CFI Life Safety & Emergency Systems 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to NFPA 72, a single-station smoke alarm installed in a dwelling must sound at a minimum sound pressure level of how many decibels at 10 feet?
- 55 dB
- 65 dB
- 75 dB (Correct answer)
- 85 dB
Correct answer: 75 dB
NFPA 72 requires single-station smoke alarms to produce a minimum alarm sound of 75 dB measured at 10 feet from the device.
Question 2: A fire alarm control unit (FACU) that uses individual circuit monitoring for each device is classified as which type of system?
- Conventional
- Addressable (Correct answer)
- Wireless
- Hybrid
Correct answer: Addressable
An addressable fire alarm system identifies each device individually on the circuit, enabling the FACU to pinpoint the exact location of the alarm.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a pre-action sprinkler system in a data center or library with rare books?
- To increase water pressure at sprinkler heads
- To prevent accidental water discharge from a single failure (Correct answer)
- To speed up water delivery after activation
- To recycle water after a fire event
Correct answer: To prevent accidental water discharge from a single failure
A pre-action system requires two independent triggers before water enters the piping, preventing accidental discharge that could damage sensitive contents.
Question 4: Under NFPA 25, wet pipe sprinkler systems must be inspected for main drain flow test results at what minimum frequency?
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Annually (Correct answer)
- Every 5 years
Correct answer: Annually
NFPA 25 requires the main drain test of a wet pipe sprinkler system to be conducted at least annually to verify adequate water supply.
Question 5: Which component of a fire alarm system is specifically designed to reduce nuisance alarms caused by cooking or steam in residential kitchens?
- Ionization detector
- Photoelectric detector
- Heat detector (Correct answer)
- Combination CO/smoke detector
Correct answer: Heat detector
Heat detectors respond only to elevated temperature rather than combustion particles or steam, making them appropriate in kitchens to avoid nuisance alarms.
Question 6: In an emergency voice/alarm communication system (EVACS), the intelligibility requirement for speaker coverage is measured in which unit?
- dB SPL
- Common Intelligibility Scale (CIS) (Correct answer)
- Hertz (Hz)
- Watts per square foot
Correct answer: Common Intelligibility Scale (CIS)
NFPA 72 uses the Common Intelligibility Scale (CIS) to measure and verify that voice messages are clearly understood in emergency communication systems.
Question 7: Which type of standpipe system supplies water automatically when a hose valve is opened and is intended for trained fire department use only?
- Class I (Correct answer)
- Class II
- Class III
- Wet automatic Class I
Correct answer: Class I
A Class I standpipe provides 2½-inch hose connections for trained fire department personnel and supplies water when the valve is opened.
CFI Life Safety & Emergency Systems 3
According to NFPA 72, a single-station smoke alarm installed in a dwelling must sound at a minimum sound pressure level of how many decibels at 10 feet?