FLSD Staff Training and Drills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During floor warden training, the FLSD should emphasize that floor wardens should NOT:
- Use the fire command station intercom to report floor status
- Re-enter the building after evacuation without authorization from FDNY or the FLSD (Correct answer)
- Direct occupants to use stairwells during a fire alarm
- Carry an occupant list during a fire drill
Correct answer: Re-enter the building after evacuation without authorization from FDNY or the FLSD
One of the most critical floor warden rules is to never re-enter the building after evacuation unless authorized by FDNY or the FLSD — re-entry can result in death.
Re-entry is one of the most common and dangerous mistakes in fire emergencies. Floor wardens may feel compelled to return for a missing colleague or forgotten items, but unauthorized re-entry kills. The FLSD must repeatedly emphasize: once evacuated and outside the building, no floor warden re-enters without explicit authorization from either the FLSD at the fire command station or FDNY incident command. If a floor warden cannot account for someone at the assembly area, they report this to the FLSD who coordinates with FDNY for a search — never conduct their own search.
Question 2: When conducting fire safety orientation for new building employees, the FLSD should ensure they can identify:
- The location of the FLSD's office and after-hours contact number only
- The location of the nearest exit, stairwell assignment, and assembly area for their floor (Correct answer)
- The complete building fire safety plan and all emergency procedures
- How to operate the fire alarm control panel
Correct answer: The location of the nearest exit, stairwell assignment, and assembly area for their floor
New employee orientation must at minimum cover: where the nearest exit is, which stairwell to use, and where to go outside the building (assembly area) — the minimum survival information.
On their first day, new employees must receive fire safety orientation covering: the location of exits and stairwells nearest to their work area; their assigned stairwell for evacuation; the outdoor assembly area for their floor; recognition of fire alarm signals; instructions to never use elevators during fire alarms; and who their floor warden is. This minimum orientation ensures they can self-evacuate safely. New employees often have the highest risk during fire emergencies due to unfamiliarity with building layout. The FLSD must ensure all new employee orientations are documented and dated in the fire safety log.
Question 3: The FLSD wants to improve drill performance after a poor result. The most effective approach is to:
- Discipline floor wardens who performed poorly to motivate better performance
- Conduct targeted training addressing the specific deficiencies identified, then run a follow-up drill (Correct answer)
- Simply conduct more drills more frequently until performance improves
- Hire a professional fire safety company to take over all training
Correct answer: Conduct targeted training addressing the specific deficiencies identified, then run a follow-up drill
Targeted training addressing specific deficiencies, followed by a follow-up drill to measure improvement, is the most effective approach to improving emergency response performance.
Adult learning principles and emergency response training research support targeted, corrective training. After a poor drill, the FLSD: (1) analyzes the drill data to identify specific deficiencies (which floors were slow, which wardens didn't sweep, where was the communication breakdown?); (2) conducts focused training sessions addressing those specific issues (not general retraining); (3) provides additional scenario exercises for wardens who struggled; (4) schedules a follow-up drill to measure whether training was effective; (5) documents the corrective training cycle. Punitive approaches typically reduce morale and willingness to participate, making safety programs less effective.
Question 4: A floor warden reports that half the occupants on their floor don't know who the floor warden is. The FLSD should:
- Remove the floor warden for failing to introduce themselves to all occupants
- Post warden identification in prominent locations and incorporate warden introduction into new employee orientation (Correct answer)
- Provide each occupant with the warden's personal phone number
- Assign two floor wardens to that floor until all occupants know who they are
Correct answer: Post warden identification in prominent locations and incorporate warden introduction into new employee orientation
Visibility of floor wardens can be improved by posting identification in common areas and ensuring new employee orientation includes a floor warden introduction — systematic solutions work better than individual effort.
Occupants need to know who their floor warden is before an emergency occurs — not during one. Practical solutions the FLSD implements: (1) post warden identification cards with photo on bulletin boards and common areas; (2) include floor warden introduction as part of new employee orientation (warden meets new employees personally or is identified in orientation materials); (3) have wardens wear distinctive identification (vest, name badge) during drills so occupants associate the identity; (4) provide a building-wide floor warden directory that all occupants can access; (5) add floor warden names to existing building communication channels (intranet, bulletin boards).
Question 5: Training records for fire drills and floor warden training must be retained for a minimum of:
- 6 months
- 3 years (Correct answer)
- 1 year
- The duration of the FLSD's employment
Correct answer: 3 years
NYC Fire Code requires fire drill and training records to be maintained for a minimum of 3 years and available for FDNY inspection.
NYC Fire Code Section 405.3 requires that records of fire drills, training sessions, and related activities be maintained for a minimum of 3 years. These records must include: dates and times of drills, floors involved, number of participants, total evacuation time, deficiencies noted, and corrective actions taken. Training records must also document who attended what training, when, and what was covered. FDNY inspectors routinely review these records to verify compliance — inadequate records can result in violations even if drills were actually conducted.
Question 6: The FLSD should conduct a 'tabletop exercise' with floor wardens to:
- Test physical fitness by timing stairwell descent
- Walk through emergency scenarios verbally to identify gaps in knowledge and procedures without a physical drill (Correct answer)
- Practice operating fire alarm equipment on a scale model of the building
- Show wardens video training materials while seated at tables
Correct answer: Walk through emergency scenarios verbally to identify gaps in knowledge and procedures without a physical drill
Tabletop exercises are discussion-based scenario walkthroughs that test knowledge and identify procedural gaps without requiring a physical evacuation drill.
Tabletop exercises are a cost-effective training tool that can be conducted more frequently than full physical drills. In a tabletop, the FLSD presents scenarios ('There is a fire on the 15th floor, smoke in stairwell B...') and facilitates discussion of what each warden would do. This reveals: gaps in knowledge about procedure, misunderstandings about roles and responsibilities, communication plan weaknesses, and areas needing additional training — all without disrupting building operations. Tabletops complement (but do not replace) required physical drills and can be used to prepare wardens between formal drill cycles.
FLSD Staff Training and Drills 2
During floor warden training, the FLSD should emphasize that floor wardens should NOT: