NFPA Certification
I can choose one NFPA course to take, paid for by my employer. As I was looking, the two that interest me most are the Certified Hazard Recognition Specialist and the Certified Fire Protection Specialist.
I conduct walkthroughs and risk assessments for OSH and GL purposes, so both would fit within my wheelhouse for work. The CHRS seems to be focused on NFPA 101, while the CFPS appears to be more geared towards fire protection as a whole.
Does anyone have experience with these certifications? Just looking for some input on the certs themselves, and what would be better to get.
Comments (3)
Since I an I not certified in anything EHS ( I am in HR) except being approved by OSHA for Outreach. I do not know if I am qualified to answer. But as a lay person I think the Hazard Recognition would be over all the most useful. But again the pros probably better opinions.
We all have things we like and not like so much in EHS. I tend to learn best the things I like. I know Fire Protection and Emergency Action Planning, but it something I do not enjoy teaching or learning. I also don't care for Haz materials and PRCS. Can I do it, yes, but there are many friends of mine much better at it! Personally, I think I am stronger in Lockout, Machine Guarding, Ergo, PITs, Safety Culture Enhancement, Recordkeeping, and Risk (WC) but I like those things! You get my drift.
There is value in learning something you are weak or want to know more about. That is why I am forcing myself to take PRCS courses at the local Tech College. I have had a couple, but still do not like them much!
Overall, the CHRS is a general, yet thorough, certification to gain since it's based on NFPA 101. NFPA 101 is what all fire departments base their facility inspections off of and covers anything related to life safety, ranging from occupancy loads to emergency exit lighting and everywhere in between. Both are open book exams, but NFPA 101 is EXTREMELY broad and covers a LOT of topics, so be sure to know at least where everything is because it's a huge standard.
The CHRS does not have any prerequisites other than a high school diploma, but it is more of an awareness level certification, whereas the CFPS is a specialty certification. When it comes to NFPA certifications, the CFPS is probably equivalent to the BCSP's CSP - it's as high as you can get when it comes to fire protection.
Keep in mind that the CFPS certification does have several prerequisites (both education and fire-related work experience). The CFPS also costs a little more to maintain.
Personally, I would recommend the CHRS first because most fire inspections are based on the NFPA 101 standard. This will lay the general groundwork if you're not too familiar with NFPA 101, then you could go back and get the CFPS later once you're comfortable and if you need to meet the prerequisites (if you don't already).
I haven't heard of either, but it seems like the CFPS is more widely known (based off the fact it has a wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_Fire_Protection_Specialist
) - so I'm voting for that.
But it sounds like both cover a specific niche within NFPA so I would say take whatever subject interests you more. That's great though! NFPA is tricky - I'm still learning every day. Good luck, and let us know what you choose.