F89 Emergency Action Plan Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How often must an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) be reviewed and updated according to NYC regulations?
- Every 5 years
- Annually (Correct answer)
- Every 2 years
- Only after a fire incident
Correct answer: Annually
NYC requires annual review and update of Emergency Action Plans to ensure they reflect current building conditions and occupancy.
NYC Fire Code requires that Emergency Action Plans be reviewed and updated at least annually. This review must account for changes in building occupancy, renovations that affect egress routes, new tenants, changes in fire safety staff assignments, updated contact information, and lessons learned from drills or actual incidents.
Question 2: Which of the following must be included in a building's Emergency Action Plan?
- Architectural blueprints of every floor
- Procedures for reporting emergencies and evacuation routes (Correct answer)
- A list of all building tenants' employees
- Insurance policy information
Correct answer: Procedures for reporting emergencies and evacuation routes
An EAP must include emergency reporting procedures, evacuation routes, and roles and responsibilities of fire safety personnel.
A compliant Emergency Action Plan must include procedures for reporting fires and other emergencies, evacuation procedures and escape route assignments, procedures for employees who remain to operate critical operations before evacuating, procedures to account for all employees after evacuation, names and titles of fire safety personnel with their duties, and procedures for assisting persons with disabilities.
Question 3: What is the first action an FLSD should take upon receiving a fire alarm signal?
- Immediately order full building evacuation
- Investigate or confirm the alarm location and nature of the emergency (Correct answer)
- Call 911 and wait for fire department arrival
- Silence the alarm to prevent panic
Correct answer: Investigate or confirm the alarm location and nature of the emergency
The FLSD must first investigate or confirm the alarm to determine the appropriate response level before initiating evacuation procedures.
Upon receiving a fire alarm signal, the FLSD's first action is to investigate and confirm the alarm. This involves checking the fire alarm control panel to identify the initiating device location, contacting the floor warden on the affected floor for a status report, and if possible, dispatching security to visually confirm conditions. This information determines whether to implement a full evacuation, partial evacuation, or defend-in-place strategy.
Question 4: In a non-fire emergency such as a power outage, what is the FLSD's primary concern?
- Restoring power as quickly as possible
- Ensuring emergency lighting and egress paths remain functional (Correct answer)
- Contacting the utility company
- Dismissing all building occupants for the day
Correct answer: Ensuring emergency lighting and egress paths remain functional
During a power outage, the FLSD must verify that emergency lighting, exit signs, and fire protection systems on emergency power are functioning properly.
During a power outage, the FLSD's primary concern is life safety, which means ensuring emergency lighting illuminates egress paths, exit signs remain visible, fire alarm and suppression systems on emergency power continue operating, and elevators return to the ground floor. The FLSD should communicate with occupants about the situation and assess whether evacuation is necessary.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan (FSEP) as distinct from an EAP?
- They are the same document with different names
- The FSEP specifically addresses fire emergencies and is required by the FDNY (Correct answer)
- The FSEP is only for residential buildings
- The FSEP replaces the EAP in high-rise buildings
Correct answer: The FSEP specifically addresses fire emergencies and is required by the FDNY
The FSEP is a fire-specific plan required by the FDNY that details fire emergency procedures, while an EAP covers all types of emergencies.
A Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan (FSEP) is specifically required by the FDNY for certain building types and focuses exclusively on fire emergency procedures, including fire warden assignments, evacuation strategies, stairwell assignments, and fire department coordination. An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is broader, covering all emergencies including fires, weather events, power outages, bomb threats, and medical emergencies.
Question 6: Who is authorized to give the all-clear signal after a building emergency?
- Any floor warden
- The building owner or manager
- The Fire Department Incident Commander or FLSD after FDNY authorization (Correct answer)
- Building security staff
Correct answer: The Fire Department Incident Commander or FLSD after FDNY authorization
Only the FDNY Incident Commander can authorize the all-clear, which the FLSD then communicates to building occupants.
After any fire emergency, the all-clear can only be given after the FDNY Incident Commander has determined the building is safe for reoccupancy. The FLSD then communicates this all-clear to floor wardens and building occupants through the building's communication system. No one in the building's fire safety organization has the authority to independently declare an all-clear during a fire emergency.
F89 Emergency Action Plan Procedures 2
How often must an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) be reviewed and updated according to NYC regulations?