AFTER FAA INSPECTOR RAMP CHK OF A DC9-32; WHERE IN THE EMER LIGHTING SYS WAS OPERATED WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM COMPANY MAINT PER COMPANY PROCS.

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UPON ARR IN SFB; FOLLOWING THE PAX DEPLANING; THE ACFT WAS BOARDED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE REGIONAL FSDO. AS PART OF HIS RAMP INSPECTION; HE REQUESTED THAT I TURN ON THE EMER LIGHTS TO VERIFY THE OP OF ALL INSTALLED LIGHTS IN THE EMER LIGHTING SYS. AS THE INSPECTOR REQUESTED; I MOVED THE EMER LIGHT SWITCH FOR THE NORMALLY 'ARMED' POS TO THE 'ON' POS. THE INSPECTOR PROCEEDED TO VISUALLY CHK ALL THE EMER LIGHTS. HAVING FOUND AN INOP BULB; THE INSPECTOR NOTIFIED ME. I MOVED THE EMER LIGHT SWITCH BACK TO THE ARMED POS. I THEN COORDINATED WITH OUR COMPANY MAINT CTL DEPT VIA CELL PHONE TO HAVE THE LCL MAINT CONTRACTOR SEND SOMEONE OUT TO THE ACFT TO FACILITATE REPAIR OF THE INOP BULB. THE MECH(S) ARRIVED; OPENED THE LIGHT FIXTURE; AND FOUND THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS TO BE IN NEED OF CLEANING. THE MECH(S) CLEANED THE CONTACTS; REINSERTED THE BULB; AND ASKED THAT I AGAIN TURN THE EMER LIGHTS ON TO VERIFY THE BULB WAS NOW OPERATING. I AGAIN TURNED ON THE EMER LIGHTS; AND THE BULB WAS OPERATING. THE FOLLOWING DAY I BECAME AWARE OF OUR COMPANY POLICY OF NOT TURNING ON THE EMER LIGHTS FOR ANY REASON BY THE FLC'S; (BARRING AN EMER). THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT IF THE EMER LIGHTS ARE ON FOR APPROX 1 1/2 MINS OR LONGER; IT WILL TAKE FROM 1 1/2 TO 2 HRS TO FULLY RECHARGE THE BATTERIES WHICH PWR THE EMER LIGHTS. DURING THE COURSE OF THE FAA INSPECTION/REPAIRS I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT THE EMER LIGHTS WERE ON FOR 4-5 MINS. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY OUR FLT OPS DEPT THAT COMPANY POLICY DICTATES THAT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED MAINT CTL PRIOR TO SWITCHING ON THE EMER LIGHTS AT THE FAA'S REQUEST; AND THAT THE MAINT DEPT WOULD COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THE FAA INSPECTOR AND TOGETHER THEY WOULD COLLECTIVELY MAKE A DECISION ABOUT SWITCHING ON THE EMER LIGHTS. IN SUMMARY; BY HAVING THE EMER LIGHTS ON FOR 4-5 MINS; AND THEN DEPARTING SFB APPROX 45 MINS LATER; THE BATTERIES WHICH PWR THE EMER LIGHTS WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO FULLY RECHARGE. THIS; AS I NOW UNDERSTAND IT; WOULD EXPOSE MYSELF TO (POSSIBLE) VIOLATION FOR DEPARTING PRIOR TO THE TIME REQUIRED TO FULLY RECHARGE THE EMER LIGHT BATTERIES. IN DISCUSSING THE SIT; AFTER THE FACT; FURTHER WITH MY COMPANY FLT DEPT; I MENTIONED THAT I WAS FULLY AWARE THAT THE FLC'S DO NOT TEST THE EMER LIGHTS IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL OPS; AND THAT I WAS AWARE THAT TESTING THE EMER LIGHTS WAS SOLELY A MAINT FUNCTION. HOWEVER; IN THE MANUALS ISSUED TO THE FLC'S; THERE IS NO REF MADE AS TO THE COMPANY POLICY REGARDING SWITCHING THE EMER LIGHTS ON AT THE REQUEST OF AN FAA INSPECTOR DURING A RAMP INSPECTION. NEITHER MYSELF; NOR THE FO HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS COMPANY POLICY; AND ALSO NO MENTION OF THE POLICY WAS MADE DURING MY COM WITH OUR MAINT CTL DEPT DURING THE COURSE OF THE INSPECTION. ISSUE A REVISION TO THE COMPANY OPS MANUAL THAT EXPLAINS THE COMPANY POLICY. THIS WOULD PROVIDE THE FLC'S WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPANY POLICY; AND WOULD ALSO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION THAT THE FLC'S COULD PRESENT TO THE FAA INSPECTOR SHOWING THE COMPANY POLICY IN WRITING.