FLSD Fire Command Station and Building Emergency Communication Systems — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The fire command station (FCS) in a high-rise building is typically located:
- On the roof to give the FLSD a vantage point over the entire building
- In the main lobby or a designated ground-floor location accessible to arriving FDNY units (Correct answer)
- On the mid-point mechanical floor to reduce travel time to all areas
- Adjacent to the basement sprinkler control room
Correct answer: In the main lobby or a designated ground-floor location accessible to arriving FDNY units
The fire command station must be located in the main lobby or another FDNY-accessible ground-floor location so that arriving fire units can immediately assume control of building systems, review alarm status, and communicate with floor wardens without delay.
Question 2: A warden phone (also called a firefighter telephone) in a high-rise building allows:
- Floor wardens to call the city's 911 dispatch center directly from any stairwell
- Two-way voice communication between individual floors/stairwells and the fire command station (Correct answer)
- Automatic transmission of floor occupancy counts to the FDNY incident commander
- Remote locking of stairwell doors from the lobby during an evacuation
Correct answer: Two-way voice communication between individual floors/stairwells and the fire command station
Warden phones (firefighter telephone systems) provide hardwired two-way voice communication between the fire command station and specific locations throughout the building — stairwells, elevator lobbies, mechanical rooms — allowing the FLSD and FDNY to coordinate without relying on cell phones or radio.
Question 3: When making a public address announcement during a fire alarm, the FLSD should:
- Use technical fire terminology so occupants understand the professional nature of the response
- Speak in calm, clear language with specific instructions for the floors being evacuated (Correct answer)
- Announce only the floor number on fire and leave all other decisions to occupants
- Avoid any PA announcement until FDNY confirms the fire is real to prevent unnecessary evacuation
Correct answer: Speak in calm, clear language with specific instructions for the floors being evacuated
Effective PA announcements during an emergency must be calm (to prevent panic), clear (to be understood under stress), and specific (which floors to act and what action to take). Vague or delayed announcements increase confusion and slow evacuation of the correct areas.
Question 4: The fire command station panel indicates an alarm on the 18th floor. The FLSD attempts to use the warden phone to reach the 18th-floor stairwell and receives no answer. What is the correct next action?
- Assume the alarm is a false activation and reset the panel
- Dispatch a trained staff member to physically investigate the 18th floor and report back (Correct answer)
- Immediately evacuate the entire building from the lobby PA system
- Wait 10 minutes for the floor warden to call in before taking further action
Correct answer: Dispatch a trained staff member to physically investigate the 18th floor and report back
Failure to reach a floor via warden phone does not mean the floor is clear — the warden may be absent, incapacitated, or the phone may be malfunctioning. The FLSD must send a trained staff member to physically verify conditions and report back so a proper response decision can be made.
Question 5: During a fire alarm, the voice evacuation system plays a pre-recorded message on some floors but the FLSD needs to override it with live instructions. How is this accomplished?
- By pressing the reset button on the fire alarm panel to clear the recorded message first
- By using the fire command station's manual microphone to broadcast over the pre-recorded message (Correct answer)
- By calling the building's telephone switchboard operator to redirect the PA system
- Live override is not possible — only pre-recorded messages may be used during an active alarm
Correct answer: By using the fire command station's manual microphone to broadcast over the pre-recorded message
High-rise voice alarm systems include a manual microphone at the fire command station that allows the FLSD (or FDNY) to override pre-recorded messages and broadcast live, real-time instructions. This capability is essential when evolving conditions require updated instructions beyond what any pre-recorded script anticipated.
Question 6: The fire command station panel shows a 'supervisory' signal rather than an alarm signal. This means:
- The fire alarm system has detected a confirmed fire and FDNY has been automatically notified
- A monitored system component (such as a sprinkler control valve) is in an abnormal but non-alarm condition (Correct answer)
- The building's PA system has been activated by a floor warden
- The fire alarm panel is in test mode and all signals should be disregarded
Correct answer: A monitored system component (such as a sprinkler control valve) is in an abnormal but non-alarm condition
A supervisory signal indicates that a monitored building system is in an abnormal condition that requires attention — for example, a sprinkler control valve that has been closed, or a low water pressure alert — but does not indicate an active fire. The FLSD must investigate and restore the system, and log the event.
FLSD Fire Command Station and Building Emergency Communication Systems
The fire command station (FCS) in a high-rise building is typically located: