CFI Means of Egress Requirements 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NFPA 101, what is the minimum required ceiling height in a means of egress corridor?
- 7 ft 6 in (Correct answer)
- 7 ft
- 8 ft
- 6 ft 8 in
Correct answer: 7 ft 6 in
NFPA 101 requires a minimum ceiling height of 7 ft 6 in (2285 mm) throughout the means of egress.
Question 2: Which component of the means of egress is defined as the portion that leads from the exit discharge to the public way?
- Exit access
- Exit discharge (Correct answer)
- Exit passageway
- Exit access corridor
Correct answer: Exit discharge
Exit discharge is the portion of the means of egress between the termination of an exit and a public way.
Question 3: A fire inspector finds that a stairway serving as an exit has a riser height of 8.5 inches. Under NFPA 101, this is:
- Acceptable if the tread depth is at least 10 in
- A violation — maximum riser height is 7 in
- Acceptable for existing buildings only
- A violation — maximum riser height is 8 in (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A violation — maximum riser height is 8 in
NFPA 101 limits exit stair riser height to a maximum of 8 inches (203 mm); 8.5 inches exceeds this limit.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a refuge area (area of rescue assistance) in a means of egress?
- To store fire suppression equipment
- To provide a protected space for persons unable to use stairs to await evacuation assistance (Correct answer)
- To serve as a staging area for fire fighters
- To allow re-entry to the floor of origin
Correct answer: To provide a protected space for persons unable to use stairs to await evacuation assistance
Areas of rescue assistance provide a temporarily safe location where persons with mobility impairments can wait for evacuation assistance.
Question 5: Under NFPA 101, corridor width must be sufficient to accommodate the occupant load, but the absolute minimum corridor width in most occupancies is:
- 28 in
- 36 in
- 44 in (Correct answer)
- 60 in
Correct answer: 44 in
NFPA 101 sets a general minimum corridor width of 44 inches (1120 mm) for most occupancy types.
Question 6: Which of the following door hardware arrangements is required on a fire exit door that must remain locked from the egress side during normal use?
- Deadbolt with key on both sides
- Panic hardware (fire exit hardware) (Correct answer)
- Magnetic lock with no release device
- Standard latch with thumbturn
Correct answer: Panic hardware (fire exit hardware)
Fire exit hardware (panic hardware) allows doors to be held secure yet releases immediately under a pushing force of 15 lbf or less.
Question 7: An exit access travel distance is measured from:
- The most remote point in the occupied area to the nearest exit (Correct answer)
- The entrance of the building to the nearest stairway
- The exit door to the public way
- The center of the floor to the exit stairway door
Correct answer: The most remote point in the occupied area to the nearest exit
Travel distance is measured from the most remote occupied point to the entrance of the nearest exit along the natural path of travel.
CFI Means of Egress Requirements 2
Under NFPA 101, what is the minimum required ceiling height in a means of egress corridor?