Underground Fire Mains

UFM2- Private Fire Service Mains (Underground)

Review important information on the "Test Info" page common to all exams and about marking / tagging your study material.

This assessment is intended for those who install underground fire service mains such as lead-in to building, or fire mains with hydrants. This may include general contractors, utility contractors, or fire sprinkler contractors.

The assessment covers NFPA 24 in addition to general math concepts for evaluating friction loss and its impact on a system. The study guide provides examples of how to evaluate the proper pipe size based on flow and friction loss. Often there is little coordination between civil engineering documents and the demand and sizing of the sprinkler contractor. It is important for contractors to understand basic concepts of friction loss to know what questions to ask and help to ensure the proper pipe is selected. The exam also covers trench safety and OSHA criteria.

UFM4- Private Fire Service Mains Business Representative

Review important information on the "Test Info" page common to all exams and about marking / tagging your study material.

This assessment is generally intended for business owners / representatives of a company who install underground fire service mains such as lead-in to building, or fire mains with hydrants. This may include general contractors, utility contractors, or fire sprinkler contractors. This exam is longer and slightly harder than the UFM2 as it is intended for individuals responsible for their installers.

The assessment covers NFPA 24 in addition to general math concepts for evaluating friction loss and its impact on a system. This exam also includes concepts of fire pumps and how they impact pressures / flows in a system. The study guide provides examples of how to evaluate the proper pipe size based on flow and friction loss, as well as pressure ratings. Often there is little coordination between civil engineering documents and the demand and sizing of the sprinkler contractor. It is important for contractors to understand basic concepts of friction loss to know what questions to ask and help to ensure the proper pipe is selected. The exam also covers trench safety and OSHA criteria.

Exam Fee:

Application Fee: None

UFM2- Private Fire Service Mains (Underground) $170 / each attempt

Important Concepts:

The following lists some but not all materials covered on exams.

Calculating size of thrust blocks
Bury depth of pipe based on conditions
Understanding friction loss and pipe sizing
Valves and locations
Pressure ratings
OSHA trench Safety

Books Required:

NFPA 24, 2019 Edition

Documents Required from Our Site:

Download and print these pdf documents. (click link)

Exam Fee:

Application Fee: None

UFM4- Private Fire Service Mains Business Representative $180 / each attempt

Books Required:

NFPA 24, 2019 Edition

Important Concepts:

The following lists some but not all materials covered on exams.

Calculating size of thrust blocks
Bury depth of pipe based on conditions
Understanding friction loss and pipe sizing
Valves and locations
Pressure ratings
Fire pump and pressures on underground piping for coordination of pressure ratings
OSHA trench Safety

Documents Required from Our Site:

Download and print these pdf documents. (click on link)

OSHA Resources:

These are NOT allowed in exams. (click link)

Other Optional Study Material:

This material is not allowed in the test, but may be used to better understand and/or study.

Recommended study / book for learning calculations is "Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply Analysis" by Pat Brock, latest edition. Available New. Used copies are also available online. First edition through third edition are all great resources. (Do not confuse with "Fire Service Hydraulics and Water Supply - not same book)

NFPA documents can be purchased from the National Fire Protection Association at www.NFPA.org. You can purchase hard copies and have them mailed to you. We recommend using NFPA handbooks when available as they contain the full standard along with additional useful images, commentary, and explanations. Before ordering, make sure you know what edition (Year) that you need. International Building and Fire Code Handbooks do not contain code content and are not recommended for CSA exams.