FDNY Certificate of Fitness · Code S-98
S-98 Fire Alarm Systems Inspection, Testing and Service Technician
The card for the technician who programs, tests, inspects and services fire alarm systems in New York City. The Fire Code allows that work to be performed only by S-97 and S-98 holders, and one of them has to be present at every FDNY fire alarm test and inspection.
Course price
$800
3 months access
Studied in the Tauris Training app.
Who needs it
Who holds the S-98
Working fire alarm technicians at FDNY-approved fire alarm companies. The FDNY asks for at least three years of full-time experience in the programming, testing, inspection or servicing of fire alarm systems, confirmed in writing by your current S-97 certified employer, and it limits each company to one S-98 holder. It is a certificate for a technician who already does the work and needs the card that lets them sign for it.
Programming, inspecting, testing and servicing of fire alarm systems, their initiating devices and notification appliances has to comply with the 2022 NYC Fire Code, the Fire Rules, NFPA 72 (2016) and the manufacturer’s recommendations, and may be performed only by S-97 and S-98 holders. Other certificate holders are limited to the daily visual inspection, the monthly manual activation test and the logbook. The S-98 holder must be present at any FDNY fire alarm system test and inspection and make the entry in the premises logbook. The FDNY study material covers the definitions, record keeping, out-of-service protocols, and the relevant sections of the Fire Code, Fire Rules and NFPA 72.
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.
Employed by an FDNY-approved fire alarm company that holds the S-97
At least three years of full-time experience programming, testing, inspecting or servicing fire alarm systems, confirmed in writing by your current S-97 employer
A letter of recommendation from that employer, on official letterhead, stating your full name, experience and work address
One S-98 holder per company. A second is allowed only where the additional company is owned by the same principals, with notarized proof of the related ownership
Exam day
80 questions at FDNY Headquarters
- Format
- 80 multiple-choice questions on a touch-screen computer, with 160 minutes to complete it. A copy of the relevant sections of NFPA 72 (2016) and a calculator are provided during the exam; the study material is not. The S-98 is by appointment only, with no walk-ins.
- 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 S-98
Who needs an S-98 Certificate of Fitness in NYC?
The technician who programs, tests, inspects and services fire alarm systems in New York City buildings. The Fire Code allows that work to be performed only by S-97 and S-98 Certificate of Fitness holders, and an S-97 or S-98 holder must be present at every FDNY fire alarm system test and inspection. It is held by working technicians at FDNY-approved fire alarm companies.
What experience do I need for the S-98?
At least three years of full-time experience in the programming, testing, inspection or servicing of fire alarm systems, confirmed in writing by your current S-97 certified employer. You also have to be employed by an FDNY-approved fire alarm company, and the FDNY issues one S-98 per company. These are the FDNY’s requirements and they are checked when you apply, before you can sit the exam.
What is the S-98 exam like?
Eighty multiple-choice questions on a touch-screen computer at FDNY Headquarters, 9 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, with 160 minutes to complete it. The pass mark is 70%. The FDNY provides a copy of the relevant sections of NFPA 72 (2016) and a calculator during the exam, and it tells applicants to read and understand both the S-98 booklet and NFPA 72 before sitting. The S-98 is by appointment only, with no walk-ins, and the $25 application fee is paid online when you schedule.
How long is the S-98 valid?
Three years, with a $15 renewal fee and no special renewal requirements beyond the general ones. The FDNY emails a courtesy notice 90 days before it expires, and a certificate more than a year past its expiration cannot be renewed: you sit the exam again.
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.