FAQ
Questions about StandbyBrief
Answers are true as of CMS's Oct 2026 file.
Where does the data come from?
From CMS's public nursing-home files: Fire Safety Deficiencies, Provider Information, Inspection Dates and Ownership, plus the U.S. Census geocoder for map points. Every row links to its CMS record.
How fresh is it?
CMS publishes once a month. The current file was released Oct 28, 2026, covers inspections up to Sep 23, 2026, next file due Dec 2, 2026. Most inspections take 1–3 months to show up in CMS's file.
Source: CMS's catalog entry for the fire-safety file (release and next-update dates)
What does a K918 citation tell you?
That an inspector cited the home under the generator rule, not which part was found. K918 covers the generator's start and its tests and written records, so the generator itself, a missed or unrecorded monthly load test, or no record of the 4-hour test can each lead to a citation. CMS's public file shows the tag only.
94% of K918 citations in inspections from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026 (2,050 of 2,178) say "Deficient, Provider has date of correction", which means the home has reported a correction date. We show the status exactly as CMS lists it.
Source: CMS Fire Safety Deficiencies (ifjz-ge4w), Oct 2026 file: 2,050 of 2,178 K918 rows, inspections Oct 2025 to Sep 2026; waiver, Fire Safety Evaluation Survey and "No revisit needed" rows left out.
Does a K353 or K345 citation mean the sprinklers or the alarm don't work?
No. It means an inspector cited the home under the sprinkler rule (K353: "Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.") or the fire alarm rule (K345: "Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems."). CMS's public file shows the tag, not which part the inspector found.
95% of K353 and K345 citations in inspections from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026 (4,980 of 5,227) say "Deficient, Provider has date of correction", which means the home has reported a correction date. Lead with the next NFPA 25 or NFPA 72 inspection, or a service contract, not the citation.
Source: CMS Fire Safety Deficiencies (ifjz-ge4w), Oct 2026 file: 4,980 of 5,227 K353 or K345 rows, inspections Oct 2025 to Sep 2026; waiver, Fire Safety Evaluation Survey and "No revisit needed" rows left out.
How accurate is it?
Every fact we show is re-read from the raw CMS file before it's shown. On Nov 6, 2026, a separate check, with code that shares nothing with our engine and its own copy of CMS's Oct 2026 files, re-derived 30 random findings: 30 of 30 matched. It also matched 486 of 486 findings in 3 test territories, with 0 false findings.
CMS's own data can be incomplete. A federal audit (OIG A-09-20-02007) found Care Compare did not accurately report fire-safety deficiencies for some homes. Each row has a "Wrong record?" button that reaches us directly.
Is it legal to use?
Yes. These are U.S. government records, published for public use, with no patient data. We credit CMS as the source. StandbyBrief is not affiliated with or endorsed by CMS.
Is there patient information?
No. The files are about buildings and inspections only.
Which areas do you cover?
Every state code in CMS's file (53): the 50 states plus DC, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Volume varies a lot. In inspections from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026, at least 170 nursing homes within 60 miles of downtown Los Angeles were cited under K918 and at least 330 under K353 or K345; within 60 miles of downtown Phoenix, 4 under K918 and 8 under K353 or K345. Type your ZIP to see your number before you pay.
Source: CMS Fire Safety Deficiencies (ifjz-ge4w), Oct 2026 file (state codes in the whole file; area counts from our engine run on it)
What counts as "near me"?
A straight-line radius from your shop, 60 miles by default. A home is held back, not guessed, when its map point is too close to call: within 1 mile of the edge, because CMS rounds its map points, or when CMS's point and the Census geocoder's point fall on different sides of the edge. Held homes are not listed, and the count then says "at least".
For some homes CMS gives only the center of the ZIP code. We look up the street address with the U.S. Census geocoder. When that doesn't place it, the card says "distance not stated", and the home is held back if it is within 15 miles of the edge.
Distances are "about N mi" in a straight line, not driving distance.
Do I get contact names and emails?
No. You get each home's name, legal business name, address, main phone, beds and chain, as CMS lists them. The main phone is the only contact CMS publishes, and there are no emails.
Do you cover hospitals or assisted living?
No. Only Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes are in CMS's file. When CMS's hospital file lists the same street address, the card says so, because the generator and fire systems there may be the hospital's.
Is my territory exclusive?
No. The records are public, so a competitor can get the same list. You pay for the finding, checking and mapping, every month.
Will a competitor get the same list?
Yes. The records are public, so a competitor can get the same list. You pay for the finding, checking and mapping, every month.
What does it cost?
$249/month per territory. Founding firms: $149/month, locked for 12 months. Founding pricing is for the first 20 firms that subscribe. Every plan starts with 14 days free and no card.
Do I need a card to start?
No. The 14-day trial needs only your email, and nothing is charged when it ends.
When does the trial end, and what happens then?
14 days after you start. The date is at the top of the app and in your welcome email, and we email you 3 days before it ends.
When the 14 days end, CSV and PDF export stops. Your list, its CMS links and your territory stay readable. Nothing is deleted and nothing is charged.
If card payments are not switched on yet when your trial ends, email us or book a call and we turn export back on for you.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Plans are month to month, with no contract. During the trial there is nothing to cancel: no card is on file.
On a plan, cancel on the Billing page in the app and confirm once. Export works to the end of the month you paid for, and your list stays readable after.
Do I get invoices?
Yes. From your first payment, every invoice and receipt is on the Billing page in the app, with a PDF.
How is billing handled?
Monthly, in US dollars, by card through Stripe. Invoices come from Helios One Oy, the company behind StandbyBrief. If sales tax applies, checkout shows it before you pay. Cancelling stops the next charge.
How many people can use one plan?
Up to 50 people per firm, at no extra cost. You pay per territory, not per person. Invite them from Account in the app.
What happens after the 12 founding months?
From month 13 you pay the list price, $249/month per territory. The 12 months start with your first paid month, the Billing page shows the end date, and we email you before the price changes. Nothing else changes, and you can cancel any month.
What about a bigger radius, a second shop or both trades?
One territory is one shop, one trade and one straight-line radius: 25, 60 or 100 miles. Every radius is the same price.
Generator (K918) and sprinkler + alarm (K353, K345) are separate trades, so a firm that sells both pays for two territories. A second shop is one more territory. Each is $249/month, or $149/month for a founding firm in its 12 months.
The app sets up one territory per account today. For a second one, book a call and we set it up with you.
What do you do with my data?
We store your email, shop location and territory. We record how the site and app are used (analytics with session replay) so we can fix them. We never sell your email or territory, and share them only with the services that run StandbyBrief (listed on our security page).
See the cited homes near your shop
Type your ZIP at the top of the page, or open the Los Angeles sample. 14 days free, no card.