The CHFSP focuses on the importance of using management principles to improve the fire and life safety status of healthcare facilities. The exam content was developed with the assistance of practicing healthcare fire safety professionals. Exam materials comes from appropriate NFPA sources, other consensus standards, accreditation standards, CMS requirements, and professional fire safety books or journals. If you have any responsibilities for fire or life safety, consider adding the CHFSP to your resume or qualification profile
(please note: applications expire within 90 days)
CHFSP Exam blueprint
Note: CHFSP Exams contain 100 to 160 multiple choice items depending on the Form taken. Items are weighted at 1 point or 1.5 points. The Board determines passing or cut scores using total points earned and then reports pass or fail results using a Standard Scaled Score.
| Domains | 100-150 items |
|---|---|
| 1. Fire Safety Practice | 36% |
| 2. Fire Hazard Codes & Standards | 28% |
| 3. Safety Management Compliance | 36% |
Domain 1 - Fire Safety Practice (36%)
Practice/knowledge requirements focus on designing maintaining fire safety systems including implementing systematic procedures to protect patients, staff, visitors, property, and the environment. Determine effectiveness of fire safety related functions and systems by measuring/evaluating performance indicators to ensure compliance. Apply sound management and leadership practices to ensure efficient use resources to improve fire safety. Present technical information effectively to management, contractors, vendors, and the public about compliance requirements. Accept responsibility to promote fire safety by providing advice on issues related to accreditation and consensus standards to protect people, property, and environment.
- Identify life safety deficiencies in aisles, corridors, and ramps.
- Identify air handling equipment hazards.
- Given a scenario identify hazards of ineffective fire alarms
- Given a scenario identify alternative approaches to life safety.
- Identify testing requirements for automatic fire extinguishing systems.
- Identify the various classes of fire.
- Identify construction hazards that impact life safety issues.
- Identify requirements for commercial cooking operations.
- Identify corridor fire safety issues.
- Identify door locking requirements in patient areas
- Identify hazards of poor operations exhaust systems.
- Given a scenario identify unacceptable passageways.
- Given a scenario identify the appropriate extinguishing systems
- Identify fire and smoke door requirements.
- Identify the maintenance and testing requirements of fire hoses
- Identify the standard that addresses fire safety cans.
- Identify the key purpose of conducting fire safety evaluations
- Given a scenario identify the most flammable gas.
- Identify flow testing requirements for standpipes.
- Identify foot candle requirements for emergency lighting.
- Identify hazard related to heat detectors
- Identify inspection requirements for fire and smoke compartment or walls.
- Identify kitchen fire safety hazards.
- Identify fore hazard in hospital clinical labs.
- Identify healthcare laundry fire safety requirements.
- Identify the testing requirements for notification devices.
- Identify maintenance or testing requirements for fire extinguishers
- Given a situation identify requirements for checking rated barriers.
- Given a scenario identify requirements non-sprinklered area separations.
- Given a scenario identify separations requirements for various occupancies.
- Identify requirements for smoke barriers and compartments
- Identify proper storing of combustibles.
- Identify surgical fire risks.
- Identify actions to ensure safe welding
Domain 2 - Fire Hazard Codes & Standards (28%)
Evaluate facilities, products, systems, equipment, workstations, and processes by applying qualitative techniques to identify the fire hazards and assess their risks. Recommend controls through design and engineering to eliminate hazards and reduce the risks posed by fire hazards. Assess controls and analyze feasibility, effectiveness, reliability, and costs to achieve the best solution. Implement strategies by using results of hazard identification and risk analyses to eliminate and/or reduce harmful exposure to people, property, and the environment. Communicating hazards, risks, and controls to staff, patients, contractors, and the public.
