S95 Emergency Response Procedures 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NFPA 72, when a fire alarm system is taken out of service for repairs lasting more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period, which action is REQUIRED?
- Post a notice on the control panel only
- Notify the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and implement a fire watch (Correct answer)
- Reduce building occupancy by 50% until repairs are complete
- Transfer monitoring to a cellular backup automatically
Correct answer: Notify the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and implement a fire watch
NFPA 72 requires that when a fire alarm system is out of service for more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period, the AHJ must be notified and an approved fire watch must be implemented.
Question 2: A 'pre-signal' fire alarm system is designed to:
- Automatically call the fire department before sounding audible devices
- Alert a supervising station first, allowing trained staff to investigate before a general alarm sounds (Correct answer)
- Send a warning signal 60 seconds before activating sprinklers
- Distinguish between smoke and heat detectors during activation
Correct answer: Alert a supervising station first, allowing trained staff to investigate before a general alarm sounds
A pre-signal system delays the general occupant alarm to allow trained staff (such as building security or supervisors) to investigate and confirm the alarm before a full evacuation is initiated.
Question 3: During a multi-zone fire alarm activation in a large facility, zone prioritization requires the supervisor to focus first on:
- The zone with the newest detection equipment
- The zone nearest the main electrical room
- The zone where the initial alarm originated and any adjacent zones (Correct answer)
- Zones on the upper floors regardless of activation order
Correct answer: The zone where the initial alarm originated and any adjacent zones
Emergency response prioritization focuses on the zone of origin and immediately adjacent zones, as fire spreads laterally and vertically from the point of origin.
Question 4: A fire alarm supervisor notices that the audible alarm devices activate but the strobe lights do not during a test. Under ADA requirements, this indicates:
- A non-critical deficiency that can be corrected at next annual inspection
- A code-required life safety deficiency that must be corrected immediately or documented with compensatory measures (Correct answer)
- Normal behavior, since strobes are optional in commercial buildings
- A suppression system integration failure
Correct answer: A code-required life safety deficiency that must be corrected immediately or documented with compensatory measures
Visible notification appliances (strobes) are required by ADA and NFPA 72 for hearing-impaired occupants; non-functioning strobes are a life safety deficiency requiring immediate corrective action or documented compensatory measures.
Question 5: When coordinating with firefighters arriving on scene during a fire alarm activation, the supervisor should meet them at the:
- Nearest exit to the alarmed zone
- Fire alarm control unit (FACU) or fire command center (Correct answer)
- Building's main electrical switchgear room
- Roof access point for aerial assessment
Correct answer: Fire alarm control unit (FACU) or fire command center
Firefighters are trained to report to the FACU or fire command center first, where the supervisor can provide zone status, system information, and building layout details to support their response.
Question 6: A Class A wiring style for fire alarm circuits, compared to Class B, provides the advantage of:
- Lower installation cost due to fewer wire runs
- Continued circuit operation even after a single open or ground fault (Correct answer)
- Faster signal transmission speeds to the monitoring center
- Compatibility with wireless devices only
Correct answer: Continued circuit operation even after a single open or ground fault
Class A wiring uses a loop configuration with end-of-line supervision, allowing the circuit to remain fully operational after a single open or ground fault by rerouting signals through the return path.
Question 7: After a confirmed false alarm caused by steam from a newly installed kitchen exhaust system, the BEST corrective action for the supervisor to recommend is:
- Disable the detector in that area permanently
- Replace the smoke detector with a rate-of-rise heat detector or multi-sensor detector better suited to the environment (Correct answer)
- Move the control panel to a different room
- Install a manual pull station nearby instead
Correct answer: Replace the smoke detector with a rate-of-rise heat detector or multi-sensor detector better suited to the environment
Selecting detection technology appropriate for the environment—such as a heat detector or multi-criteria detector resistant to steam—eliminates nuisance alarms while maintaining proper protection.
S95 Emergency Response Procedures 3
Under NFPA 72, when a fire alarm system is taken out of service for repairs lasting more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period, which action is REQUIRED?