FST Inspection Procedures 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which document must a fire safety technician maintain to record all inspections, tests, and maintenance performed on a fire protection system?
- Material Safety Data Sheet
- As-built drawing
- Inspection, test, and maintenance records (Correct answer)
- Certificate of occupancy
Correct answer: Inspection, test, and maintenance records
NFPA standards require written inspection, test, and maintenance records to be maintained and made available to the AHJ upon request.
Question 2: A wet pipe sprinkler system is being inspected and several sprinkler heads are found within 18 inches of a storage pile. What is the concern?
- Corrosion risk from stored materials
- Obstruction to sprinkler distribution pattern (Correct answer)
- Risk of mechanical damage to sprinklers
- Overheating of the sprinkler heads
Correct answer: Obstruction to sprinkler distribution pattern
Storage within 18 inches of sprinkler deflectors obstructs the discharge pattern and can prevent water from reaching the fire.
Question 3: During a quarterly inspection of a standpipe system, a technician finds a hose cabinet with a damaged hose. What is the correct action?
- Leave it until the annual inspection
- Replace the damaged hose before closing the cabinet (Correct answer)
- Tag the cabinet and notify building management within 30 days
- Cap the hose connection and document the deficiency
Correct answer: Replace the damaged hose before closing the cabinet
Damaged hose in a standpipe cabinet must be replaced immediately to ensure the standpipe system remains operationally ready.
Question 4: Which NFPA standard specifically governs the installation and inspection of portable fire extinguishers?
- NFPA 13
- NFPA 10 (Correct answer)
- NFPA 17
- NFPA 72
Correct answer: NFPA 10
NFPA 10 is the Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers, covering installation, inspection, maintenance, and testing requirements.
Question 5: What is the maximum travel distance to a portable fire extinguisher for Class A hazards in ordinary hazard occupancies?
- 50 feet
- 75 feet (Correct answer)
- 100 feet
- 150 feet
Correct answer: 75 feet
NFPA 10 requires Class A extinguishers to be placed so the maximum travel distance does not exceed 75 feet in ordinary hazard occupancies.
Question 6: When inspecting a fire alarm system, the technician discovers that a notification appliance circuit (NAC) has an open fault. What does this mean?
- One zone of detectors is offline
- The audible/visual alarm devices on that circuit will not operate (Correct answer)
- The panel will not receive alarm signals from that zone
- The panel battery backup has failed
Correct answer: The audible/visual alarm devices on that circuit will not operate
An open NAC fault means the circuit to notification appliances (horns, strobes) is broken, so those devices will not operate during an alarm.
Question 7: A fire safety technician notes that a sprinkler system riser room is being used for storage. What is the primary concern?
- Risk of sprinkler head activation from stored items
- Access and egress for maintenance and emergency operations may be blocked (Correct answer)
- Increased humidity affecting pipe integrity
- Storage may violate building height restrictions
Correct answer: Access and egress for maintenance and emergency operations may be blocked
Blocking access to the riser room prevents emergency response and routine maintenance, which is a code violation and safety hazard.
FST Inspection Procedures 4
Which document must a fire safety technician maintain to record all inspections, tests, and maintenance performed on a fire protection system?