A gas suppression system is a fire protection system that extinguishes fires by displacing oxygen or interrupting the chemical chain reaction — without water, foam, or powder. Typical suppression agents include Inergen (nitrogen-argon mix), Novec 1230, and FM-200.
Gas suppression systems are used in server rooms, data centers, and archives because they do not damage IT hardware or documents. A pre-alarm sounds before activation so people can leave the room. The system requires regular maintenance and inspection (pressure vessel checks, leak tests, functional tests). In an ISMS, gas suppression systems are among the physical protective measures for critical infrastructure (ISO 27001 Annex A, A.7.5).