F89 Emergency Response Planning 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a high-rise fire emergency, the Fire and Life Safety Director receives conflicting reports: the fire alarm panel shows activation on floor 12, but a tenant calls reporting smoke on floor 14. What is the correct initial action?
- Evacuate only floor 14 based on the tenant report
- Investigate floor 12 per the alarm panel and treat floor 14 as a secondary concern
- Dispatch a fire warden to verify both floors while notifying FDNY of both reports (Correct answer)
- Wait for FDNY arrival before taking any action
Correct answer: Dispatch a fire warden to verify both floors while notifying FDNY of both reports
The FLSD must treat all reports seriously, dispatching wardens to verify conditions on both floors while immediately notifying FDNY of the conflicting information.
Question 2: A building's emergency action plan must be reviewed and updated at minimum how often under NYC Fire Code requirements?
- Every 5 years
- Annually (Correct answer)
- Every 3 years
- Only after a significant incident
Correct answer: Annually
NYC Fire Code requires the Emergency Action Plan to be reviewed and updated at least annually to reflect any changes in building occupancy, personnel, or procedures.
Question 3: Which scenario best describes a 'defend in place' strategy during a high-rise fire emergency?
- All occupants evacuate to the street level simultaneously
- Occupants in fire-affected areas evacuate while others shelter in their units or offices (Correct answer)
- Only mobility-impaired occupants remain in the building
- The building is fully locked down with no movement permitted
Correct answer: Occupants in fire-affected areas evacuate while others shelter in their units or offices
Defend in place involves selective evacuation of the fire floor and adjacent floors while other occupants remain sheltered, leveraging the building's fire-resistive construction.
Question 4: A fire warden reports that a stairwell on the north side of the building is compromised by smoke. As FLSD, what is your immediate directive?
- Order all occupants to use that stairwell immediately before conditions worsen
- Designate the stairwell as out of service and redirect occupants to alternate means of egress (Correct answer)
- Contact the building owner before redirecting occupant flow
- Allow occupants to choose their own egress route
Correct answer: Designate the stairwell as out of service and redirect occupants to alternate means of egress
A smoke-compromised stairwell must be immediately taken out of service and occupants redirected to safe alternate egress routes to prevent smoke inhalation casualties.
Question 5: What information must the FLSD relay to the FDNY Incident Commander upon their arrival at the building command station?
- Only the floor where the alarm was triggered
- Building occupancy count, fire location, elevator status, and any known occupants requiring assistance (Correct answer)
- The building owner's contact information
- A list of all fire wardens on duty
Correct answer: Building occupancy count, fire location, elevator status, and any known occupants requiring assistance
The FLSD must provide the IC with a comprehensive briefing including fire location, total occupancy, elevator and life safety system status, and locations of occupants needing assistance.
Question 6: During an emergency drill, an occupant refuses to participate and remains at their workstation. What is the fire warden's appropriate response?
- Physically escort the occupant out of the building
- Document the refusal, report to the FLSD, and continue assisting compliant occupants (Correct answer)
- Ignore the occupant and focus on others
- Call the police immediately
Correct answer: Document the refusal, report to the FLSD, and continue assisting compliant occupants
Fire wardens should document non-compliance and report to the FLSD for follow-up, while continuing their primary duty of assisting cooperative occupants during the drill.
Question 7: A building's emergency response plan includes an Area of Rescue Assistance (ARA). What is the primary purpose of this designated area?
- A staging area for FDNY equipment
- A protected location where mobility-impaired occupants await evacuation assistance (Correct answer)
- A first aid station for injured occupants
- A command post for fire wardens
Correct answer: A protected location where mobility-impaired occupants await evacuation assistance
An ARA is a fire-rated protected space, typically in a stairwell vestibule, where occupants with mobility impairments can safely await trained evacuation assistance.
F89 Emergency Response Planning 4
During a high-rise fire emergency, the Fire and Life Safety Director receives conflicting reports: the fire alarm panel shows activation on floor 12, but a tenant calls reporting smoke on floor 14.
What is the correct initial action?