F-01 Exam — Questions and Answers

Question 1: If FDNY discovers that torch operations are being conducted without a hot work permit, what is the likely consequence?

An order to immediately stop work and a fine issued to the building owner and/or contractor (Correct answer)
No action unless a fire actually occurs
Only the F-01 fireguard is fined, not the contractor
A verbal warning for a first offense only

Correct answer: An order to immediately stop work and a fine issued to the building owner and/or contractor

Conducting torch operations without a required hot work permit results in an immediate stop-work order and fines. The building owner, contractor, and potentially the fireguard can all face violations.

Question 2: Once a fire protection system is fully restored to service, who must the Impairment Coordinator notify?

The FDNY, central station, and other previously notified parties. (Correct answer)
Only the maintenance staff who performed the repair.
Only the central station monitoring company.
Only the building owner.

Correct answer: The FDNY, central station, and other previously notified parties.

The Impairment Coordinator must notify all parties that were informed of the impairment. This includes the FDNY, the central station, the insurance carrier, and building occupants, ensuring everyone is aware the system is back to normal operation.

Question 3: What is the primary purpose of maintaining a fire watch?

To document the cause of the system impairment for insurance purposes
To repair the impaired fire protection system as quickly as possible
To compensate for the absence of an impaired fire protection system by providing manual detection and response (Correct answer)
To prevent unauthorized entry into the building while systems are offline

Correct answer: To compensate for the absence of an impaired fire protection system by providing manual detection and response

A fire watch provides manual continuous surveillance to detect fire and initiate emergency response in place of the impaired automatic system.

Question 4: A fire involving ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, and cloth is classified as:

Class B
Class C
Class D
Class A (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Class A

Class A fires are the most common type and involve solid combustible materials like wood, paper, fabric, and plastics. Water or water-based agents are typically the most effective extinguishing agents for Class A fires.

Question 5: What is the purpose of 'wetting down' the hot work area before and after torch operations?

To clean the surface of debris before the torch membrane is applied
To cool down the surface and make it easier for the torch membrane to adhere
Wetting is not recommended because it can damage roofing materials
To saturate exposed combustible surfaces (like wood) to reduce their susceptibility to ignition from sparks or radiated heat (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To saturate exposed combustible surfaces (like wood) to reduce their susceptibility to ignition from sparks or radiated heat

Wetting down exposed combustible materials (wood decking, wood blocking, framing) before torch operations saturates them, significantly reducing their ignition risk from torch sparks and radiant heat.

Question 6: NYC Fire Code requires that during torch operations in occupied buildings, the building occupants be notified. Who is responsible for this notification?

FDNY must notify occupants directly before work begins
The F-01 fireguard must personally notify every occupant on each floor
The building owner or management is responsible for occupant notification (Correct answer)
Occupant notification is not required by NYC Fire Code

Correct answer: The building owner or management is responsible for occupant notification

The building owner or management team is responsible for notifying building occupants of hot work activities, including potential smoke or odors and evacuation procedures, before work begins.

Question 7: An F-01 fireguard smells propane near the torch equipment but does not see a flame. What is the correct immediate action?

Call the propane supplier to report the suspected leak before taking any action
Continue work at low pressure to burn off the accumulated gas
Search for the leak source by using a lighter to detect the gas concentration
Immediately shut off the propane cylinder valve, ventilate the area, prohibit ignition sources, and do not restart until the leak is found and repaired (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Immediately shut off the propane cylinder valve, ventilate the area, prohibit ignition sources, and do not restart until the leak is found and repaired

A propane smell without visible flame indicates a gas leak. The immediate action is to shut off the cylinder valve, clear the area of ignition sources, ventilate, and identify and repair the leak before any torch operations resume.

Question 8: If a fireguard discovers a locked room that cannot be inspected during patrol, what is the correct action?

Post a 'Do Not Enter' sign and move on
Force the door open to ensure the area is safe
Notify the building manager or responsible person to unlock the room, document the notification, and attempt to inspect before the next patrol cycle (Correct answer)
Skip that room and document that it was inaccessible

Correct answer: Notify the building manager or responsible person to unlock the room, document the notification, and attempt to inspect before the next patrol cycle

The fireguard must notify the responsible party to gain access, document the notification, and inspect the room before completing the patrol. Uninspected locked rooms are a compliance gap.

Question 9: Which of the following best describes the fireguard's role during a building-wide fire evacuation triggered by their alarm activation?

Continue hot work if the fire is in a different part of the building
Take command of the evacuation and direct all building occupants
Remain in the hot work area until the building is cleared to protect equipment
Evacuate with all other occupants and meet FDNY at the building entrance to provide information (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Evacuate with all other occupants and meet FDNY at the building entrance to provide information

During a full building evacuation, the fireguard must evacuate with the other occupants and meet FDNY at the building entrance to provide fire location, hazardous materials present, and access information.

Question 10: NFPA 25 requires that impairments lasting more than 10 hours be reported in a specific manner. What additional step is required?

The building must be evacuated after 10 hours of system impairment
An additional notification to the local fire prevention bureau and insurance carrier must be made for impairments exceeding 10 hours (Correct answer)
The building owner must file a formal appeal with the NYC Department of Buildings
The fire watch frequency must be doubled to every 15 minutes for the remainder of the impairment

Correct answer: An additional notification to the local fire prevention bureau and insurance carrier must be made for impairments exceeding 10 hours

NFPA 25 requires that impairments lasting more than 10 hours be additionally reported to the local fire prevention bureau and the building's insurance carrier, as this represents an extended period of reduced protection.

