F60 Purpose and Scope 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which FDNY Fire Code section broadly establishes the authority to require Certificates of Fitness for fire safety roles like the F60?
- FC 105 (Correct answer)
- FC 202
- FC 301
- FC 404
Correct answer: FC 105
FDNY Fire Code Chapter 1 Section FC 105 establishes the permit and certificate-of-fitness requirements that authorize the department to mandate roles like the F60 fire guard.
Question 2: A building owner is having a modified bitumen roof installed. Under FDNY rules, who bears responsibility for ensuring a certified F60 fire guard is present?
- The manufacturer of the roofing material
- The contractor performing the torch operations (Correct answer)
- The NYC Department of Buildings inspector
- The building owner's insurance carrier
Correct answer: The contractor performing the torch operations
The contractor performing torch operations is responsible for having a certified F60 fire guard on site throughout and after the work.
Question 3: The F60 certificate's scope requires the fire guard to be knowledgeable about which combination of skills?
- Blueprint reading and structural load calculations
- Fire prevention measures, fire extinguisher use, and emergency notification procedures (Correct answer)
- Chemical hazard labeling and MSDS interpretation
- Electrical lockout/tagout procedures
Correct answer: Fire prevention measures, fire extinguisher use, and emergency notification procedures
An F60 fire guard must understand how to prevent torch-related fires, operate a fire extinguisher, and properly notify the fire department in an emergency.
Question 4: Which scenario falls WITHIN the intended scope of the F60 certificate?
- Supervising a crew using a propane torch to install a new rubber EPDM membrane roof
- Monitoring a welder during structural steel repairs inside a building
- Guarding a bonfire at a public event in Central Park
- Overseeing a crew using a propane torch to remove paint from a residential facade (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Overseeing a crew using a propane torch to remove paint from a residential facade
Using a propane torch to remove paint from a building facade is a torch operation that requires F60 fire guard coverage under FDNY rules.
Question 5: How does the F60 certificate differ in purpose from a Hot Work Permit?
- They are identical documents issued by different agencies
- The F60 certifies the individual's competency; a hot work permit authorizes a specific job occurrence (Correct answer)
- The F60 permits the work; the hot work permit certifies the individual
- Hot work permits are required federally while F60 is a state requirement
Correct answer: The F60 certifies the individual's competency; a hot work permit authorizes a specific job occurrence
The F60 CoF demonstrates that the fire guard is trained and qualified, while a hot work permit is a job-specific authorization issued for a particular operation at a specific location and time.
Question 6: An F60 certificate holder is working as a fire guard on a torch roofing job. A small fire starts in debris near the parapet. What is within the scope of their immediate duty?
- Evacuate the building and wait for FDNY to arrive before taking any action
- Attempt to extinguish the fire with available equipment and simultaneously call 911 (Correct answer)
- Document the fire in the job log and notify the foreman only
- Cover the fire with roofing material to smother it
Correct answer: Attempt to extinguish the fire with available equipment and simultaneously call 911
The fire guard must attempt to extinguish a small fire with the available extinguisher while ensuring 911 is called, as both suppression and notification are within their scope of duty.
Question 7: The F60 certificate is valid for how long before renewal is required?
- 1 year
- 2 years
- 3 years (Correct answer)
- 5 years
Correct answer: 3 years
FDNY Certificates of Fitness, including the F60, are valid for three years from the date of issuance.
F60 Purpose and Scope 3
Which FDNY Fire Code section broadly establishes the authority to require Certificates of Fitness for fire safety roles like the F60?