According to this 2017 article in Facility Executive, surveys by the American Heart Association, show that most workers in the United States haven’t received CPR and First Aid training, and half are unable to locate an automated external defibrillator (AED) in their place of work. This is highly problematic given how common cardiac events are across the country. Every day American lives are at risk due to a lack of training and preparation.
In this context, it’s important to remember that simply having better access to life-saving technology isn’t enough. Employees need to know how to use that technology quickly and effectively. After all, AEDs don’t save lives, people do.
In a previous blog post, we went into detail about how important it is for facility managers to get training in CPR and AED use and management. Not only will it save more lives in cases of cardiac emergencies; it’s also a great way to boost employee morale and set a positive example for everyone in the organization.
In this article, we’ll explore CPR and AED training in more detail, highlighting the different options available and their main differences.
Understanding the different training options
As we touched on before, the two largest providers of CPR and AED training are the AHA and the Red Cross. While there aren’t any glaring differences in their training material, it’s worth noting that the AHA is primarily a research institution, producing guidelines that are used by healthcare organizations around the world — including the Red Cross.
Popular AHA certifications that are suitable for Facility Managers include:
- Heartsaver CPR AED
- Heartsaver CPR and First Aid
- Heartsaver CPR, AED, and First Aid
While the Red Cross also offers training for CPR, AED use, and First Aid, they offer a wider range of certifications than the AHA. These include things like babysitting and childcare, swimming and water safety, and lifeguard training and preparation. As a Facility Manager focused on maximizing the efficacy of AEDs in their workplace, however, this breadth of certifications will offer limited professional value.
Another option for CPR and AED training is the Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECSI). What sets them apart from the AHA and Red Cross is their business focus, so training is geared towards ease and flexibility, meeting compliance requirements, and cost-effectiveness.
For AED training that meets your needs, choose PlusLearning™
As the world’s leading AED management solution, we know our way around these life-saving devices better than most. This makes us uniquely qualified to offer high-quality AED training programs for any working environment, ensuring your volunteers are confident and able to act quickly in an emergency.
Our PlusLearning™ classes include:
AED/CPR | (Length: 3.5 hours)
This class covers all essential information around conducting CPR and using AEDs, techniques for helping someone who is choking, pediatric CPR, and the use of mouth-to-mouth barrier devices for all ages.
First Aid/AED/CPR | (Length: 7.5 hours)
In addition to the material covered in the AED/CPR class, this class covers how to manage illness and injuries in the first few minutes until professional help arrives. This includes general first aid principles and what to do in medical and injury emergencies. Environmental emergencies are an optional topic in this program.
A ready and compliant AED program needs trained volunteer responders with the competence and confidence to save a life. PlusTrac™ helps you to manage the readiness of your trained volunteer responders as well as track and schedule CPR/AED training.
PlusLearning™ delivers a number of AED training services where and when you need them. Our PlusLearning™ training program is a nationally accredited AHA Training Center that can deliver training solutions in the U.S. within 30 days.
Click here to learn more about our training options.
