicability to its facilities or operations, and to 

consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems.

• Regulatory Issue Summary

A regulatory issue summary is used to inform stakeholders about NRC 

endorsement of industry guidance on technical or regulatory matters, request the 

voluntary participation of the nuclear industry in staff sponsored pilot programs, 

and inform the nuclear industry of opportunities for regulatory relief and other 

topics that do not require an action or information.

• Circular

Circulars provide time sensitive information related to public health and safety. 

The NRC discontinued the use of circulars in February 1985.
8 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

• SECY Papers

The Office of the Secretary (SECY) papers are reports and/or letters submitted 

by the Office of the Executive Director for Operations, Chief Financial Officer, 

Chief Information Officer, or other offices reporting directly to the Commission 

to inform or to request guidance from the Commission. The three kinds of 

SECY papers include policy issue papers (formulation of policy), rulemaking 

issue papers (promulgation of agency rules), and adjudicatory issue papers 

(granting, suspending, revoking or amending licenses).

• Staff Requirements Memoranda

Staff Requirements Memoranda (SRM) document the Commission’s decisions 

on a staff written issue paper and any related tasks assigned to the staff with the 

date due.

The NRC Commission as of November 2013 (http://www.nrc.gov/about nrc/organization/

commfuncdesc.html)

Chairman 

Allison M. 

Macfarlane

Commissioner 

Kristine L. 

Svinicki

Commissioner 

George 

Apostolakis

Commissioner 

William D. 

Magwood, IV

Commissioner 

William C. 

Ostendorff
NUREG/KM-0003 9

Technical Publications

The technical publications 

(NUREG technical reports) 

include such topics as 

experimental investigations 

of fire and the behavior of 

components exposed to fires, 

surveys of plant practices, 

assessments of the safety 

implications of these practices, 

the development of analytical 

methodologies to perform 

such assessments, and reviews 

of fire probabilistic risk 

assessments performed by 

other organizations. These 

publications are intended to 

support regulatory activities that 

ensure fire safety.

NUREGs are generally classified as the following:

• reports prepared by NRC staff (NUREG)

• reports prepared by NRC contractors (NUREG/CR)

• brochures prepared by or under the direction of NRC staff (NUREG/BR)

• conference proceedings prepared by NRC staff or contractors (NUREG/CP)

• knowledge management reports prepared by NRC staff (NUREG/KM)

TVA Penetration Seal Fire Tests circa 1976

1977 Sandia National Laboratory full scale test with RG 1.75 separation 

criteria and IEEE-383 qualified cable – Before (left) and After (right)
10 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Non-NRC Documents

Non-NRC documents include publically available documents that were not 

published by the NRC but are still important to the Nuclear Fire Protection 

Community of Practice.

• GAO

This section includes 

oversight reports issued 

by the U.S. Governmental 

Accountability Office 

regarding NRC fire related 

activities. The GAO is an 

independent, nonpartisan 

agency that works for the U.S. 

Congress.

The GAO supports 

congressional oversight by:

• auditing agency operations to determine whether Federal funds are being 

spent efficiently and effectively

• investigating allegations of illegal and improper activities

• reporting on how well government programs and policies are meeting their 

objectives

• performing policy analyses and outlining options for congressional 

consideration

• issuing legal decisions and opinions, such as bid protest rulings and reports 

on agency rules

The GAO advises Congress and the heads of executive agencies on ways to 

make government more efficient, effective, ethical, equitable, and responsive.

• IAEA

This section contains publically available reports and guidance issued by the 

International Atomic Energy Agency. Per Article III of the IAEA’s statute, 

“the IAEA is authorized to establish or adopt standards of safety for protection 

of health and minimization of danger to life and property, and to provide for 

the application of these standards.” “The principal users of safety standards 

in IAEA Member States are regulatory bodies and other relevant national 

authorities” and several “Member States have decided to adopt the IAEA’s 

safety standards for use in their national regulations.”

Source: http://www.gao.gov/about/

gao_at_a_glance_2010_english.pdf
NUREG/KM-0003 11

IAEA safety standards are issued via IAEA Safety Standard Series publications, 

which are categorized as Safety Fundamentals, Safety Requirements, or Safety 

Guides. “Safety Guides provide recommendations and guidance on how to 

comply with the safety requirements, indicating an international consensus that 

it is necessary to take the measures recommended (or equivalent alternative 

measures). The Safety Guides present international good practices, and 

increasingly they reflect best practices, to help users striving to achieve high 

levels of safety.” However, “many of the IAEA safety standards, in particular 

those addressing aspects of safety in planning or design, are intended to apply 

primarily to new facilities” and it is the responsibility of individual States to 

decide how to apply the standards to existing facilities.

