ICC FM study plan
ICC FM · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Education
Map the Domain 1 outline into a one-page checklist covering fire behavior fundamentals, ignition prevention, and safety education program design
Explain conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer with one worked example of each in building fire spread
Define the fire tetrahedron and distinguish it from the fire triangle, listing one suppression tactic per element
Build a personal glossary of 40 Domain 1 terms with definitions written in your own words
Your checkpoint
One-page Domain 1 checklist plus a 40-term glossary, self-quizzed to 90% recall
Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Education
Compare the stages of fire development (incipient, growth, fully developed, decay) and identify the indicators of each
Outline a public fire safety education campaign for a target audience, stating objectives, messages, channels, and evaluation metrics
Summarize the intent of common fire and life safety code provisions for occupant protection without quoting code text
Draft 10 original practice questions on prevention and education and answer them cold
Your checkpoint
Two-page fire safety education campaign outline with measurable objectives and an evaluation plan
Plan Review and Construction Project Fire Safety Considerations
Walk through the plan review sequence for a commercial project from submittal to permit, listing the documents typically examined
Identify the construction types and the fire-resistance implications of each for structural members and separations
Explain how means of egress components (occupant load, travel distance, exit width, exit access) are evaluated during review
List the fire protection systems and features commonly checked in a review and the design criteria behind each
Your checkpoint
A plan review checklist of at least 25 items organized by review stage
Plan Review and Construction Project Fire Safety Considerations
Analyze a hypothetical mixed-occupancy building and determine which fire safety considerations apply to each occupancy
Describe how construction sequencing and hot work during a project create temporary fire risk and how that risk is managed
Explain the role of the fire department in pre-construction and site safety planning
Practice writing concise review comments that cite the concern and the corrective action
Your checkpoint
A written mock plan review of a hypothetical mixed-occupancy building with at least 10 substantive comments
Fire Ignition and Origin Analysis
Apply the scientific method to origin and cause analysis, distinguishing hypothesis testing from assumption
Explain fire pattern analysis: V patterns, char depth, alligatoring, and their limits as indicators
Describe how fire dynamics and ventilation affect patterns and how that influences origin determination
Identify the classes of fire cause (accidental, natural, incendiary, undetermined) and the evidence standard for each
Your checkpoint
A one-page origin and cause methodology flowchart with decision points
Fire Ignition and Origin Analysis
Outline the systematic exterior and interior examination sequence for a fire scene
Explain the role of electrical, appliance, and heating system evidence in ignition source analysis
Describe documentation practices: photography, sketches, evidence collection, and chain of custody
Write a sample origin and cause narrative for a hypothetical residential fire, stating findings and confidence
Your checkpoint
A 500-word mock origin and cause narrative with a clearly stated cause classification and supporting evidence
Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness
Define the wildland-urban interface and describe the factors that make a community vulnerable
Explain the home ignition zone concept and the mitigation actions appropriate at each distance band
Summarize structure triage categories and when each defensive strategy is appropriate
Draft the core elements of a community wildfire protection plan, including evacuation and preparedness components
Your checkpoint
A home ignition zone assessment template covering the three zones with at least 15 mitigation actions
Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Education & Plan Review and Construction Project Fire Safety Considerations & Fire Ignition and Origin Analysis & Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness
Revisit the weakest two domains based on practice test results and close specific knowledge gaps
Complete a full-length timed practice exam under test conditions and review every missed item
Condense each domain into a one-page summary sheet for final review
Practice explaining each domain's core concepts aloud in under five minutes
Your checkpoint
Four one-page domain summary sheets plus a logged practice exam score with an error analysis
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 80% on a self-made 25-question Domain 1 quiz and explain the fire tetrahedron and fire development stages without notes
Week 4: Complete the mock plan review and correctly identify at least 8 of 10 planted fire safety deficiencies in a hypothetical project
Week 6: Write an origin and cause narrative that states a cause classification, cites at least three supporting observations, and acknowledges at least one limitation
Week 8: Score at least 80% on a full-length timed practice exam and show written error analysis for every missed question