AN EMJ PIC IS BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT HE WAS ADVISED BY MAINT CTLR TO ENTER A CREW PLACARD NOTATION FOR AN MEL OF THE APU AFTER IT HAD BEEN INSPECTED; BUT NOT SIGNED OFF FOR A GND FIRE INDICATION AT THE RAMP IN PIT; PA.

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WHILE ATTEMPTING AN APU START TO PWR UP THE ACFT FOR ITS FIRST FLT OF THE DAY THE FO NOTED THE APU HUNG START AT 24% RPM. AFTER ABORTING THE START THE APU FIRE INDICATION ILLUMINATED ON THE EICAS. THE FO THEN COMPLETED THE APU FIRE EPC. AS I ENTERED THE ACFT FROM THE JETBRIDGE I NOTED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE APU COMPARTMENT. I THEN ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND OBSERVED THE FO COMPLETE THE APU FIRE EPC. PIT FIRE/RESCUE WAS CALLED AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE AND THEY RESPONDED IN A TIMELY MANNER. I THEN CONTACTED MOC/SOC FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE. MOC CONTACTED CONTRACT MAINT IN PIT AND A MECH RPTED TO THE ACFT WITHIN 10 MINS. I OBSERVED THE MECH OPEN THE APU SVC PANEL AND BEGIN A VISUAL INSPECTION. AT THAT POINT I LEFT THE ACFT FOR APPROX 20 MINS. WHEN I RETURNED THE MECH WAS GONE BUT THE MEL ENTRY I MADE HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF OR CLRED. I CONTACTED MOC AND WAS INFORMED THE CONTRACT MECH HAD FINISHED WITH THE INSPECTION AND COMMUNICATED TO MOC THAT HE COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF A FIRE. MOC INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER INTO THE LOGBOOK A CREW PLACARD AND CONTINUE MY FLT SEQUENCE TO MIA IN THE ACFT. WHEN I QUESTIONED WHY THE MECH DID NOT MAKE THE APPROPRIATE MAINT ENTRY I WAS XFERRED TO A MOC SUPVR NAMED XXXX. XXXX INSISTED THE MECH DID NOT NEED TO SIGN THE AML AND A CREW PLACARD WAS APPROPRIATE FOR THE AML ENTRY I HAD MADE. XXXX ALSO REAFFIRMED THE MECH WAS SATISFIED THE APU OR APU COMPARTMENT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF A FIRE. HE THEN ISSUED ME AN AML CREW PLACARD AUTH NUMBER FOR THE PLACARD.