F89 Roles and Responsibilities 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the FLSD's responsibility when the FDNY conducts an inspection of the building?
- Remain available as a resource but allow building management to lead the inspection
- Accompany inspectors, provide access to all required areas, and present required documentation (Correct answer)
- Defer all inspector questions to the building owner or legal counsel
- Conduct a self-inspection report in advance and submit it instead
Correct answer: Accompany inspectors, provide access to all required areas, and present required documentation
During an FDNY inspection, the FLSD must accompany inspectors, facilitate access to all areas, and present required records such as the fire safety plan and drill logs.
Question 2: A fire safety drill reveals that occupants on the 30th floor took over 8 minutes to reach the stairwell. What should the FLSD do?
- Accept the result since high floors inherently take longer to evacuate
- Analyze the cause, retrain occupants and floor wardens, and conduct a follow-up drill to verify improvement (Correct answer)
- Report the result to the fire department without further action
- Replace the floor warden immediately without investigation
Correct answer: Analyze the cause, retrain occupants and floor wardens, and conduct a follow-up drill to verify improvement
Poor drill performance requires root-cause analysis, corrective training, and a follow-up drill to verify that evacuation procedures are improved.
Question 3: Under what circumstance may an FLSD authorize the use of an elevator for evacuation in a high-rise building?
- Whenever occupants prefer elevators over stairs
- Only when the fire department has authorized elevator use and verified it is safe for evacuation (Correct answer)
- When the fire is confirmed to be below the lobby level only
- Any time the FLSD determines stairs are too crowded
Correct answer: Only when the fire department has authorized elevator use and verified it is safe for evacuation
Elevators may only be used for evacuation when the fire department has specifically authorized their use and confirmed it is safe to do so during an emergency.
Question 4: Which of the following is the FLSD's responsibility regarding the building's emergency action plan for a bomb threat?
- Develop and implement the response procedures in coordination with building management, security, and emergency services (Correct answer)
- Defer entirely to law enforcement and take no independent action
- Automatically evacuate all occupants upon receipt of any bomb threat
- Only respond to bomb threats if the FDNY has confirmed the threat is credible
Correct answer: Develop and implement the response procedures in coordination with building management, security, and emergency services
The FLSD participates in developing and implementing bomb threat response procedures, coordinating with management, security, and responding emergency services.
Question 5: What is a 'command station' in the context of FLSD duties in a high-rise building?
- The FLSD's personal office where fire safety records are stored
- A designated location, typically in the lobby, equipped with communications and fire system controls for emergency management (Correct answer)
- The rooftop staging area for helicopter rescue operations
- A secure room on the fire floor used to coordinate firefighting efforts
Correct answer: A designated location, typically in the lobby, equipped with communications and fire system controls for emergency management
The command station is a designated area, usually in the lobby, equipped with fire alarm annunciators, communication devices, and controls used by the FLSD and FDNY during emergencies.
Question 6: What is the FLSD's duty regarding building occupants who are unfamiliar with emergency procedures, such as new employees or visitors?
- New employees and visitors are not the FLSD's responsibility
- Ensure that orientation materials or briefings on emergency procedures are provided to new occupants (Correct answer)
- Only provide emergency information to permanent tenants, not temporary visitors
- Post a sign at the entrance listing emergency exits and consider the duty fulfilled
Correct answer: Ensure that orientation materials or briefings on emergency procedures are provided to new occupants
The FLSD must ensure that new occupants and visitors receive orientation on emergency procedures, as unfamiliarity increases risk during an actual emergency.
Question 7: When the FDNY issues a violation notice related to fire safety to a building, what is the FLSD's role?
- Violations are solely the building owner's legal responsibility — the FLSD has no role
- The FLSD works with building management to correct cited deficiencies within the required timeframe and document corrective actions (Correct answer)
- The FLSD contests all violations on behalf of the building owner
- The FLSD must personally pay any fines issued in the violation notice
Correct answer: The FLSD works with building management to correct cited deficiencies within the required timeframe and document corrective actions
The FLSD collaborates with building management to remediate cited fire code violations within the required timeframe and maintains documentation of all corrective actions taken.
F89 Roles and Responsibilities 5
What is the FLSD's responsibility when the FDNY conducts an inspection of the building?