Reduce your wait time from 16 weeks to 3 weeks with expedited plan examination.

Why is this important?

At the time of this writing, the current wait time is 16 weeks for an FDNY fire alarm plan examination. In most cases, more plan examination(s) will be needed to resolve any objections found in the first plan review. 

What is an expedited review and how do I qualify for it?

The first plan examination is not eligible for expedited review. For most projects, an objection letter is received after the first plan examination. If there are more than 3 objections, the second review will be subject to another standard review (16 weeks). This is a significant consideration and concern for construction projects in New York City. The expedited review helps to reduce the overall wait time. If there are 3 or fewer objections, the project is eligible for expedited review (3 weeks).  For more information on the expedited review requirements, refer to this FDNY Bulletin: OTM Bulletin-02-09-2020.

What is the process for FDNY fire alarm plan examination submission?

Fire alarm plans can be submitted by completing a TM-1 application which can be found here TM-1. Follow the instructions and guidelines on pages 4 and 5. The FDNY allows for an electronic submission via their portal  FDNY Business

How can Banksia help?

We help clients to achieve FDNY approvals as quickly as possible. This includes reviewing the fire alarm drawings to ensure code compliance prior to submission to FDNY. We have extensive knowledge of the construction codes and NFPA 72 and we also keep a database of past FDNY objections which helps us to reduce the amount of plan review objections for our projects. We collaborate with your Engineer of Record and the filing expeditor so that the documents are ready. We can file requests for plan examination and consult with the FDNY through the process to help the project team address any FDNY comments. Once the fire alarm system is installed, we can then collaborate with your contractor to pre-test the system and coordinate FDNY inspections, affidavits and signoffs. 

Peter Linden

About Peter Linden

Peter brings over 20 years of experience in fire alarm design, installation, service, and consulting. He has many years of operations and construction management. Peter has managed installation projects in all sectors including institutional facilities, high rise commercial, and residential buildings. Peter is certified NICET Level 4 in fire alarm systems, project management professional (PMP), and licensed in the State of New York to service and install fire alarm systems.