Florida Pre-Engineered Systems License (Class D): Requirements and How to Apply

Florida Pre-Engineered Systems License (Class D): Requirements and How to Apply

Kitchen hood systems, dry chemical systems over paint booths and fuel islands, and small clean agent and CO₂ units are all pre-engineered systems. In Florida, installing or servicing them is licensed work under F.S. 633.304, separate from portable extinguishers.

Licensee or permittee

The Class D licence is the business credential. The permit is what each technician holds. Both are sat by an individual, and each has its own exam.

Training: "appropriate training"

FAC 69A-21.115 defines the training required to service pre-engineered systems as either:

1. training specific to that system, provided by the manufacturer; or
2. training that provides proficiency in servicing the system in accordance with the manufacturer's maintenance procedures and specifications and the applicable NFPA standards.

In practice that means manufacturer certification on the system brands you service.

The standards you work to

FAC 69A-21.302 lists the NFPA standards for pre-engineered work:

• NFPA 17A: wet chemical (kitchen) systems.
• NFPA 96: commercial cooking ventilation and fire protection.
• NFPA 17: dry chemical systems.
• NFPA 2001: clean agent systems.
• NFPA 12: carbon dioxide systems.
• NFPA 12A: halon 1301 systems.
• NFPA 34: dipping and coating processes.

Paperwork that comes with every service

Pre-engineered work carries more paperwork than portables:

• A standard service tag on the system (FAC 69A-21.303), plus the verification service collar and the six-year and hydrostatic record tags where they apply.
• An inspection report on every install, inspection, repair or service (FAC 69A-21.304). It records the system type, manufacturer, model and bottle sizes, the actuation method, the last hydrostatic test and recharge dates, the fuel shut-off, and the permittee's name, signature and permit number. The owner signs a copy, and the dealer keeps one for at least three years.
• Violations get reported: if the inspection finds the system in violation, a copy of the report goes to the authority having jurisdiction within 30 days (F.S. 633.308).

Continuing education

Licensees and permittees renew every two years with 16 hours of continuing education, 14 of them technical (FAC 69A-21.113).

Next step

The exam is closed book, with no calculator. Try our free Florida fire equipment practice test, or see the full question bank, which includes separate Pre-Engineered Permittee and Licensee practice exams.