FPE Emergency Evacuation Planning & Design 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NFPA 101, what is the minimum required width for a corridor serving an occupant load greater than 50 in a business occupancy?
- 36 inches
- 44 inches (Correct answer)
- 48 inches
- 60 inches
Correct answer: 44 inches
NFPA 101 requires corridors serving an occupant load greater than 50 in business occupancies to be at least 44 inches wide.
Question 2: Which factor most directly determines the required number of exits in a building per NFPA 101?
- Building height only
- Occupant load and occupancy classification (Correct answer)
- Floor area in square feet
- Sprinkler system presence
Correct answer: Occupant load and occupancy classification
NFPA 101 bases the required number of exits primarily on the occupant load combined with the occupancy classification of the space.
Question 3: A refuge area (area of refuge) is BEST described as:
- A fire-rated room where occupants wait indefinitely
- An accessible location outside the building
- An accessible location within a building where people unable to use stairs can await assistance (Correct answer)
- A designated assembly area in the parking lot
Correct answer: An accessible location within a building where people unable to use stairs can await assistance
An area of refuge is an accessible location within or adjacent to a means of egress where people with mobility impairments can wait for evacuation assistance.
Question 4: NFPA 101 requires that exit signs be illuminated to a minimum surface value of:
- 1 foot-candle (Correct answer)
- 5 foot-candles
- 10 foot-candles
- 0.5 foot-candle
Correct answer: 1 foot-candle
NFPA 101 requires exit sign face illumination of not less than 1 foot-candle measured at the illuminated surface.
Question 5: In a high-rise building evacuation, phased (or staged) evacuation typically relocates occupants to:
- The ground floor immediately
- Floors two levels below and above the fire floor first (Correct answer)
- The roof for helicopter rescue
- Pre-designated remote assembly points
Correct answer: Floors two levels below and above the fire floor first
Phased evacuation moves occupants on the fire floor and the floors immediately above and below it first, to reduce stairwell congestion in high-rises.
Question 6: What is the maximum travel distance to an exit in a non-sprinklered assembly occupancy under NFPA 101?
- 100 feet
- 150 feet (Correct answer)
- 200 feet
- 250 feet
Correct answer: 150 feet
NFPA 101 limits travel distance to an exit to 150 feet in non-sprinklered assembly occupancies.
Question 7: Which IBC provision requires a second exit access stairway in buildings with an occupied floor more than 30 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access?
- Section 1005 — Means of Egress Capacity
- Section 1006 — Number of Exits
- Section 403 — High-Rise Buildings (Correct answer)
- Section 1010 — Doors, Gates and Turnstiles
Correct answer: Section 403 — High-Rise Buildings
IBC Section 403 governs high-rise buildings and imposes additional egress requirements for buildings whose occupied floors exceed 30 feet above fire department vehicle access.
FPE Emergency Evacuation Planning & Design 2
Under NFPA 101, what is the minimum required width for a corridor serving an occupant load greater than 50 in a business occupancy?