Mechanical Emergency Ventilation Systems (EVS) have been widely used in tunnels to mitigate fire hazards, but EVS alone cannot always provide for life safety. When combined with a suppression system, the combined system could offer significant advantages in controlling smoke, preventing fire spread and mitigating hazards in the case of a tunnel fire. This paper provides insight into the interaction of EVS and Water-based Fixed Fire Fighting Systems (WFFFS). It also discusses the performance of EVS and WFFFS integrated systems and their impact on life safety in tunnels.