Certificate of Fitness for Fire Life and Safety Director (F89/T89)

A Fire and Life Safety (FLS) Director is needed in some buildings, including high-rise office buildings, hotels and buildings with special fire alarm systems. These buildings need a Comprehensive Fire Safety and Emergency Action Plan or are buildings that previously required Fire Safety Directors.

The FLS Director must be at the building during business hours.

Responsibilities

The FLS Director and Deputy FLS Director need a Certificate of Fitness. They must follow the NYC Fire Department (FDNY) plan, train FLS staff, run fire and emergency drills, and carry out other tasks noted in the Fire Code and Fire Rule.

Certificate transition

The F-89 Certificate of Fitness replaces the F-59 FS/EAP Director Certificate of Fitness. This certificate is only for a specific place and specific person for which it was issued.

For places without a Comprehensive Fire Safety and Emergency Action Plan, the F-85 Certificate of Fitness is not accepted. All F-85 certificate holders must get the T-89 Certificate of Fitness.

Starting on March 1, 2020, only F-89 and T-89 certificates are allowed. The F-85 certificate will not be accepted.

• Exams: You need to pass two exams. One is written. One is on-site. You must review the Notice of Exam.
  F-89 Notice of Exam (PDF)

• Documents for written exam: You must bring these documents to apply in person:

  • Proof you finished a Fire and Life Safety Director course from an FDNY certified school
    Certified Schools for Emergency Action Plan Director (PDF)
  • Proof you finished an Active Shooter and Medical Emergency Preparedness Course from an FDNY certified school
    Certified Schools for Active Shooter and Medical Emergency Preparedness (PDF)
  • A completed Certificate of Fitness Application Form (PDF)
  • A completed and signed F-89 Employer Verification Letter (PDF) or T-89 Employer Verification Letter (PDF) )
  • Two forms of ID, which include one government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport

• On-site exam requirements: To take the on-site exam, you must:

  • Pass the written computer exam and get a Certificate of Completion from FDNY.
  • Have a scheduled on-site appointment.

After the computer exam

If you pass the computer exam: You will get a passing letter right after the exam. You have one year to take the on-site exam. Only authorized people can schedule the on-site exam. They need to email high-rise@fdny.nyc.gov to request it. To cancel an on-site exam appointment, you need to send an email to high-rise@fdny.nyc.gov at least 72 hours before your exam.

If you do not pass the computer exam: You will get a failure report right after the exam. To retake the computer exam, you need to schedule an appointment online and pay the fee again. You can take the computer exam two times. If you fail twice, you need to retake the Fire and Life Safety course.

After the on-site exam

If you pass the on-site exam: You will get your Certificate of Fitness by mail.

If you do not pass the on-site exam: You will get a failure notice by mail. To retake the on-site exam, authorized people need to schedule an appointment. You can take the on-site exam two times. If you fail twice, you need to retake the Fire and Life Safety Director course and computer exam.

• The New York City Fire Code changes often: You must read and know the latest study materials.

• You need to renew this certificate every three years: The NYC Fire Department (FDNY) will send you a Renewal Notice 90 days before your certificate expires. This letter includes your certificate number, expiration date and renewal fee. You must renew your certificate within 364 days of the expiration date.
  
  If your certificate is more than one year past its expiration date, you will need to submit a apply again. FDNY may ask you to take a re-examination when you renew. No certificate will be renewed without the required certification form or a retake of the exam.

• To change your mailing address: You must submit the following in person or by mail to the NYC Fire Department (FDNY), Cashier's Unit, 9 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201:

  • A letter requesting the change of mailing address
  • A copy of your certificate with the old address
  • A personal check or money order for $5.00 made payable to the Fire Department City of New York

• To change your work location: An authorized person must schedule an appointment for an on-site exam. This person will need your full name and Social Security number. The building must have an accepted Comprehensive (Combined) Fire and Life Safety (FLSD) on file with FDNY to submit the request.

• Schedule an appointment: You need to schedule an appointment to take the exam.
  Online Appointment Scheduler

• Visit the Public Certification Unit: You must go to the Public Certification Unit with your application form, supporting documents and payment for the application fee. You must be ready to take the exam.
  
  NYC Fire Department (FDNY)
  Public Certification Unit
  9 MetroTech Center, 1st Floor
  Brooklyn, NY 11201

• Submit your application: You must hand in your completed application form and supporting documents.

• Pay the application fee: The fee is $25. You can pay by:

  • Cash
  • Credit card (American Express, Discover, Mastercard or Visa)
  • Debit card (Mastercard or Visa)
  • Personal or company check (made payable to the New York City Fire Department)
  • Money order (made payable to the New York City Fire Department)

  Note: A 2 percent convenience fee applies to all credit card payments. The application fee is nonrefundable. If you are a City employee, you can request a fee exemption by submitting a copy of your employee ID and a letter from your City agency on official letterhead confirming your employment and that the Certificate of Fitness is for work-related duties.

• Take the exam.