F04 Roles and Responsibilities 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A fireguard detects the smell of smoke in a stairwell. What should be the FIRST action taken?
- Open all stairwell doors to ventilate the smoke
- Activate the nearest fire alarm pull station and call 911 (Correct answer)
- Search for the source of smoke before alerting anyone
- Inform building security and wait for further instructions
Correct answer: Activate the nearest fire alarm pull station and call 911
Upon detecting smoke, the fireguard must immediately activate the alarm and call 911 to initiate the full emergency response.
Question 2: When FDNY arrives at an emergency scene where a fireguard is operating, what happens to the fireguard's authority?
- The fireguard assumes joint command alongside the fire officer
- FDNY incident command supersedes the fireguard's authority (Correct answer)
- The fireguard continues evacuation independently of FDNY direction
- The building owner's authority outranks FDNY at private premises
Correct answer: FDNY incident command supersedes the fireguard's authority
Upon FDNY arrival, incident command transfers to FDNY and the fireguard must follow their instructions and provide building information.
Question 3: What is the fireguard's responsibility regarding portable fire extinguishers during patrol?
- Discharge them monthly to confirm they are operational
- Visually confirm they are present, accessible, charged, and properly tagged (Correct answer)
- Relocate them to high-traffic areas regardless of designated placement
- Replace any extinguisher that shows dust on its surface
Correct answer: Visually confirm they are present, accessible, charged, and properly tagged
Fireguards perform visual inspections to ensure extinguishers are in their designated location, fully charged, accessible, and inspection-tagged.
Question 4: A building's sprinkler system is partially shut down for scheduled maintenance. What must the fireguard do?
- Continue normal patrol duties with no change in frequency
- Conduct a continuous fire watch in the affected area and notify the Fire Safety Director (Correct answer)
- Evacuate all occupants until repairs are fully complete
- Call FDNY to assume full responsibility for the impaired area
Correct answer: Conduct a continuous fire watch in the affected area and notify the Fire Safety Director
An impaired suppression system requires a continuous fire watch in the affected zone until the system is fully restored.
Question 5: During a building evacuation, what is the fireguard's primary responsibility?
- Secure all cash registers and valuable property first
- Guide occupants through designated exit routes to safety (Correct answer)
- Lock the building after everyone has departed
- Stand at the main entrance only to prevent unauthorized re-entry
Correct answer: Guide occupants through designated exit routes to safety
The fireguard's primary duty during evacuation is guiding occupants safely to exit routes while ensuring all assigned areas are cleared.
Question 6: When calling 911 to report a fire, which information is most critical to provide first?
- Your full name and Certificate of Fitness number
- The exact address and location of the fire within the building (Correct answer)
- The total number of occupants currently in the building
- The type of fire suppression system installed in the building
Correct answer: The exact address and location of the fire within the building
Providing the precise address and specific fire location allows FDNY to dispatch the correct units without any delay.
Question 7: What should a fireguard do if a patron becomes hostile when asked to extinguish a cigarette indoors?
- Physically remove the patron from the premises immediately
- Use physical force to enforce compliance if verbal warnings fail
- Notify the supervisor or security staff and document the incident in the log (Correct answer)
- Allow the smoking to continue to avoid a confrontation
Correct answer: Notify the supervisor or security staff and document the incident in the log
Fireguards must not use physical force; they should involve security or supervisory personnel and document the incident in the patrol log.
F04 Roles and Responsibilities 3
A fireguard detects the smell of smoke in a stairwell.
What should be the FIRST action taken?