Identify healthcare facility requirements for the following:
- Automatic Sprinkler Systems (NFPA 25)
- Bonding, Grounding, and Electrical Fire Hazards (NFPA 70/70E)
- Bulk Oxygen Systems (NFPA 50)
- Electrical Power Standby Power Systems (NFPA 110, NFPA 111)
- Fire Doors and Fire Windows (NFPA 80)
- Fire Hoses (NFPA 1962)
- Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals (NFPA 45)
- Fire Safety and Emergency Symbols (NFPA 170)
- Fire Walls and Fire Barrier Walls (NFPA 221)
- Flammable/Combustible Materials (NFPA 30)
- Healthcare Facilities (NFPA 99)
- Inspection& Testing of Water-Based Protection Systems (NFPA 25)
- Installation of Smoke Door Assemblies (NFPA 105)
- Installation of Sprinkler Systems (NFPA 13)
- Kitchen Hood Extinguishing (NFPA 96)
- Laser Fire Protection (NFPA 115)
- Life Safety and Egress (NFPA 101, 101A)
- Portable Fire Extinguishers (NFPA 10)
- Smoke Control (NFPA 92 & NFPA 92A)
- Ventilating System Dampers and Controls (NFPA 90A)
- Welding, Cutting, and Brazing (NFPA 51B)
Domain 3 - Safety Management Compliance (36%)
Develop effective education and training by establishing objectives to impart knowledge and facilitate understanding of compliance, accreditation, and voluntary standards. Evaluate compliance through performance assessments and various forms of feedback to ensure that training is effective. Maintain a recordkeeping and data capture systems to acquire, analyze, and distribute accurate data to meet compliance requirements. Hold paramount protection of people, property, and environment by working with management and government agencies. Adhere to professional conduct by limiting practice to areas of competence and avoiding conflicts. Improve competency through continuing education and certification.
- Identify built structure risks.
- Identify emergency communications.
- Identity basic compressed gas safety
- Identify the definition of fire confinement.
- Identify fire and emergency drill frequency and monitoring
- Identify egress and exit requirements.
- Identify healthcare, electrical safety hazards or requirements.
- Identify elevator/escalator safety and fire operational issues
- Identify emergency lighting requirements in all facility areas.
- Identify emergency power systems operational testing.
- Identify emergency facility emergency procedures.
- Identify facility areas that need fire safety hazard evaluations.
- Identify fire-related statistics for deaths and injuries.
- Identify hazardous storage areas with flammable/combustible materials.
- Identify the elements of a hospital incident command systemIdentify fire and electrical occupational hazards.
- Identify fire and life safety requirements for outpatient facilities.
- Identify OSHA personal protective equipment and respirator requirements
- Identify prioritized emergency response actions.
- Identify fire safety inspection requirements.
- Identify fire safety requirements of CMS and accreditation organizations.
CHFSP Voluntary Study References
- Emergency Management in Healthcare: An All-Hazards Approach, 5th Edition, 2022, JCR
- CHFSP PDF self-study, available HERE
- Healthcare Hazard Control & Safety Management
- Introduction to Hazard Control Management
- Joint Commission Accreditation Standards: EOC Standards, Fire Safety, Life Safety, and EM
- Life Safety Made Easy: Your Key to Understanding Fire Safety in Healthcare Facilities, JCR
- NFPA 101-2012, Life Safety Code Handbook: NFPA, 2012 Edition
- NFPA 99-2012, Health Care Facilities Code Handbook: NFPA, 2012 Edition
- OSHA Education & Training for Worker Safety in Hospitals: osha.gov
- OSHA Hospital E-Tools: Hazards and Solutions: osha.gov
- OSHA Safety/Health Management Systems: Road Map for Hospitals: osha.gov
Studying the resources listed does not guarantee that a candidate will pass the examination. Candidates must personally decide how they can best prepare for the examination. IBFCSM does not require any candidate to purchase study materials, resources, or attend any review session to qualify for certification. Study references include the following resources:
NFPA Publications
- Automatic Sprinkler Systems (NFPA 25)
- Bonding, Grounding, and Electrical Fire Hazards (NFPA 70/70E)
- Bulk Oxygen Systems (NFPA 50)
- Electrical Power Standby Power Systems (NFPA 110, NFPA 111)
- Fire Doors and Fire Windows (NFPA 80)
- Fire Hoses (NFPA 1962)
- Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals (NFPA 45)
- Fire Safety and Emergency Symbols (NFPA 170)
- Fire Walls and Fire Barrier Walls (NFPA 221)
- Flammable and Combustible Liquids (NFPA 30)
- Flammable/Combustible Materials (NFPA 30)
- Healthcare Facilities (NFPA 99)
- Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance of Water-Based Protection Systems (NFPA 25)
- Installation of Smoke Door Assemblies (NFPA 105)
- Installation of Sprinkler Systems (NFPA 13)
- Kitchen Hood Extinguishing (NFPA 96)
- Laser Fire Protection (NFPA 115)
- Life Safety and Egress (101A)
- Portable Fire Extinguishers (NFPA 10)
- Smoke Control (NFPA 92 & NFPA 92A)
- Uniform Fire Code (NFPA 1)
- Ventilating System Dampers and Controls (NFPA 90A)
- Welding, Cutting, and Brazing (NFPA 51B)
(please note: applications expire within 90 days)