Construction work temporarily obstructs a primary fire exit corridor in a shelter. To ensure life safety until the path is cleared, the coordinator should implement which approved alternate safety measure?

Establish temporary egress monitoring and increased continuous patrols

Instruct all residents to remain in their rooms with the doors locked until completion

Deactivate the localized smoke detectors to prevent false alarms during the construction

Relocate all fire extinguishers from other floors to the obstructed construction zone

Investigators found that the 2009 Paris, Texas shelter had no sprinkler system, fire alarms or smoke detectors. Which lesson does the Study Material draw from this?

Lack of fire prevention devices makes fatal fires likelier

Residents should try to put out small fires before leaving

A shelter with fewer than 50 beds can operate without alarms

Donated clothing is safer piled on tables than on the floor

In the December 2012 Bronx shelter fire, a lobby mattress burned and there was no building-wide fire alarm. What does the Study Material say a missing alarm causes?

Significant delays in starting an evacuation

A delay in the water flow from the sprinkler system

More unwarranted alarms sounding during the night

Faster spread of smoke and fire into the stairwells

Late at night, a fire guard sees a resident going alone into a closed storage room several times, carrying a lighter. What should the fire guard do?

Inform the coordinator immediately

Write it in the patrol log for the morning shift

Call the central station to report it

Wait until an actual fire starts, then call 911

The coordinator finds boxes stacked almost to the ceiling in a shelter mechanical room. Besides adding fuel, what problem does the Study Material warn this storage can cause?

It can obstruct the sprinkler heads

It can set off supervisory signals on the panel

It can cause trouble signals on the panel

It can trigger heat detectors in the room

A shelter starts storing larger amounts of cleaning chemicals and paint. Where does the Study Material say the coordinator can check if a permit is required?

The permit rules in the NYC Fire Code

The shelter’s Certificate of Occupancy

The emergency preparedness plan

The fire alarm inspection log book

On a fire-rated stairwell door, the coordinator finds a broken latch and a bolt that staff added to the door. What does the Study Material require?

Keep the door closed and remove the improper hardware

Prop the door open until the latch is repaired

Lock the door so residents cannot use the stairs at night

Post a sign asking residents to close the door

A shelter lets residents charge e-scooters and e-bike batteries. Which setup must be in a dedicated room with ventilation and a self-closing door?

Six e-scooters charging in the same room at once

Four e-scooters charging at the same time

Five removable e-bike batteries charging together

Three e-bikes and one spare battery charging

A resident’s e-scooter battery catches fire in a dormitory room. What should staff do, according to the Study Material?

Leave the room, close the door, call 911 from safety

Use an ABC extinguisher on it, following the PASS method

Pour water on the battery until the smoke stops

Carry the scooter out of the building to the street

Firefighters have put out a lithium-ion battery fire, and no flames are visible. What does the Study Material warn about the battery?

It can re-ignite minutes, hours or even days later

It is safe to handle once it has cooled for one hour

It can re-ignite only if it is charged again

The risk ends as soon as the smoke has cleared

A resident’s e-bike charger breaks, and a friend offers a cheaper charger from another brand. What does the Study Material say about chargers?

Use only a charger compatible with that battery pack

Any charger with the same plug shape is safe

A different brand is fine as long as the voltage matches

Any charger is fine if charging is watched closely

You are here · Zone K · Shelter hazards

Fire hazards in shelters: the causes behind real shelter fires

Fire safety in homeless shelters, as the Study Material teaches it, starts with ordinary hazards: stored clothing and mattresses, a cigarette left burning, a heater, a cord, a fire door held open. It shows them through three real shelter fires, then lists the common problems found in shelters and the rules for lithium-ion batteries (Source: Study Material §3, Source: Study Material §18, Source: Study Material §19).

