FDNY Certificate of Fitness · Code F-03
F-03 Indoor Place of Assembly Safety Personnel
The card for the person responsible for fire safety in a theater, arena, stadium, studio, terminal or any other premises operating under a Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation. The FDNY used to call this role a fire guard; the title changed because the job is keeping the exits clear and getting people out.
Course price
$200
3 months access
Studied in the Tauris Training app.
Who needs it
Who holds the F-03
Staff who perform the duty in a specific premises that holds a Place of Assembly permit. The F-03 is premises-related: its holders are responsible for maintaining fire safety in any approved place of assembly or temporary place of assembly activity held there.
Place of assembly safety personnel are there to assist the occupants in a fire or other emergency. Making sure the exits are unobstructed, immediately accessible and properly identified is the first job, and directing occupants to the nearest safe exit rather than the one they came in by is the second. The FDNY study material covers the duties, the occupancy rules, and the systems and equipment in a place of assembly.
What the FDNY asks
To apply
You are at least 18
With a reasonable understanding of English.
Government-issued photo ID
Presented when you apply and when you take the exam.
A $25 FDNY application fee
Paid to the FDNY, on top of the course price.
Exam day
25 questions at FDNY Headquarters
- Format
- 25 multiple-choice questions on a touch-screen computer, with 38 minutes to complete it.
- Pass mark
- 70%
- Where
- FDNY Headquarters, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn
- FDNY application fee
- $25 per attempt, paid to the FDNY
- Valid for
- Three years, then $15 to renew
Questions people actually ask
About the F-03
Who needs an F-03 Certificate of Fitness?
Anyone responsible for fire safety in a New York City premises that operates under a Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation: theaters, TV studios, stadiums, terminals, and any other occupancy with a PA permit. It is premises-related, so it is held by staff who perform the duty in a specific building.
What is the F-03 exam like?
Twenty-five multiple-choice questions on a touch-screen computer at FDNY Headquarters, 9 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, with 38 minutes to complete it. The pass mark is 70%. The $25 FDNY application fee is paid online before you arrive.
Do I need experience to get an F-03?
No. The FDNY lists no experience requirement for the F-03. The general requirements for every Certificate of Fitness apply: at least 18 with a reasonable understanding of English, government photo ID, and the application fee.
Your building has more than one system
The FDNY issues a Certificate of Fitness per system or hazard. All 36 courses, or group enrollment for a whole crew.