F89 Fire Code Compliance 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the NYC Fire Code, which occupancy classification typically requires a Certificate of Fitness for the person responsible for fire safety operations?
- All occupancies with more than 10 employees
- High-rise buildings and certain other designated occupancies (Correct answer)
- Only manufacturing facilities
- Only assembly occupancies with more than 300 persons
Correct answer: High-rise buildings and certain other designated occupancies
NYC Fire Code requires a Certificate of Fitness for Fire and Life Safety Directors in high-rise buildings and other specified occupancies as determined by the Fire Commissioner.
Question 2: What is the minimum width required for a means of egress corridor serving an occupant load of more than 50 persons in a New York City building under the Fire Code?
- 28 inches
- 36 inches
- 44 inches (Correct answer)
- 60 inches
Correct answer: 44 inches
Egress corridors serving more than 50 occupants must be at least 44 inches wide to allow simultaneous egress flow.
Question 3: A tenant installs a decorative fabric canopy inside a NYC building. Under Fire Code compliance, what is required?
- No action needed if the canopy is less than 10 square feet
- The fabric must be treated with or made of flame-resistant material and a certificate of flame resistance maintained on premises (Correct answer)
- Only a building permit is required, not fire code compliance
- The canopy must be removed within 30 days
Correct answer: The fabric must be treated with or made of flame-resistant material and a certificate of flame resistance maintained on premises
The NYC Fire Code requires that decorative materials such as fabric canopies be flame-resistant and that documentation of flame resistance be kept on the premises.
Question 4: During a fire drill in a high-rise office building, the FLSD notices that stairwell doors on multiple floors will not latch when closed. What is the correct compliance action?
- Note the deficiency in the drill report for future correction
- Immediately notify building management and arrange for emergency repair; document and notify FDNY if not corrected promptly (Correct answer)
- Install door stops to hold doors open until repaired
- Continue the drill and address the issue after occupants return
Correct answer: Immediately notify building management and arrange for emergency repair; document and notify FDNY if not corrected promptly
Stairwell doors that fail to latch are an immediate fire-safety deficiency that must be reported to management and repaired promptly, with FDNY notification if unresolved.
Question 5: Under NYC Fire Code, portable fire extinguishers in a commercial building must be inspected by a qualified person at minimum how often?
- Every 30 days (Correct answer)
- Every 6 months
- Annually
- Every 3 years
Correct answer: Every 30 days
NFPA 10, as referenced by the NYC Fire Code, requires that portable extinguishers be visually inspected at least monthly (every 30 days).
Question 6: Which of the following activities in a NYC building requires a Hot Work Permit under the Fire Code?
- Using an electric drill near combustible materials
- Welding, cutting, or grinding operations that produce sparks or open flame (Correct answer)
- Operating a gas stove in a commercial kitchen
- Using a heat gun for pipe thawing in a utility room
Correct answer: Welding, cutting, or grinding operations that produce sparks or open flame
Hot work permits are required for operations such as welding, cutting, and grinding that generate sparks or open flames and create ignition hazards.
Question 7: A building's fire alarm control panel displays a 'supervisory' signal. As the FLSD, what does this indicate and what action is required?
- The alarm is in test mode; no action needed
- A monitored condition (such as a closed sprinkler valve) requires investigation and correction (Correct answer)
- The system has detected smoke and evacuation must begin
- The panel requires a software update
Correct answer: A monitored condition (such as a closed sprinkler valve) requires investigation and correction
A supervisory signal indicates an off-normal condition in a monitored system component, such as a closed sprinkler control valve, requiring immediate investigation.
F89 Fire Code Compliance 5
Under the NYC Fire Code, which occupancy classification typically requires a Certificate of Fitness for the person responsible for fire safety operations?