Plan ref K1 concept roomsUpdated October 25, 2026

Three shelter fires in the Study Material

2009 · Paris, Texas
A table of donated clothing
A 42-bed shelter housing 28 men caught fire when a table piled with donated clothing ignited. Men tried pans of water. Heavy smoke made escape hard, and five men on the second floor died. The building had no sprinklers, fire alarms or smoke detectors, and no inspection in at least five years.
Dec 2012 · Bronx
Two mattress fires in two days
Children playing with matches set mattresses alight; the second was stored in the lobby. Smoke and flames reached the stairwell and upper halls. There was no building-wide alarm and no hallway smoke detection. Extinguishers were empty, some fire escapes were broken, and six people were seriously injured.
Aug 2012 · New York
A cigarette left burning
An unattended cigarette ignited a mattress on the fourth floor. The sprinkler system put the fire out and it stayed in one apartment; one resident was treated for smoke inhalation. The building had seven active building violations.

Key takeaways

Excess debris and improper storage fed the fires in Paris and the Bronx.
Fire Department inspections should happen when they are due.
Ignition sources such as lit cigarettes should never be left unattended.
Fire safety education may help shelter residents.
Fire escapes have to be checked so they work when people need them.

Where shelter fires start

The Study Material lists the typical causes of fire in a homeless shelter (Source: Study Material §17):

Overloaded extension cords, outlets and power strips
Portable heaters
Unattended and prohibited microwaves
Halogen lamps
Candles and hot plates
Unattended cigarettes
Unattended or improperly used ovens and stoves

The heaters, candles and cords page takes these one at a time. The Study Material also warns that some shelter fires are set on purpose.

Buildings used as temporary shelters add their own rules on space, aisles and exits. Those are on the emergency shelter rules page.

Common problems found in shelters

Records not kept: Required log books that are missing, out of date or not on the premises.
Elevator service: A coordinator who cannot run the shelter’s elevators in Phase I and Phase II service.
The fire alarm panel: Not knowing what to do when the panel shows a trouble or supervisory signal. The coordinator must be trained and highly proficient on the shelter’s own panel.
Testing not arranged: A coordinator who cannot test the system must still know when testing is due and see that it happens.
Impairments handled wrong: A broken sprinkler system, a dead pull station or a panel out of service each has set steps; see the out-of-service page.
Hazardous materials: Not knowing whether the amounts stored or used in the shelter need a permit.
Improper storage: Recycling bins, trash and residents’ belongings in corridors and stairwells block the way out. Items under stairs or in mechanical and electrical rooms add fuel.
Fire-rated doors: Stairwell, boiler room and electrical room doors propped open, or with broken knobs and latches.
Flames and heaters: Open flames, unauthorized portable heating appliances and smoking. The coordinator and fire guards stop them.
No accepted plan: The emergency preparedness plan must be submitted for acceptance as the Fire Code, the Fire Rules and FDNY policy require.
Emergency lighting: Battery-operated emergency light fixtures that do not work.

Checkpoints for Zone K: Shelter hazards

Checkpoint round

0 of 12 checked · 0 cleared

Practice questions written for study, not taken from the test. The real F-80 is a multiple-choice test on a touch-screen computer at FDNY Headquarters.

Read the options before the scene. Strike the ones that keep a hazard in place or wait for it to get worse, then use the scene to pick between the two that are left.

How the checkpoint round works

Read the options first and rule out the ones that break a rule, then pick from what is left. After you answer, the debrief explains every option and scores your strikes. Keys: 1–5 or A–E answer, Shift with a number rules that option out, the arrow keys move.

