New York, NY - Safety Management Services, Inc. (SMS, Inc.), a Chicago-based healthcare life safety and accreditation compliance firm, proudly announces a new certification preparation course and examination. Developed in support of the Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional (CHEP) certification, SMS, Inc. aims to help emergency preparedness professionals raise their level of competence while encouraging the use of management, leadership and system principles.

To meet the high demand for continuing education and professional development among healthcare engineering, safety, emergency and executive leadership professionals, SMS, Inc. is introducing two-day regional certification programs at locations throughout the country. The program will include:

- 1 1/2 days of valuable instruction for test preparation.
-Instructional coverage for the entire field of healthcare emergency preparedness: Incident Command Systems, NIMS, Hazard Vulnerability Analysis and Healthcare Sustainability.
-The CHEP certification exam: proctored by SMS, Inc. on behalf of the Board of Certified Hazard Control Management (BCHCM).

"We're incredibly pleased to be rolling out another beneficial certification course for our national audience, says Eric..."The newly developed CHEP credential is so important for professional healthcare emergency professionals to obtain and we're proud to be leading the way by giving them access to such an informative program and credentialing process"

The SMS, Inc. CHEP prep course is a critical next-step for emergency management professionals. The BCHCM strongly believes that CHEP-certified professionals will be the most effective individuals responsible for coordinating the necessary components of any emergency program. Covering a wide range of topics, from emergency planning to recovery efforts, SMS Inc.'s preparation course will complement the candidates' experience and knowledge to give a big advantage to emergency management professionals in a relatively short amount of time.

The Importance of Certified Healthcare Emergency Professionals

BCHCM, founded in 1978, developed the CHEP credential to recognize the need for qualified disaster response and emergency management professionals in healthcare settings and organizations. New CHEP professionals can help lead the way by helping develop realistic emergency management and action response plans. CHEP professionals understand the importance of coordinating all phases of healthcare emergency with community officials and other outside agencies including state and federal entities. CHEP professionals come from a variety of healthcare backgrounds including emergency management, nursing, administration, risk, safety, emergency medicine and facility management. For more information on the Board of Certified Hazard Control Management visit www.chcm-chsp.org

About the CHEP Exam
Candidates for certification are formally appointed by their organizations as the Emergency Manager or Coordinator. Appointed certification candidates must document relevant experience and education while other candidates must document relevant emergency and disaster response experience in a healthcare setting. The CHEP exam focuses on program design, accreditation standards, compliance regulations, incident command systems, emergency communications, organizational cultures, NFPA 1600, fire & egress, hazardous materials response, hazard vulnerability analysis, system methods, pandemic, terrorism and natural disasters. All candidates must achieve a passing score on the closed-book CHEP exam.


About SMS, Inc.
Safety Management Services, Inc. Online at www.safemgt.com you'll find comprehensive solutions for healthcare life safety and fire protection compliance and accreditation maintenance programs for CMS, The Joint Commission®, DNV, OSHA, and EPA requirements. For an updated schedule of SMS, Inc. CHEP credentialing programs and to learn how to host a program in your region: ephillips@safemgt.com