The IAEA also issues Safety Reports “which provide practical examples and 

detailed methods that can be used in support of the safety standards.”

Source: http://www.iaea.org/About/
12 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

How to use the DVD

Running the Fire Research Knowledge Management Executable File (.exe) on 

the NUREG/KM DVD brings up the main menu for the digest.

Radio Buttons select the particular subject area to be searched. Select the 

Document Collection button to open a new menu that lists documents by 

document type.

Important Notes:

The Knowledge Management PDF link opens a copy of this NUREG/KM.

The List of Documents in this NUREG/KM opens a list of all available 

documents and associated hyperlinks which are included in the digest.

One alternative to using this database is to simply use the List of Documents to 

search for desired files. This option is provided for user preference and for users 

who may be unable to use the DVD (e.g., Mac or Linux users).

Downloading the contents of the DVD to a hard drive and then running the Fire 

Research Knowledge Management Executable File may reduce loading times.

Fire Protection and Fire Research KM Digest Main Menu
NUREG/KM-0003 13

The Document Collection menu contains several buttons associated with 

subcategories of NRC regulatory and technical publications as well as relevant, 

publicly available, non-NRC external publications.

Using these buttons may provide the option to further narrow search results. For 

example, selecting Generic Communications, which opens a dropdown list of more 

options, and then selecting the Bulletins button. The total number of results will 

be provided above the results window. The results window itself will display all 

results in a scrollable window. The associated documents may be opened by single 

clicking on the row that displays the name, title, and date or the desired document.

Important Note: Again, the radio buttons can be used to select the different 

subject areas or to search through all documents.

The Fire Protection and Fire Research Knowledge Management Digest also 

allows users to search for inspection reports and associated information by plant 

or by fuel facility. Select the Reports Specific to Plants and Facilities button to 

open the Inspection Report Menu.

The Inspection Report Menu allows the user to select nuclear power plants by 

region or to select fuel facilities. For example, Region III and Clinton Power 

Station were selected in the following screenshot.

Fire Protection and Fire Research KM Digest Document Collection Menu
14 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Important Note: An Internet connection may be required to access certain 

documents that were not included on the DVD itself. If the document is not 

available without Internet access, and an Internet connection is unavailable, a 

browser window will open and indicate the lack of network connection.

Fire Protection and Fire Research KM Digest Inspection Report Menu

Finally, this digest also has a simplified built in search tool that is accessed by 

selecting the Search NUREG/KM button on the main menu.

Fire Protection and Fire Research KM Digest Search Menu
NUREG/KM-0003 15

Search queries are entered in the text box and are not case sensitive. Additional 

constraints, such as document date range and title, can be used to narrow down 

the number of documents returned.

One alternative to using this search feature is to download all the files contained 

on the DVD under the Knowledge_Base folder and then use the Advanced 

Search options under Adobe (or a similar feature with another PDF reader) to 

search for keywords within multiple documents at once.

Important Note for Future Editions:

The Fire Research Branch has made every attempt to locate, recover, and 

preserve legacy reports to better serve the Nuclear Fire Protection Community 

of Practice. If you have a digital copy or hardcopy of material that you think the 

NUREG/KM DVD should include, or any other suggestions, please contact the 

Fire Research Branch (RES_DRA_FRB@nrc.gov).
16 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Fire Protection and Fire Research 

Knowledge Management Digest, 2013

Prepared by:

Brian McGrattan

David Gennardo

Tammie Pennywell

Kendra Hill

Felix E. Gonzalez

David Stroup

Gabriel Taylor

Nicholas Melly

Mark Henry Salley

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Fire Research Branch

This report contains a DVD with a database of documents and hyperlinks. Please 

e mail the Fire Research Branch (RES_DRA_FRB@nrc.gov) with your address 

to request additional DVDs be sent via the U.S. Postal Service.

This DVD was developed using Visual Basic Professional 2008. Windows XP 

(or above) and .NET Framework 3.5 (or above) is required.

NUREG/KM-0003

January 2014