Checkpoint 1 of 12

Checkpoint 01
Construction work temporarily obstructs a primary fire exit corridor in a shelter. To ensure life safety until the path is cleared, the coordinator should implement which approved alternate safety measure?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. ALocking residents in their rooms traps them if a fire starts; exits must stay usable, not be avoided.
2. BTurning off smoke detectors adds an impairment on top of the blocked exit and removes early warning.
3. CCorrect: Until the path is clear, staff watch the route and patrol more often, so problems are caught early and residents are guided to another exit.
4. DPulling extinguishers off other floors leaves those floors unprotected and does nothing for the blocked exit.
Checkpoint 02
Investigators found that the 2009 Paris, Texas shelter had no sprinkler system, fire alarms or smoke detectors. Which lesson does the Study Material draw from this?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. AIn Paris, men tried to fight the fire with pans of water while smoke filled the building; that is not a lesson the Study Material draws.
2. BThe Paris shelter had 42 beds, and its missing alarms are part of why five men died; bed count is no excuse.
3. CThe fire started on a table piled with donated clothing; the lesson there is that excess debris and improper storage are a hazard.
4. DCorrect: the Study Material lists lack of fire prevention devices as increasing the probability of fatal fires.
Checkpoint 03
In the December 2012 Bronx shelter fire, a lobby mattress burned and there was no building-wide fire alarm. What does the Study Material say a missing alarm causes?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. ACorrect: with no building-wide alarm, occupants are not warned, so the evacuation starts late.
2. BSprinklers work on heat at each head, not on the alarm; this building had no sprinkler system at all.
3. CUnwarranted alarms come from a working system that malfunctions; a missing alarm cannot send any alarm.
4. DSmoke spread into the stairwell because the mattress burned in the lobby; an alarm warns people but does not slow smoke.
Checkpoint 04
During the 2012 Bronx shelter fire, two occupants grabbed portable fire extinguishers and found them empty. How often must extinguishers be visually inspected?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. AWeekly is more often than the rule; the Study Material sets the visual check at once a month.
2. BQuarterly is the training rhythm for staff, not the extinguisher check; the visual check is monthly.
3. CCorrect: a monthly visual check would have shown the units were empty before the fire.
4. DOnce a year is the full service with a new tag; the quick visual check comes every month in between.
Checkpoint 05
Late at night, a fire guard sees a resident going alone into a closed storage room several times, carrying a lighter. What should the fire guard do?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. AA log entry for the next shift wastes time; suspicious behavior is reported right away, not hours later.
2. BCorrect: because some shelter fires are set on purpose, suspicious behavior goes to the coordinator at once.
3. CThe central station handles alarm signals from the panel; it is not where staff report a person’s behavior.
4. DWaiting for flames defeats prevention; the rule is to report suspicious behavior before anything happens.
Checkpoint 06
The coordinator finds boxes stacked almost to the ceiling in a shelter mechanical room. Besides adding fuel, what problem does the Study Material warn this storage can cause?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. ASupervisory signals come from monitored valves or pumps changing state, not from boxes in a room.
2. BA trouble signal means a fault in the alarm system, such as wiring or power; stacked boxes do not create one.
3. CHeat detectors respond to heat, not to stacked boxes; storage does not set them off by itself.
4. DCorrect: high storage can block the spray of the sprinkler heads, so a fire may not be controlled.
Checkpoint 07
A shelter starts storing larger amounts of cleaning chemicals and paint. Where does the Study Material say the coordinator can check if a permit is required?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. ACorrect: the Study Material sends coordinators to the NYC Fire Code’s permit rules to check which hazardous-material quantities need a permit.
2. BThe Certificate of Occupancy sets the lawful use and number of occupants; it does not list material permit quantities.
3. CThe plan covers fire and emergency procedures for the shelter; permit thresholds come from the Fire Code.
4. DThat log book records alarm inspections, tests and signals; it says nothing about chemical storage permits.
Checkpoint 08
On a fire-rated stairwell door, the coordinator finds a broken latch and a bolt that staff added to the door. What does the Study Material require?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. APropping a fire-rated door open is illegal; the door must stay closed even while it waits for repair.
2. BLocking a stairwell door blocks a means of egress; the fix is to remove the improper hardware, not add more.
3. CCorrect: fire-rated doors must stay closed, and improper hardware on them must be removed.
4. DA sign does not fix the problem; the Study Material puts the coordinator in charge of keeping the door closed.
Checkpoint 09
A shelter lets residents charge e-scooters and e-bike batteries. Which setup must be in a dedicated room with ventilation and a self-closing door?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. AFour devices is not more than five, so the dedicated-room rule does not apply to this setup.
2. BFive is the limit, not over it; the rule starts at more than five devices or batteries.
3. CThree e-bikes and one battery make four items charging, which is still five or fewer.
4. DCorrect: Charging more than five personal mobility devices or their removable batteries must be done in a dedicated room with ventilation and a self-closing door.
Checkpoint 10
A resident’s e-scooter battery catches fire in a dormitory room. What should staff do, according to the Study Material?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. ACorrect: closing the door holds the fire back, and 911 is called once you are in a safe place.
2. BPASS is for ordinary extinguisher use; the Study Material says extinguishers do not work on lithium-ion battery fires.
3. CWater may not stop a battery from burning, and cells can explode and spread to other batteries.
4. DA burning battery can explode at any moment; moving it puts the carrier and the exit path at risk.
Checkpoint 11
Firefighters have put out a lithium-ion battery fire, and no flames are visible. What does the Study Material warn about the battery?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. AOne hour is not enough; the battery can keep making heat with no visible sign and reignite much later.
2. BCorrect: re-ignition is common and can come without warning long after the visible fire is out.
3. CNo charger is needed; the battery can enter a self-heating state on its own and reignite.
4. DClear air does not mean a safe battery; it can still be heating up inside and burst into flame again.
Checkpoint 12
A resident’s e-bike charger breaks, and a friend offers a cheaper charger from another brand. What does the Study Material say about chargers?
Rule out what you can with the ✕ buttons, then choose. The debrief for every option opens here.
1. AA matching plug says nothing about the charger’s link with the battery management system.
2. BMatching voltage is not enough; a wrong pair can skip the 100% cutoff that stops overcharging.
3. CCorrect: the original (OEM) charger talks to the battery management system, which helps prevent overcharging.
4. DWatching does not make a wrong charger safe; aftermarket chargers are on the Study Material’s never list.

