Life Safety Code
CMS K-tags for nursing homes: K918, K353, K345 and who gets cited near you
K-tags are the Life Safety Code items state inspectors cite nursing homes under. We track three: the testing and maintenance tags for generators (K918), sprinklers (K353) and fire alarms (K345).
Public government records · No patient data · Every row links to the source
The three tags we track
A K-tag is a line on CMS's fire safety survey form, Form CMS-2786R (2012 Life Safety Code). In CMS's data file the prefix (K) and the tag number (0918, with a leading zero) are two columns; together they read K0918.
| Tag | CMS wording (data file) | What CMS-2786R asks for | Homes cited | Cited before |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K918 K0918 Emergency generator | "Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds." | Electrical Systems – Essential Electric System Maintenance and Testing "[...] Maintenance and testing of the generator and transfer switches are performed in accordance with NFPA 110. Generator sets are inspected weekly, exercised under load 30 minutes 12 times a year in 20-40 day intervals, and exercised once every 36 months for 4 continuous hours. [...] Written records of maintenance and testing are maintained and readily available." CMS-2786R, page 42 | 2,165 | 1,264 (58%) |
| K353 K0353 Sprinkler systems | "Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems." | Sprinkler System – Maintenance and Testing "Automatic sprinkler and standpipe systems are inspected, tested, and maintained in accordance with NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintaining [sic] of Water-based Fire Protection Systems. Records of system design, maintenance, inspection and testing are maintained in a secure location and readily available." CMS-2786R, page 24 | 3,323 | 2,303 (69%) |
| K345 K0345 Fire alarm systems | "Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems." | Fire Alarm System – Testing and Maintenance "A fire alarm system is tested and maintained in accordance with an approved program complying with the requirements of NFPA 70, National Electric [sic] Code, and NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. Records of system acceptance, maintenance and testing are readily available." CMS-2786R, page 22 | 1,868 | 906 (49%) |
4,057 homes were cited under K353 or K345; a home cited under both counts once. Not counted here: other fire tags on the same form, such as K341 (fire alarm installation), K351 (sprinkler installation), K354 (sprinkler out of service) and K355 (portable fire extinguishers).
Severity letters in plain words
Each citation carries one scope and severity letter from CMS's grid. It says how much harm the inspector found possible, and how far the problem reached. Every card shows its letter next to CMS's meaning.
| Harm | Isolated | Pattern | Widespread |
|---|---|---|---|
| No actual harm, with potential for minimal harm | A | B | C |
| No actual harm, with potential for more than minimal harm | D | E | F |
| Actual harm that is not immediate jeopardy | G | H | I |
| Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety | J | K | L |
What a citation does and doesn't mean
- A citation means a state inspector cited the home under the tag at an inspection on that date. CMS's public file shows the tag, not which part of it the inspector found. Each of these tags covers the tests and their written records, not only the equipment.
- 94% of K918 citations and 95% of K353 and K345 citations in inspections from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026 have the status "Deficient, Provider has date of correction", which means the home reports a fix date. Cards show each status exactly as CMS lists it.
- CMS publishes once a month, and most inspections take 1–3 months to show up in its file. Its newest inspection is dated Sep 23, 2026. The Oct 2026 file holds 101 K918 citations from Aug 2026 and 16 from Sep 2026, against 190 to 281 a month from Feb 2026 to Jul 2026.
- When you call, lead with the next test or a service contract, not the citation.
Homes cited, by state
| Rank | K918 generator | K353 sprinklers | K345 fire alarm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CA 356 | CA 456 | CA 310 |
| 2 | TX 156 | TX 292 | OH 187 |
| 3 | OH 127 | OH 197 | TX 132 |
| 4 | IN 108 | PA 158 | MI 99 |
| 5 | MN 104 | MN 137 | MD 87 |
| 6 | MD 100 | GA 129 | PA 77 |
| 7 | PA 94 | WI 126 | MA 68 |
| 8 | MA 80 | IN 124 | FL 64 |
| 9 | NC 74 | MI 114 | IA 63 |
| 10 | MI 73 | MD 112 | WA 63 |
Questions buyers ask
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 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)
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)
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.
More: Where the data comes from · Generator leads · Sprinkler and fire alarm leads · Nursing home generator requirements
See the cited homes near your shop
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