New York City Fire Code requires at least one person with a Certificate of Fitness for Supervision of Chemical Laboratories (C-14) be present in a laboratory unit when such lab is in operation. This code applies at all times including weekends, evenings and holidays. There are two ways to obtain the Certificate of Fitness: An Alternative Issuance Procedure (AIP) administered through the ASRC Environmental Health Safety (EHS) team or to take the test at FDNY Headquarters. Below is the information to obtain a Certificate of Fitness. If you already have a valid FDNY issued C-14 at your home institution, you can email a photocopy or picture of your C-14 to the NanoFab (nanofab@gc.cuny.edu). As it can be confusing, here are three categories which you may fall into.
Category 1: CUNY ASRC Employee with no prior C-14
- Do you have the Education, License and Experience Requirements in section 1.1?
- Yes: Follow Section 1. Alternative Issuance Procedure at CUNY ASRC
- No: Follow Section 2. Test the test at FDNY Headquarters
Category 2: Non-ASRC Employee from CUNY institution or other NYC area institution with no prior C-14
- You must work through your home institution to obtain a C-14.
- Once you have a C-14 issued to your home institution, you may send a photocopy of it to Nanofab@gc.cuny.edu and the ASRC will apply for a second C-14 valid for the ASRC on your behalf.
Category 3: Non-ASRC Employee with valid C-14 at your respective university
- You may send a photocopy of your valid C-14 to Nanofab@gc.cuny.edu and the ASRC will apply for a second C-14 valid for the ASRC on your behalf.
Category 4: Non-ASRC Employee from outside NYC or from industry or start-up
- Do you have the Education, License and Experience Requirements in section 1.1?
- Yes: Follow Section 1. Alternative Issuance Procedure at CUNY ASRC
- No: Follow Section 2. Test the test at FDNY Headquarters
Section 1: Alternative Issuance Procedure at CUNY ASRC
Education, License and Experience Requirements: Applicants must have one of the following qualifications:
- License as a Clinical Laboratory Director from the NYS Dept. of Health; or
- Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM); or
- Masters or Doctoral degree in Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Environmental or Health Sciences, Medical Technology and Chemical, Environmental, Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering, or related field and; or
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Environmental or Health Sciences, Medical Technology and Chemical, Environmental, Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering, or related field and TWO years of post-baccalaureate experience in the operation of chemical laboratories may apply for alternative issuance which is stated and signed by the employer/supervisor on a company official letter head. (All claimed experience must be post baccalaureate. Any experience gained prior to the receipt of the degree will not be accepted towards meeting the AIP requirements.)
- If you have two years of post-baccalaureate experience in the operation of chemical laboratories, the C-14 Lab Experience Form must be filled out.
- NY State Permanent Certification as a Chemistry or Biology (7-12) Teacher.
Employee Affirmation Form: You must fill out the following form: fdny_cof_employee_affirmation_form
Photo: A recent photo (2×2 head shot) in JPG or JPEG format.
Application Fees: The application fee for C-14 is $25.
The following payment methods are acceptable: Credit Card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa), Debit card (MasterCard or Visa) or E-Check.
For fee waivers submit: (Only government employees who will use their C of F for their work- related responsibilities are eligible for fee waivers.) An agency letter with official letter head; AND Copy of identification card issued by the agency A convenience fee of 2.49% will be applied to all credit card payments.
Section 2: Test the test at FDNY Headquarters
You may take the Examination for the Certificate of Fitness for The Supervision of Chemical Laboratories (C-14) at Fire Department Headquarters at 9 Metro Tech, Brooklyn N.Y. For study material, requirements, directions and further information go to the New York City Fire Department website at: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/business/all-certifications/certificates-of-fitness.page