Lithium-ion batteries: the shelter rules

Lithium-ion charging and storage in the Study Material

Topic	Rule
Charging many devices	More than five personal mobility devices, or their removable batteries, charge only in a dedicated room with ventilation and a self-closing door
Spacing	2 ft between charging batteries for a total of 20 kWh; 3 ft for a total of up to 50 kWh
Where to plug in	Directly into a wall outlet, never a power strip or an overloaded outlet
Never while charging	Overnight, on a bed or under a pillow, or an e-bike or e-scooter left unattended
Exit paths	Never block the way in or out of a room with e-bikes, e-scooters or wheelchairs
Disposal	Never in the trash or a recycling bin, which is illegal; nyc.gov/batteries lists drop-off sites
Stop and call 911	Fire or smoke, overheating, a change in color or shape, odd noises, leaking or a strange smell

Section 19 of the Study Material, Source: Study Material p. 77–79.

Two ways to hold a door open

A hold-open device wired to the fire alarm system is allowed. It releases the fire door when the alarm activates, so the door closes by itself (Source: Study Material §13.1). A doorstop, a wedge or a fire extinguisher holding the same door is illegal (Source: Study Material §18).

Before you leave this zone

What happens to an FDNY violation that cannot be fixed right away?

If the FDNY issues a violation that cannot be corrected right away, the coordinator brings it to the shelter director. The Study Material also asks coordinators to find and correct violations before the Fire Department or the Department of Buildings does (Source: Study Material p. 25).

Do the lithium-ion rules cover phones and laptops too?

The FDNY tips in section 19 apply to every device with a lithium-ion battery, including phones, tablets, laptops, e-cigarettes, toys and robot vacuums. The charging-room rule is about personal mobility devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters (Source: Study Material §19).

Concept rooms off Zone K

Heaters, candles, cords

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