Fire Alarm Cable Types
The fire alarm cable type designations from NEC Article 760: the power-limited FPL, FPLR, FPLP, and CI cables (760.179) and the non-power-limited NPLF family (760.176). The suffix encodes where a cable may run — general, riser, or plenum — and which fire test it passed. Confirm the NEC edition your jurisdiction enforces.
Power-limited fire alarm cable (PLFA)
| Type | Where used | Fire test | Key attribute |
|---|---|---|---|
| FPLP | Ducts, plenums, and air-handling spaces | NFPA 262 (Steiner tunnel) | Low-smoke, self-extinguishing — highest rating |
| FPLR | Risers / vertical runs floor-to-floor | UL 1666 (riser) | Stops fire carrying between floors |
| FPL | General-purpose, same-floor wiring | UL 1685 (vertical tray) | Base power-limited rating |
| CI (e.g. FPLR-CI) | Circuits requiring survivability per NFPA 72 | UL 2196 (2-hour fire) | Maintains circuit integrity ≥ 2 hours |
Non-power-limited fire alarm cable (NPLFA)
| Type | Where used | Fire test | Key attribute |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPLFP | Ducts, plenums, and air-handling spaces | NFPA 262 (Steiner tunnel) | Plenum-rated, non-power-limited |
| NPLFR | Risers / vertical runs floor-to-floor | UL 1666 (riser) | Riser-rated, non-power-limited |
| NPLF | General-purpose, same-floor wiring | UL 1685 (vertical tray) | Base non-power-limited rating |
Reading the suffix
The letters build up: FPL is the base power-limited fire alarm cable; add R for riser (vertical, floor-to-floor) or P for plenum (air-handling spaces). Each step up passes a tougher fire test — general-purpose (UL 1685), riser (UL 1666), then plenum (NFPA 262) — and can be used anywhere a lower cable is allowed, which is the basis of the substitution hierarchy. The non-power-limited family mirrors it exactly: NPLF, NPLFR, NPLFP.
The -CI suffix is separate — it marks circuit-integrity cable that survives two hours of fire, required where the system needs pathway survivability. Whether a circuit is power-limited or not comes down to its power supply, covered on the power-limited vs non-power-limited chart.
Common questions
What do FPL, FPLR, and FPLP mean?
They are the three power-limited fire alarm cable ratings, in ascending order. FPL is general-purpose (same-floor wiring). FPLR is riser-rated for vertical runs between floors (passes the UL 1666 riser test). FPLP is plenum-rated for ducts and air-handling spaces (passes the NFPA 262 test) and has the strictest low-smoke performance. The suffix tells you where the cable may legally go.
What is CI cable?
CI stands for circuit integrity — a cable (marked FPLP-CI, FPLR-CI, or FPL-CI) that keeps a survivable circuit operating during a fire. It passes the UL 2196 two-hour direct-flame test and is required where NFPA 72 calls for pathway survivability, such as circuits that must keep running while the building burns to complete an evacuation.
What is the difference between power-limited and non-power-limited fire alarm cable?
Power-limited (FPL family) cable is rated 300 V and used with a listed power-limited supply; non-power-limited (NPLF family) cable is rated 600 V with a minimum 18 AWG conductor and follows stricter separation rules similar to Class 1 wiring. Most modern systems are power-limited.
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