F89 Fire Safety Regulations and Codes 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NYC Fire Code, what is the maximum travel distance from any point on a floor to the nearest exit in a sprinklered high-rise office building?
- 150 feet
- 200 feet
- 250 feet (Correct answer)
- 300 feet
Correct answer: 250 feet
In a sprinklered business occupancy high-rise, NFPA 101 and NYC Fire Code allow a maximum travel distance of 250 feet to the nearest exit.
Question 2: Which section of the New York City Administrative Code specifically requires high-rise buildings to have a Fire Safety and Evacuation Plan?
- FC 403
- FC 404 (Correct answer)
- FC 405
- FC 406
Correct answer: FC 404
NYC Fire Code Section FC 404 mandates Fire Safety and Evacuation Plans for high-rise buildings and other specified occupancies.
Question 3: A 'wet pipe' sprinkler system differs from a 'dry pipe' system primarily in that a wet pipe system:
- Uses pressurized nitrogen instead of water
- Has water constantly pressurized in the pipes (Correct answer)
- Requires a heat detector to activate
- Discharges foam rather than water
Correct answer: Has water constantly pressurized in the pipes
In a wet pipe sprinkler system, water is constantly maintained under pressure throughout the pipes, ready for immediate discharge upon sprinkler activation.
Question 4: According to NFPA 72, the minimum audibility level for a fire alarm notification appliance in a sleeping area must exceed the ambient sound level by:
- 5 dB
- 10 dB
- 15 dB (Correct answer)
- 20 dB
Correct answer: 15 dB
NFPA 72 requires fire alarm audible appliances to produce a sound level at least 15 dB above the average ambient sound level in sleeping areas.
Question 5: Under Local Law 26 of 2004 in New York City, sprinkler systems became mandatory for which category of existing high-rise buildings by 2019?
- High-rise hotels built before 1968
- High-rise office buildings built before 1977 (Correct answer)
- All high-rise residential buildings
- High-rise buildings over 300 feet regardless of use
Correct answer: High-rise office buildings built before 1977
Local Law 26 of 2004 required all existing high-rise office buildings constructed before 1977 to be fully sprinklered by July 1, 2019.
Question 6: A 'means of egress' under NFPA 101 consists of which three components in the correct order of travel?
- Exit, exit access, exit discharge
- Exit access, exit, exit discharge (Correct answer)
- Corridor, stairwell, lobby
- Lobby, corridor, exit door
Correct answer: Exit access, exit, exit discharge
NFPA 101 defines the means of egress as three sequential components: exit access (path to the exit), exit (protected path), and exit discharge (path to the public way).
Question 7: Under NYC Fire Code, a Fire Safety Director certificate must be renewed every:
- 1 year
- 2 years
- 3 years (Correct answer)
- 5 years
Correct answer: 3 years
NYC Fire Code requires the Fire Safety Director certificate to be renewed every 3 years to maintain valid credentials.
F89 Fire Safety Regulations and Codes 5
Under NYC Fire Code, what is the maximum travel distance from any point on a floor to the nearest exit in a sprinklered high-rise office building?