FLSD Conducting Training and Drills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When training floor wardens, the FLSD must ensure they understand their responsibility to:
- Operate fire suppression equipment on their floor
- Sweep their assigned floor and direct occupants to the proper stairwell during evacuation (Correct answer)
- Communicate directly with FDNY during emergencies
- Make building-wide PA announcements during fire alarms
Correct answer: Sweep their assigned floor and direct occupants to the proper stairwell during evacuation
Floor wardens are responsible for sweeping their assigned floor, directing occupants to correct stairwells, and reporting floor status to the FLSD during evacuation.
Floor wardens are the FLSD's representatives on each floor. Their core duties include: conducting a sweep of the entire floor when an alarm activates; directing all occupants (including visitors) to the designated stairwell; carrying the floor warden's kit (floor plan, occupant list, communication device); reporting floor status (all clear or persons remaining) to the FLSD via intercom or radio; directing mobility-impaired occupants to areas of refuge; and remaining in the stairwell until given all-clear by the FLSD.
Question 2: The minimum number of deputy fire safety directors required in a high-rise office building during normal business hours is:
- None — only the FLSD is required
- One deputy for every 10 floors
- At least one deputy fire safety director on duty (Correct answer)
- Two deputies — one per building entrance
Correct answer: At least one deputy fire safety director on duty
NYC Fire Code requires at least one Deputy Fire Safety Director to be on duty whenever the building is occupied during business hours, in addition to the FLSD.
NYC Fire Code Section 403.3 requires high-rise office buildings to have a minimum complement of trained staff during occupied hours. At minimum, one Deputy Fire Safety Director (F-58 certificate) must be on duty alongside the FLSD. Larger buildings or those with multiple shifts may require additional deputies. Deputies must be trained to perform FLSD functions and can take over if the FLSD is temporarily unavailable. The FLSD is responsible for training and coordinating all deputies.
Question 3: New floor wardens in a high-rise building must receive initial training that covers:
- Advanced firefighting techniques and extinguisher use only
- Emergency procedures, evacuation routes, fire alarm systems, and their specific floor responsibilities (Correct answer)
- NYC Fire Code legal requirements and penalties for non-compliance
- How to operate the building's fire command station
Correct answer: Emergency procedures, evacuation routes, fire alarm systems, and their specific floor responsibilities
Initial floor warden training must cover all emergency procedures, building-specific evacuation routes, fire alarm system basics, and the floor warden's specific responsibilities.
FLSD-conducted floor warden training must include: building fire safety plan overview, recognition of alarm signals and what they mean, evacuation routes and stairwell assignments for their specific floor, how to conduct a floor sweep, use of two-way communication with the fire command station, location and use of fire extinguishers, areas of refuge for mobility-impaired occupants, assembly area location, and how to report floor status. Training must be documented in the fire safety log.
Question 4: During a fire drill, a floor warden cannot account for one occupant from their floor. The floor warden should:
- Return to the floor to search for the missing person immediately
- Report the missing person to the FLSD and await instructions (Correct answer)
- Notify other floor wardens to search adjacent floors
- Call 911 to report a missing person
Correct answer: Report the missing person to the FLSD and await instructions
The floor warden must immediately report the missing occupant to the FLSD, who coordinates the response — floor wardens should not re-enter the building without FLSD/FDNY authorization.
During drills and actual emergencies, accountability is critical but re-entry is dangerous. If a floor warden cannot account for an occupant, they must: (1) report immediately to the FLSD with the floor number and occupant's name/description; (2) remain at the assembly area unless directed otherwise by the FLSD; (3) NOT re-enter the building — this is the FLSD's decision made in coordination with FDNY during actual emergencies. During drills, the FLSD investigates the discrepancy as a training issue.
Question 5: The FLSD must ensure that floor warden training materials are available in:
- English only, as required by FDNY regulations
- All languages spoken by building occupants where practicable (Correct answer)
- Spanish and Chinese only, per NYC requirements
- PDF format stored on the building intranet only
Correct answer: All languages spoken by building occupants where practicable
Fire safety information should be made available in the languages spoken by building occupants to ensure all occupants understand emergency procedures.
NYC is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world. Effective emergency preparedness requires that occupants understand emergency procedures in their primary language. While FDNY regulations specify English as the official language for official documents, best practice and NYC emergency management guidance strongly encourage FLSDs to provide training materials in all languages spoken by significant portions of the building's occupant population. This reduces confusion during actual emergencies and improves evacuation compliance.
Question 6: After completing a fire drill, the FLSD should conduct a debrief that includes:
- Only identifying which floor evacuated fastest
- Reviewing overall performance, identifying deficiencies, and planning corrective training (Correct answer)
- Reporting drill results directly to FDNY within 24 hours
- Interviewing each occupant individually about their drill experience
Correct answer: Reviewing overall performance, identifying deficiencies, and planning corrective training
Post-drill debriefs should review overall performance, identify specific deficiencies in evacuation procedures or floor warden performance, and establish a corrective action plan.
An effective post-drill debrief with floor wardens covers: total evacuation time compared to target, any floors with slow evacuation or compliance issues, floor warden performance (did anyone fail to sweep their floor?), communication problems (intercom failures, radio dead spots), issues with mobility-impaired occupant protocols, stairwell congestion problems, and assembly area issues (wrong area, poor accountability). The FLSD documents all findings and implements corrective training before the next required drill.
FLSD Conducting Training and Drills 2
When training floor wardens, the FLSD must ensure they understand their responsibility to: