IBFCSM's certification for professionals responsible for healthcare emergency management, disaster preparedness, and emergency/safety compliance within hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Who it's for
Healthcare emergency managers, hospital safety officers, emergency preparedness coordinators, and administrators responsible for a healthcare facility's disaster readiness and regulatory compliance — this is a management-and-compliance credential rather than a clinical one, aimed at the people who plan for and coordinate a hospital's response to disasters and emergencies rather than the clinicians who deliver care during one.
What's covered
- Healthcare Emergency Management Concepts (39%) — core emergency management principles applied to preventing harm and maintaining a safe healthcare environment for staff, patients, and visitors
- Healthcare Disaster Preparedness and Response (35%) — hazard vulnerability analysis, emergency operations planning, medical surge coordination, all-hazards planning, and pandemic preparedness
- Emergency and Safety Compliance Standards (26%) — regulatory frameworks including Joint Commission requirements, CMS Emergency Preparedness rules, OSHA standards, and NFPA codes
What to expect
CHEP exams contain 125 to 160 multiple-choice items depending on the specific exam form administered, with individual items weighted at either 1 or 1.5 points; IBFCSM determines the passing score using total points earned and reports results as a Standard Scaled Score rather than a simple percentage. Expect questions built around recall, recognition, comprehension, and application of healthcare emergency management concepts, and content that draws on ASPR/FEMA responsibilities, NIMS, ICS, and healthcare coalition frameworks alongside the regulatory standards above.
How to prepare
IBFCSM offers a CHEP self-study program and one complimentary Certification Practice Test (at least 100 multiple-choice items) directly through its own site; because the exam draws heavily on named regulatory frameworks (Joint Commission, CMS, OSHA, NFPA) and named federal emergency management structures (NIMS, ICS, ASPR), candidates without a compliance background typically need dedicated review time on the specific requirements of each framework rather than general emergency-management familiarity alone.
Certification details
- Certifying body: International Board for Certification of Safety Managers (IBFCSM), a 501(c)(6) nonprofit established in 1976.
- Eligibility: Six years of combined relevant experience and education, via one of several tiered options (e.g., 6 years experience alone, or as little as 2 years experience plus a 4-year degree); a minimum of 2 years of work experience is required regardless of education level.
- Exam format: 125–160 multiple-choice items depending on exam form, items weighted at 1 or 1.5 points, passing determined via a Standard Scaled Score.
- Content outline: Healthcare Emergency Management Concepts (39%), Healthcare Disaster Preparedness and Response (35%), and Emergency and Safety Compliance Standards (26%).
- Fee: $145 application fee (non-refundable) + $265 exam fee (refundable if application is disapproved); retake fee $145.
- Recertification: Every 5 years, requiring 5,000 hours of job practice over the cycle, 50 hours of scope-related continuing education, and a $135 annual renewal fee.
