A fire suppression system includes a motor and a foam pump. The foam pump is driven by the motor to inject one or more chemical additives from an off-board additive container into a discharge conduit. A bypass valve is in fluid communication with the output of the foam pump. One or more sensors are configured to measure at least one operating condition of the foam pump. A controller is in communication with the one or more sensors and is operatively connected to the bypass valve. The controller is configured to determine, based on data received from the one or more sensors regarding the at least one operating condition of the foam pump, whether the foam pump is experiencing a loss of prime, and to open the bypass valve in response. The motor may also selectively operate in one of two modes depending on the rotational speed and torque required.