FLSD Study Guide – Fire and Life Safety
Director Exam Prep (Latest Update 2024/2025)
| Verified Questions & Answers
1-Manual pull stations are red. Those in Group "B" buildings and Group "R-1" hotels have a one-
inch diagonal white stripe from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. What is the
meaning of the white stripe? Why are these white-striped pull stations found in "B" and "R-1"
properties? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: The white stripe indicates that when a manual pull station is activated, the fire alarm
signal will be automatically sent to the Fire Alarm Control Panel, the Central Station and the Fire
Department. Group "B" and "R-1" properties must have the fire alarm systems monitored by
Central Stations; therefore, the fire alarm does not stay "in-house." Note: The 2008 Fire Code
mandated that all buildings with fire alarm systems have central station monitoring, regardless
of whether the manual pull stations have the white stripe.
2-A smoke detector is designed to detect smoke and activate a fire alarm. Why must area
smoke detectors be located in elevator lobbies? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: Area smoke detectors must be located in elevator lobbies to activate elevator recall.
The elevator lobby area smoke detectors activate because there is smoke in the elevator lobby,
hence the proximity of the smoke to the elevators and their occupants is prioritized and the
elevators recall to the Ground Floor or lowest terminal landing to protect the elevator
occupants and allow them to escape the property. When two smoke detectors are located in
elevator lobbies, they must both activate to sound the alarm and recall the elevators. They are
known as "cross-over smoke detectors."
3-A "sky lobby" is an upper floor where passengers must transfer from one elevator bank to
another to reach the desired floor. In a two-bank building, will there be a blind shaft on the
bank that services the higher floors? Yes/No? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: No. A sky lobby exists when passengers must transfer from one elevator bank to
another elevator bank to reach the desired floor. The option of getting in the high-rise bank
elevators on the lobby level does not exist. Therefore, the high-rise bank elevators are not
, express elevators. In the high-rise bank, the space between the second floor and the sky lobby
floor consists of office space.
4- The FLS Building Evacuation Supervisor is not required to hold a certificate of fitness FLS
Director but must have a certificate of fitness fire guard in the event there is a torch operations
job scheduled when the building has 500 people or less. True or false? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: False. The FLS Building Evacuation Supervisor (FLS BES) is not required to hold a
Certificate of Fitness of any category. Because the FLS BES must be available to respond to the
Fire Alarm Control Panel when the building has 450 occupants or less and a fire alarm activates,
then it is impossible for the FLS BES to oversee torch operations as a Fire Guard, even if the FLS
BES did in fact have a Certificate of Fitness Fire Guard F-60.
5- The heat that is generated by the sun is transferred via radiation. Why is it not via
conduction? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: Heat transfer via conduction requires an intervening medium (direct contact) that
allows the heat to transfer from point "A" to point "B." For example, a metal pipe heated at one
end will eventually heat the opposite end and anything touching the pipe. There is no solid
object connecting the sun to Earth. Heat transfer from the sun is via Radiation (electromagnetic
waves).
6- The ball-drip valve in a fire suppression system is located on the first sub-Grade level of a
building. Why is it not located on another level? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: The Ball-Drip Valve is designed to detect when the Lower Check Valve in the system is
defective or has failed completely. It is also designed to drip excess water from the pipe
between the Fire Department Connection and the Lower Check Valve to prevent the water
from freezing after the Fire Department disconnects the fire hoses from the Fire Department
Connection. Hence, the Ball-Drip Valve must be at a level that is lower (Cellar level) than the
location of the Fire Department Connections (street level).
Director Exam Prep (Latest Update 2024/2025)
| Verified Questions & Answers
1-Manual pull stations are red. Those in Group "B" buildings and Group "R-1" hotels have a one-
inch diagonal white stripe from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. What is the
meaning of the white stripe? Why are these white-striped pull stations found in "B" and "R-1"
properties? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: The white stripe indicates that when a manual pull station is activated, the fire alarm
signal will be automatically sent to the Fire Alarm Control Panel, the Central Station and the Fire
Department. Group "B" and "R-1" properties must have the fire alarm systems monitored by
Central Stations; therefore, the fire alarm does not stay "in-house." Note: The 2008 Fire Code
mandated that all buildings with fire alarm systems have central station monitoring, regardless
of whether the manual pull stations have the white stripe.
2-A smoke detector is designed to detect smoke and activate a fire alarm. Why must area
smoke detectors be located in elevator lobbies? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: Area smoke detectors must be located in elevator lobbies to activate elevator recall.
The elevator lobby area smoke detectors activate because there is smoke in the elevator lobby,
hence the proximity of the smoke to the elevators and their occupants is prioritized and the
elevators recall to the Ground Floor or lowest terminal landing to protect the elevator
occupants and allow them to escape the property. When two smoke detectors are located in
elevator lobbies, they must both activate to sound the alarm and recall the elevators. They are
known as "cross-over smoke detectors."
3-A "sky lobby" is an upper floor where passengers must transfer from one elevator bank to
another to reach the desired floor. In a two-bank building, will there be a blind shaft on the
bank that services the higher floors? Yes/No? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: No. A sky lobby exists when passengers must transfer from one elevator bank to
another elevator bank to reach the desired floor. The option of getting in the high-rise bank
elevators on the lobby level does not exist. Therefore, the high-rise bank elevators are not
, express elevators. In the high-rise bank, the space between the second floor and the sky lobby
floor consists of office space.
4- The FLS Building Evacuation Supervisor is not required to hold a certificate of fitness FLS
Director but must have a certificate of fitness fire guard in the event there is a torch operations
job scheduled when the building has 500 people or less. True or false? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: False. The FLS Building Evacuation Supervisor (FLS BES) is not required to hold a
Certificate of Fitness of any category. Because the FLS BES must be available to respond to the
Fire Alarm Control Panel when the building has 450 occupants or less and a fire alarm activates,
then it is impossible for the FLS BES to oversee torch operations as a Fire Guard, even if the FLS
BES did in fact have a Certificate of Fitness Fire Guard F-60.
5- The heat that is generated by the sun is transferred via radiation. Why is it not via
conduction? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: Heat transfer via conduction requires an intervening medium (direct contact) that
allows the heat to transfer from point "A" to point "B." For example, a metal pipe heated at one
end will eventually heat the opposite end and anything touching the pipe. There is no solid
object connecting the sun to Earth. Heat transfer from the sun is via Radiation (electromagnetic
waves).
6- The ball-drip valve in a fire suppression system is located on the first sub-Grade level of a
building. Why is it not located on another level? Explain your answer.
ANSWER: The Ball-Drip Valve is designed to detect when the Lower Check Valve in the system is
defective or has failed completely. It is also designed to drip excess water from the pipe
between the Fire Department Connection and the Lower Check Valve to prevent the water
from freezing after the Fire Department disconnects the fire hoses from the Fire Department
Connection. Hence, the Ball-Drip Valve must be at a level that is lower (Cellar level) than the
location of the Fire Department Connections (street level).
