NFPA CFPE flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Authority having jurisdiction

The organization, office, or individual responsible for approving equipment, installations, or procedures and for enforcing the code requirements adopted in a jurisdiction.

Performance-based design

A design approach permitted by NFPA 101 Chapter 5 that uses fire scenarios, engineering analysis, and documented acceptance criteria to show life safety equivalent to prescriptive requirements.

Hydraulic calculations

Submittal documents for sprinkler plans that show water supply, pipe sizes, friction loss, and the most remote area demand compared with the available water supply.

Certificate of occupancy

Document issued by the AHJ after construction and acceptance testing confirm that a building complies with approved plans and the applicable fire code before occupancy is permitted.

NFPA 25

Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, governing routine ITM activities after a system has been accepted and placed in service.

As-built drawings

Revised construction documents showing actual installed conditions, kept by the owner and made available to the AHJ for verification, maintenance, modification, or inspection activities.

Equivalency (alternative means)

A proposed alternative that does not literally comply with a code requirement but provides equivalent or greater safety, subject to technical documentation and formal approval by the AHJ.

Type I construction

Noncombustible construction with the highest fire resistance ratings, typically 2 to 3 hours for structural members and 2 hours for floor and roof assemblies.

Type IV construction

Heavy timber construction using solid or laminated wood members of minimum required dimensions, with noncombustible exterior walls and no concealed combustible spaces.

ASTM E119 test

Standard fire test method that exposes an assembly to a controlled time-temperature curve to establish a fire resistance rating expressed in hours.

Restrained assembly rating

A fire resistance rating applied to assemblies with sufficient restraint against thermal expansion; often higher than the unrestrained rating for the same assembly design.

Fire wall

A fire-resistance-rated wall with structural stability that divides a building into separate building areas and resists fire from either side, as specified in NFPA 221.

Smoke barrier

A continuous membrane or assembly, typically at least one-half hour rated, intended to restrict smoke movement between areas, with openings protected by smoke assemblies.

Business occupant load factor

One occupant per 100 square feet of gross floor area for business occupancies, used to compute total occupant load for egress capacity and exit requirements.

Egress capacity factor

Level components and ramps require 0.2 inch of clear egress width per occupant; stairs require a larger width per occupant because of slower movement.

Exit remoteness

Required exits must be separated by at least one-half the diagonal of the floor area served, reduced to one-third where the building is protected by automatic sprinklers.

Dead-end corridor limit

Corridors may terminate in a dead end limited to 20 feet, increased to 50 feet where the building is protected throughout by an automatic sprinkler system.

Emergency lighting duration

Means of egress illumination must be provided for at least 90 minutes, averaging at least 1 footcandle at the floor with a 0.1 footcandle minimum.

Panic hardware

Door hardware required on egress doors serving assembly occupancies with occupant loads of 100 or more, releasing with a single motion without a key or special knowledge.

Egress components

The three parts of a means of egress: exit access is the path to an exit, the exit is the protected way out, and exit discharge leads to the public way.

Light hazard density

Sprinkler design density of 0.10 gpm per square foot over a 1,500 square foot remote area, applied to occupancies with low fuel loads and low combustibility.

Ordinary Hazard Group 2

Sprinkler design density of 0.20 gpm per square foot over 1,500 square feet, used where combustible contents are moderate and stockpiles do not exceed 12 feet.

Fire pump 150 percent flow

At 150 percent of rated flow, a fire pump must deliver at least 65 percent of its rated head to satisfy NFPA 20 performance requirements.

Smoke detector spacing

On smooth ceilings, spot-type smoke detectors may be spaced not more than 30 feet apart, with the first detector within 21 feet of a sidewall.

Class A extinguisher travel

Maximum travel distance to a Class A portable extinguisher is 75 feet; Class B locations are limited to 30 or 50 feet depending on hazard severity.

Standpipe classes

Class I provides 2.5-inch outlets for fire department use, Class II provides 1.5-inch hose stations for occupants, and Class III provides both types.

NFPA 704 diamond

Hazard identification marking with blue health, red flammability, and yellow instability quadrants rated 0 to 4, plus a white quadrant for special hazards.

Class IB liquid

A flammable liquid with a flash point below 73 degrees F and a boiling point at or above 100 degrees F under the NFPA 30 classification scheme.

Flammable storage cabinet

A cabinet may hold a maximum of 60 gallons of Class I or II liquids, or 120 gallons of Class III liquids, and is not required to be vented.

Hot work clearance

NFPA 51B requires a 35-foot clearance from combustibles, or approved protection, plus a fire watch and permit for cutting, welding, and similar operations.

Combustible dust standard

NFPA 652 provides fundamentals for the combustible dust hazard analysis, supported by commodity-specific standards such as NFPA 654 for particulate solids.

Class I Division 1

A location where ignitible concentrations of flammable gases or vapors exist under normal operating conditions, or frequently due to repair, maintenance, or leakage.