Question 11: In the event of a fire alarm activation, which information is most critical to record in the logbook?

The manufacturer of the alarm system
The name of the person who discovered the alarm
The time, location, actions taken, and outcome (Correct answer)
The current temperature in the building

Correct answer: The time, location, actions taken, and outcome

When a fire alarm activates, it is crucial to log the exact time and location of the alarm, the actions taken (including FDNY notification), and the final outcome. This creates a clear timeline of the event for any subsequent investigation.

Question 12: What is the primary purpose of fire guard patrols in a building with impaired fire suppression systems?

To detect fires early and alert occupants and FDNY since the automatic system cannot (Correct answer)
To replace the fire suppression system entirely during the impairment
To ensure building occupants do not use impaired areas
To inspect the contractor's work quality

Correct answer: To detect fires early and alert occupants and FDNY since the automatic system cannot

When automatic fire suppression or detection systems are impaired, the fire guard patrol acts as a human detection layer to catch fires early and activate manual alarm and evacuation procedures.

Question 13: What is the purpose of a designated building assembly area after an evacuation?

To account for all occupants and keep them clear of the building (Correct answer)
To hold occupants who refuse to evacuate
To provide shelter from the weather during an emergency
To allow firefighters to stage equipment

Correct answer: To account for all occupants and keep them clear of the building

Assembly areas are designated locations outside the building where occupants gather so that wardens and emergency responders can account for everyone.

Question 14: Who holds the primary responsibility for notifying the FDNY about an out-of-service fire protection system?

The building owner or Impairment Coordinator (Correct answer)
The on-duty Fire Guard
The first person to discover the impairment
The fire alarm maintenance company

Correct answer: The building owner or Impairment Coordinator

The building owner or their designated representative, often the Impairment Coordinator, is ultimately responsible for all notifications. While a Fire Guard may discover the issue, the formal notification responsibility lies with the building management.

Question 15: A fire involving flammable liquids like gasoline, oil, or paint is classified as:

Class B (Correct answer)
Class C
Class A
Class D

Correct answer: Class B

Class B fires involve flammable or combustible liquids, gases, and greases. Extinguishing these fires requires an agent that smothers the fire by cutting off its oxygen supply, such as dry chemical, CO2, or foam.

Question 16: What is a 'zone' in the context of a building fire alarm system?

The area directly around the fire alarm control panel
A designated area or section of a building monitored by grouped detectors (Correct answer)
A restricted-access area in the building
A specific floor where a fire has been confirmed

Correct answer: A designated area or section of a building monitored by grouped detectors

A zone groups multiple detectors in a specific building area so the FACP can identify which section triggered the alarm.

Question 17: How can you reduce the risk of a fire starting in a kitchen area of an office?

Leave kitchen appliances plugged in at all times
Regularly clean grease from cooking equipment (Correct answer)
Use metal containers for food storage
Keep flammable materials, like paper towels, near hot surfaces

Correct answer: Regularly clean grease from cooking equipment

Grease buildup on cooking equipment, such as microwaves, toaster ovens, or stovetops, is highly flammable and can easily ignite when exposed to heat. Regular cleaning removes this fuel source, significantly reducing the risk of a grease fire. This is a critical preventative measure in any kitchen environment to maintain safety and prevent fires.

Question 18: How should the impairment coordinator verify that the fire watch is being properly conducted during an impairment?

Rely on the monitoring company to confirm fire watch activity
Trust that the fireguard is performing duties correctly without additional oversight
Conduct periodic in-person checks of the fire watch coverage, review the logbook entries in progress, and confirm the fireguard is patrolling the correct areas (Correct answer)
Review the logbook only at the end of the shift

Correct answer: Conduct periodic in-person checks of the fire watch coverage, review the logbook entries in progress, and confirm the fireguard is patrolling the correct areas

The impairment coordinator has supervisory responsibility over the fire watch. Periodic in-person visits to confirm patrol coverage, review in-progress logbook entries, and verify the correct areas are being monitored are part of their oversight duties.

Question 19: What action should a fire guard take immediately upon the activation of a fire alarm?

Evacuate the entire building without investigating
Investigate the zone indicated and notify FDNY if fire is confirmed (Correct answer)
Silence the alarm at the panel
Wait for confirmation before acting

Correct answer: Investigate the zone indicated and notify FDNY if fire is confirmed

Fire guards must investigate the alarm zone to confirm whether a real fire exists, and call FDNY immediately if fire is confirmed.

Question 20: After a contractor closes a sprinkler zone valve for repair and opens it again, what verification must be performed before the zone is declared protected?

Only the fire alarm panel needs to show 'normal' status
Confirm the valve is fully open, the system has re-pressurized to normal, the tamper switch has reset (no longer sending a supervisory signal), and a drain test or inspector's test confirms flow (Correct answer)
Wait 2 hours for pressure to stabilize before any verification
Simply confirm the valve is visually in the open position

Correct answer: Confirm the valve is fully open, the system has re-pressurized to normal, the tamper switch has reset (no longer sending a supervisory signal), and a drain test or inspector's test confirms flow

Full zone restoration requires: valve confirmed fully open, system re-pressurized to normal operating pressure, tamper switch reset (no active supervisory signal), and a test (main drain or inspector's test) confirming water flows correctly through the zone.

F-01 Exam

The FDNY F-01 Certificate of Fitness exam certifies Citywide Fire Guards for Impairment in New York City. It covers fire guard duties during fire protection system impairments, patrol requirements, fire alarm systems, emergency procedures, and NYC Fire Code regulations.

Questions

30 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

Checking for saved progress...

Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
Flag questions for review before submitting
No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds