Requirements for Training and Re-certification
Safety Solved offers courses for American Heart Association certification. If you’re 16 years of age or currently possess an AHA Basic Life Support CPR/AED certificate and need recertification, we’re here to help. Current health regulations ensure two different training methods are available – blended online learning with in-person training or classroom only. Both options teach the same skills to achieve a course completion card and certificate valid for two years.
Who is Required to take the BLS/CPR/AED Courses?
These courses are geared toward professionals, such as hospital staff, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. Employers and facility managers should have a list of employees who need certified training in specific safety skills and those in need of recertification. If you are an employee, you can reach out to your employer to be sure you are selecting the correct course.
Safety Solved is your local provider for staff and instructor training. We can come to your facility with our equipment to offer convenient onsite training. We take appropriate COVID precautions during the training classes that will extend to the people your employees serve in life-threatening emergencies involving chest compressions, ventilations, and early use of an AED.
A combination of skills requires separate courses
Staff who need to know how to perform CPR and other basic cardiovascular life support skills for their jobs will learn the following skills:
- CPR for adults, children, and infants
- The AHA Chain of Survival for BLS
- Early use of an AED
- Ventilation using a barrier device
- Teams resuscitation and performance during multi-rescuer CPR
- Relief of airway obstruction (choking) for all ages
CPR and AED skills work together because the official AHA Guidelines for CPR show there is a greater chance of survival from cardiac arrest when proper CPR techniques include the use of an AED.
The AHA’s BLS courses don’t include First Aid or Advanced Cardio Life Support (ACLS) training. These courses require additional instruction. BLS training is a prerequisite for taking an ACLS course (for those who work in a hospital care setting), and you will need an additional valid certificate/card.
Specifically designed courses for OSHA compliance offer a completion card for job, regulatory, or safety compliance requirements. Check with your employer and contact us about specific course options.
Can I take an AHA BLS/CPR/AED course online?
American Heart Association courses that include CPR must be completed with a hands-on skills session for course completion. Other types of courses that don’t require motor skills assessment can be done virtually.
Certain skills can blend self-directed online classes to reduce the number of in-person hours for other skills assessments that must have an instructor. However, at Safety Solved, we prefer to do onsite classroom instruction to conveniently take care of all your requirements by accommodating your schedule. Why coordinate employee time off to complete offsite courses when you can have them meet onsite during their lunch hour instead?
Remember, current extensions for re-certification still require employees to complete the courses before performing their work. We want to ensure you have the necessary staff on-hand and meet any OSHA guidelines.
How to know you have the right instructors
Safety Solved is a certified local provider with an agreement with the AHA to teach CPR, First Aid, and advanced cardiovascular training using approved courses and products.
To sign up for our classes, go to our course calendar to inquire about schedules, costs and register for classes. Course descriptions let you know what training materials you will need and where to find them. Each student must have their own manual or workbook.
Once you’ve completed an AHA course, certification cards are issued within 20 days of successfully completing the course and will be valid for two years. On expiration, you will need to renew the card by taking a re-certification course. We are happy to track re-certification dates for you or your employees and provide reminders.
We offer both the Red Cross and American Heart Association classes for community members, corporate CPR training, healthcare providers, and more. The American Red Cross, like most other CPR training programs, adheres to AHA guidelines in designing its training materials.
Safety Solved offers regularly scheduled courses for American Heart Association certification. If you’ll be at least 16 years of age on or before the last day of the course or currently possess an AHA Basic Life Support CPR/AED certificate that is soon to expire, reach out for more information.
We also have many course options for non-healthcare professionals, including coaches, camp counselors, teachers, and babysitters. In addition, we provide Swimming and Water Safety for swim coaches and teachers and Lifeguard Training and Preparation.
To become an instructor for your work facility or at Safety Solved, register for an instructor training course or fill out our Instructor Candidate application. You will need to purchase access to videos or other course materials and pass the instructor course. To maintain certification, you will need to teach at least one course every six months or four courses every two years to qualify for re-certification.
Sources:
Williams,. M, RN, DC, CPR Certified, Indigo Medical Training, AHA vs. Red Cross CPR Training Programs: What’s the Difference? https://www.cprcertified.com/blog/aha-vs-red-cross-cpr-training-programs-whats-the-difference
American Heart Association, CPR & First Aid, Emergency Cardiovascular Care, Facts About AHA Training, https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/faqs/course-faqs