100+ Free Fire and Smoke Restoration Technician Practice Questions

There are no formal industry experience prerequisites for the FSRT. Candidates must complete an IICRC-approved FSRT training course (typically 2-3 days) before sitting the exam. The exam can be taken at the end of the live course or online through the IICRC exam portal within a 45-day window. The $80 exam fee is paid directly to the IICRC and is separate from course tuition.

ANSI/IICRC S700:2025 is the first-edition American National Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration, published January 2025. It is the governing consensus document for fire and smoke restoration practice in the United States. The FSRT exam aligns to S700 — its principles, processes, and procedures for assessing the presence, intensity, and boundaries of fire residues and odors affecting buildings, building systems (including HVAC), and contents are all tested on the exam. Appendix A of S700 details fire residue distribution, deposition, characteristics, and detection — required reading for the exam.

S700 recognizes four primary smoke residue categories: (1) Dry smoke from fast, hot, high-oxygen fires (fine dry powdery carbon — easier to clean by dry methods); (2) Wet smoke from slow, smoldering, low-oxygen fires (sticky, smeary, dense — the hardest to clean); (3) Protein residue from kitchen/cooking fires (nearly invisible yellow-brown film with strong rancid odor — requires solvent-based cleaners); (4) Fuel oil residue from furnace puffbacks (soot with oil distributed throughout the structure). Each residue type drives different cleaning chemistry, methods, and deodorization approaches.

Source removal first — deodorization never substitutes for physical cleaning. Then: Ozone generators oxidize odor molecules quickly but are unsafe for occupied spaces (people, pets, live plants must be removed); use when the building is unoccupied and ventilation can be controlled. Hydroxyl generators produce safer hydroxyl radicals and can run continuously in occupied spaces but work more slowly — best for ongoing cleaning operations. Thermal fogging vaporizes a solvent-based deodorant to mimic smoke penetration into the same cracks and pores; requires evacuation, respirators for operators, and a dwell period before re-entry. For minor residual odors, use vapor/wet fogging with water-based deodorants — safe and quick.

Plate-out is the phenomenon where smoke particles migrate from hot to cooler surfaces and deposit (plate out) on them — driven by thermophoresis, a temperature-gradient force. In fire-damaged structures this means heavy soot deposition appears on cooler areas: exterior walls, windows, glazed ceramics, metals, and inside closets. Restoration technicians must inspect these cooler surfaces specifically — soot in closets and on exterior walls is a diagnostic indicator of heat-driven migration even when the fire was in another room. Plate-out also explains why electronics and HVAC components (often cooler) collect disproportionate residue.

Key fire restoration hazards: (1) Carbon monoxide (CO) — odorless, can persist in poorly ventilated post-fire spaces; use CO meters before entry. (2) Acid gases — synthetic materials (PVC, polyurethane) produce hydrochloric, hydrocyanic, and other acid residues that corrode metals and irritate respiratory tracts. (3) Asbestos — assume present in any structure built before 1980 (insulation, floor tile, plaster) until tested; never disturb suspect ACMs without certified abatement. (4) Lead — assume in paint of any structure built before 1978; follow EPA RRP rules. (5) Structural collapse — fire-weakened framing; assess before entry. (6) Ladder/fall hazards during roof and high-elevation cleaning. Wear at minimum P100 respiratory protection, eye protection, gloves, and Tyvek suits during active cleaning.