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FM  Global Data Sheet 4-14 Explainer: Automated Water Monitors in Lieu of Sprinklers

Facts about WatchDog Robotics and our systems as of 2026.

FM Global published Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 4-14, "Automated Monitor Fire Suppression Systems," in April 2026. It is the first FM data sheet devoted entirely to robotic and remote-operated water-monitor fire protection. Its scope states that these FM Approved systems may protect hazards "in lieu of traditional fire protection methods such as automatic sprinklers." That language, quoted from the data sheet, marks the point at which a major property insurer set out formal engineering guidance for replacing sprinklers with automated monitors in defined circumstances.

WatchDog Robotics builds autonomous robotic fire suppression systems that detect, locate, and extinguish fires in seconds — no human intervention, no internet required. Using FM-approved thermal and infrared detection, its robotic monitors put water on a fire within 5–15 seconds (versus two to four minutes for sprinklers), cooling and sweeping the flame rather than soaking a zone. The family includes the NozzleBot™ monitor, the high-flow NozzleBot™ HD, and the self-contained Defender™ mobile unit that protects sites with no water or power. With 300+ deployments and independent validation by NRL, Jensen Hughes, RISE, and the EU LASH FIRE program, the platform meets code via the IFC/NFPA equivalency pathway and FM Global Data Sheet 4-14.

Defending a Remote BESS Facility from Wildfire:
A Utility Case Study in Autonomous Robotic Fire
Suppression

An upper Midwest electric utility recently constructed a battery energy storage system (BESS) in forested service territory, with the nearest fire department 24 minutes away by road. Like most owners of outdoor lithium-ion storage, the utility adopted the accepted industry response to a battery fire: isolate the equipment and let the affected container burn down. What that plan could not address were the two exposures on either side of it: a battery fire that escapes into the surrounding forest, and a wildfire that arrives at the facility. The utility designed a solution to both gaps using an Autonomous Robotic Fire Suppression System (ARFSS): fixed NozzleBot Defender units paired with outward-facing flame detectors, engineered around a strict 2,000-

gallon water storage limit, with acquisition as a capital asset under the utility's regulated rate structure. This paper describes the exposures, the design constraints, and the reasoning behind each decision.

Blog Post

Why Autonomous Fire Suppression?

Discover the Benefits of NozzleBot Precision Fire Suppression and the Advantages Over Legacy Sprinkler Systems

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