Fire Inspector II: Plan Review, Systems, and Complex Occupancies
This domain tests advanced Fire Inspector II work: plan review, acceptance of fire protection systems, complex or high-hazard occupancies, and code analysis where several requirements interact. It assumes Inspector I inspection skills and asks for a documented technical recommendation another reviewer can follow.
Plan review and code analysis
- Establish the code edition and design basis; confirm occupancy classification, construction type, separated or nonseparated mixed occupancy, and allowable area/height with sprinkler and separation credits.
- Recalculate occupant load from use and area/factor, then check egress capacity, number and arrangement of exits, travel distance, common path, dead ends, door swing, and exit discharge. Verify whether the code requires net or gross area, not the architect's summary.
- Compare fire-resistance-rated assemblies, opening protectives, shaft enclosures, and penetration firestopping to the drawings and listed systems. Review fire flow and hydrant demand where required.
System acceptance and high-hazard review
For sprinklers, verify design criteria, hydraulic calculations, water supply test, hydrostatic test, flushing, alarm and flow switches, and acceptance records. For alarm systems, verify device spacing, notification coverage, sequence of operations, monitoring, and battery calculations. High-hazard occupancies require quantity analysis: flammable and combustible liquids, compressed gases, aerosols, and oxidizers; check control areas, separation, ventilation, spill control, bonding/grounding, signage, and maximum allowable quantities. Storage arrangement is part of the hazard.
Worked example
A 2,000 ft² unconcentrated assembly tenant is proposed in an existing shell. Using a 15 ft²/occupant factor, occupant load = 2,000 ÷ 15 = 133. The plan shows one 36-inch door. Two exits are required at this load, and egress capacity must be checked at each door's clear width using the adopted factor; one door cannot serve as both. The reviewer should also check travel distance and whether the change of occupancy triggers sprinkler or alarm upgrades.
Traps that cost marks
Using gross area where net is required; accepting a single exit because the prior tenant had one; missing a change-of-occupancy or alteration trigger; reviewing sprinkler plans without water supply or acceptance records; and treating hazardous-material thresholds as labels rather than quantities aggregated by control area.