NYC Fire Safety Director: F-89 Training, Exams, and Renewal

To meet NYC fire safety director requirements, you need qualifying work experience, a 31-hour training course from an FDNY-certified school, passing scores on two computer-based exams, and a passing on-site practical evaluation at the specific building where you will work. The credential is formally called the F-89 Certificate of Fitness for Fire and Life Safety Director, and it is tied to both you and that building.¹

Who Needs the F-89 Credential

Not every building requires one. The Fire Code mandates an FLS Director in buildings that must maintain a Comprehensive Fire Safety and Emergency Action Plan: high-rise office buildings (Group B), hotels and other transient residential buildings (Group R-1), and buildings with certain specialized fire alarm systems. Properties that previously required a Fire Safety Director under older provisions are included.¹ The plan itself must designate an FLS Director and deputy FLS Directors, each holding the appropriate certificate.² If your building does not fall into those categories, the F-89 is not the credential you need.

Qualifying Work Experience

You cannot enroll in the training or apply for the exam until you meet the experience thresholds set out in 3 RCNY §113-02. The standard requirement is at least three years of full-time work in qualifying fields. There is also an 18-month path, available only if it includes at least six months of continuous full-time employment at a single work location.³

The qualifying fields are broader than many candidates assume:

Firefighting or public safety emergency response, including active-duty firefighters, EMTs, and law enforcement officers.
Fire safety work such as code enforcement, inspection, fire prevention, or emergency preparedness.
Designing, installing, operating, or maintaining fire protection, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or other building systems regulated by the construction codes.
Other experience the FDNY considers equivalent, at its discretion.

Time can be combined across these categories to reach the three-year or 18-month threshold.³ Building engineers and security supervisors with direct emergency-response duties commonly qualify, provided their work history shows hands-on involvement rather than a tangential connection.

The 31-Hour Training Course

With your experience in place, the next step is the mandatory 31-hour FLS Director course. It splits into 20 hours on general fire safety and fire emergencies, and 11 hours on non-fire emergencies such as medical crises, hazardous materials, and structural threats. Coursework covers building fire protection systems, elevator operations, evacuation procedures, and coordination with first responders.⁴

The course must be taken at a school certified by the FDNY. The department publishes an approved-school list and audits programs for consistency. You must pass the school’s internal exam to receive a certificate of completion, and you will need that certificate to apply for the FDNY exams.⁴

Application, Fees, and Documents

Every Certificate of Fitness application is completed and paid for online before any visit to FDNY Headquarters. The application fee is $25.⁴ There are two separate exam applications, each with its own documents.

For the first exam (the N-85 fire component), upload your 31-hour school certification letter. For the second exam (the Z-89 non-fire component), submit your FLSD application form, an employer verification letter confirming your qualifying experience, your N-85 passing letter, and your school certification letter. If you already hold a current or previous relevant certificate such as an F-58, F-85, or Q-89, a copy of that card can be uploaded in place of the verification letter.⁴

Make sure the job titles and dates on your application match your employer’s verification letter exactly. Inconsistencies between documents are a common reason applications get flagged. The FDNY publishes a Notice of Examination and study materials on the F-89 page of its website, both worth reading before you apply.

The Three Exams

Full certification requires passing three separate evaluations: two computer-based exams followed by one on-site practical.

Computer-Based Exams

Both computer-based exams are taken by appointment at the FDNY Public Certification Unit, 9 MetroTech Center, 1st Floor, Brooklyn.¹ The N-85 covers fire safety operations. After passing it, you apply for and sit the Z-89, which covers non-fire emergency preparedness. Your first attempt at the fire component should take place within four months of finishing the course.

On-Site Practical Exam

Once both computer-based exams are passed, you schedule the on-site exam at the specific building where you will serve as FLS Director. An FDNY inspector evaluates your ability to operate the fire command station, implement the building’s emergency action plan, and manage simulated emergency scenarios.¹ Passing this evaluation earns the permanent F-89 certificate for that building.

What Happens If You Fail or Cancel

Failures and cancellations carry escalating consequences. If you fail the fire component computer exam twice, you must retake the full 20-hour fire safety course before testing again. If you fail the on-site exam once, you can schedule a second attempt and are charged based on the components you need to repeat. Fail the on-site exam twice without holding any valid FLS-related certificate and you return to the beginning: two new computer-based exams and a new certificate of completion from an FDNY-certified school. You then have one year from the date of the second on-site failure notice to pass the fire component computer exam again.

Cancellations are tracked. Cancel three scheduled on-site exams and the FDNY blocks you from scheduling another for six months after the third cancellation.

Renewal and Moving to a Different Building

The F-89 is valid for three years. Renewal costs $15 and must be completed before expiration.⁴ A lapsed certificate means you cannot legally perform FLS Director duties until it is reinstated, which can leave the building out of compliance.

Because the certificate is tied to the building where you passed the on-site exam, moving to a new building means a new application process at that location: a new employer verification letter, another $25 application fee, a visit to the Public Certification Unit, and a new on-site exam at the new building. Every building has different systems and layouts, and the FDNY wants to confirm you can operate them.¹ If you cover three or more locations, the FDNY offers a multiple-location-variance program with a $200 registration payment. Otherwise, the rule is one certificate per building.

What the Job Requires Once You Are Certified

An FLS Director must be physically present in the building during all regular business hours. When you are absent, a deputy FLS Director with the same credential takes over. If occupancy drops below the threshold that triggers the FLS Director requirement, an FLS building evacuation supervisor can cover.⁵

During an emergency, you report to the fire command center, implement the actions called for in the building’s plan, brief arriving first responders, and follow their instructions from that point forward. You are also responsible for ensuring adequate FLS staff coverage during business hours and designating interim staff when regular personnel are unavailable.⁵

Drill coordination is part of the role. Group B office buildings must run combined fire and non-fire emergency drills semiannually, with quarterly drills required during the first two years after the building’s Comprehensive Fire Safety and Emergency Action Plan is accepted. The fire alarm system must be activated during every drill so occupants learn the actual tones.⁶ The FLS Director conducts the required staff training and drills, though a certified FEP coordinator or fire drill conductor may run them under your direct supervision.

1
NYC Business. Certificate of Fitness for Fire Life and Safety Director (F89/T89)
2
UpCodes. New York City Fire Code 2022 – 401.4.5.1 Fire and Life Safety Director
3
The Rules of the City of New York. 3 RCNY 113-02 Fire and Life Safety Director Certificate of Fitness
4
New York City Fire Department. F-89 Fire and Life Safety Director
5
The Rules of the City of New York. New York City Administrative Code 401.4.5.1 Fire and Life Safety Director
6
New York City Fire Department. NYC Fire Code Chapter 4 Emergency Planning and Preparedness