Professional CPR & First Aid Certification

CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

CPR is an emergency lifesaving technique used when a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, including during cardiac arrest.

CPR helps circulate oxygenated blood to vital organs while emergency medical services are being activated and until advanced care can be provided.

CPR training teaches participants how to:

• Recognize cardiac arrest
• Activate the emergency response system
• Perform high-quality chest compressions
• Provide rescue breaths when appropriate
• Use an AED
• Respond to choking emergencies
• Perform CPR on adults, children and infants, depending on the course
• Work with other rescuers during an emergency

At Grand Canyon Safety Training Center, our goal isn’t simply to help you earn a card. We want you to leave class with the knowledge, skills and confidence to act when seconds matter.

Most American Heart Association and American Red Cross CPR course completion cards are valid for two years after successful completion.

For example, AHA Heartsaver CPR/AED and Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED completion cards are valid for two years. (cpr.heart.org⁠)

AHA BLS Provider cards are also valid for two years. (cpr.heart.org⁠)

Always check your employer, licensing organization, school, healthcare facility or regulatory agency for its specific requirements.

For most AHA CPR and BLS credentials, renewal is required every two years.

However, don’t wait until the last minute.

CPR is a hands-on skill, and skills can decline when they aren’t practiced regularly.

We recommend keeping your lifesaving skills fresh and renewing before your credential expires.

Need to renew?

Grand Canyon Safety Training Center offers CPR and BLS training options for individuals, healthcare professionals, businesses, schools and organizations.

Many healthcare employers and professional organizations require healthcare workers to maintain an appropriate CPR or BLS credential.

The important question is:

Which course does your employer require?

Healthcare professionals commonly need Basic Life Support (BLS) rather than a general community CPR course.

AHA & ARC describes BLS as a healthcare-professional course designed for healthcare professionals and trained first responders who provide patient care. Before registering, verify the exact credential required by your:

• Employer
• Hospital
• Medical practice
• Nursing program
• EMS agency
• Licensing organization
• Clinical site
• School or training program

If you’re unsure which class you need, contact GCSTC before registering.

CPR is a lifesaving skill. BLS is a more comprehensive professional-level resuscitation course.

CPR training is commonly intended for people who need to know how to respond to cardiac arrest and may be designed for the general public, workplaces, schools, childcare providers, parents and others.

BLS is designed for healthcare professionals, trained first responders and people enrolled in healthcare training programs. AHA’s BLS course includes high-quality CPR, AED use, ventilation skills and response to life-threatening emergencies. 

Simple way to think about it:

Community CPR:
“I need to know how to help save someone’s life.”

BLS:
“I am a healthcare professional or trained responder and need professional-level resuscitation training.”

If you’re a nurse, nursing student, physician, EMT, paramedic, respiratory therapist, healthcare professional or other clinical provider, check your employer’s requirements before choosing a course.

Yes.

Teenagers can learn CPR and lifesaving skills.

CPR training can be particularly valuable for teens who:

• Babysit
• Work with children
• Volunteer
• Coach younger children
• Work at camps
• Work in recreation
• Want to pursue healthcare
• Want to learn emergency preparedness
• Want to become more confident responding to emergencies

GCSTC also offers SafeSitter training, which combines babysitting education with lifesaving skills and is designed to help young teens become safer, more prepared babysitters.

Learning CPR at a young age can become a skill that stays with them for life.

Absolutely.

Parents, grandparents, guardians and caregivers are some of the people who can benefit most from CPR training.

Emergencies don’t only happen at work.

They can happen:

• At home
• In the backyard
• At the pool
• During family activities
• At sporting events
• While traveling
• During meals
• While caring for children

Parents can choose CPR, First Aid, Pediatric First Aid CPR AED or other appropriate training based on their needs.

If you’re not sure which class is best for your family, contact GCSTC and we’ll help you choose.

It depends on the school, employer, position and applicable requirements.

Many schools and educational organizations require or strongly encourage CPR, AED and First Aid training for employees, coaches, childcare personnel and other staff.

The exact requirement can vary.

Before registering, teachers and school employees should check with their:

• School district
• Employer
• Athletic department
• Licensing authority
• Program administrator
• Regulatory organization

GCSTC can provide CPR, First Aid, Pediatric First Aid CPR AED and other safety training for schools and educational organizations.

Need to train an entire school or staff? Ask about mobile/onsite group training.

Yes.

One of GCSTC’s major services is mobile and onsite training.

Instead of sending your employees somewhere else, we can bring training directly to your:

• Business
• Office
• School
• Childcare center
• Healthcare facility
• Church
• Community organization
• Recreation facility
• Other appropriate location

Onsite training can reduce travel time and make scheduling easier for your organization.

GCSTC provides mobile training in the Wellsboro and Williamsport areas and can provide mobile training opportunities beyond the local area. (Grand Canyon Safety Training Center LLC⁠)

There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

GCSTC can work with organizations of different sizes.

Whether you have a small team that needs certification or a larger organization that needs multiple employees trained, we can discuss a training solution based on:

• Number of employees
• Course requirements
• Location
• Schedule
• Number of sessions needed
• Certification requirements

Contact GCSTC for group-training options and scheduling.

Yes.

GCSTC can discuss training solutions for organizations with multiple locations.

This may be particularly useful for organizations with:

• Multiple offices
• Multiple childcare centers
• Multiple school buildings
• Multiple business locations
• Healthcare facilities
• Regional operations
• Large employee groups

A coordinated training plan can help organizations keep employees current while minimizing operational disruption.

Yes.

Mobile CPR training is one of the ways GCSTC makes lifesaving education more accessible.

Our mobile training model can bring CPR, BLS, First Aid and other safety education directly to organizations.

This can be particularly valuable for employers who want to train multiple employees without requiring everyone to travel to a training center.

You provide the people and an appropriate training location. We bring the training.

GCSTC can work with organizations to discuss scheduling options outside traditional business hours.

We understand that taking an entire workforce away from normal operations isn’t always practical.

Depending on instructor availability and course requirements, organizations can discuss:

• Early-morning training
• Evening training
• Weekend training
• Multiple sessions
• Split groups
• Onsite training
• Mobile training

Contact GCSTC to discuss your scheduling needs.

Yes.

GCSTC provides CPR, BLS, First Aid and safety training for businesses and organizations.

Training can be arranged for:

• Offices
• Factories
• Manufacturing facilities
• Healthcare organizations
• Schools
• Childcare centers
• Churches
• Sports organizations
• Nonprofits
• Community organizations
• Other workplaces

Yes.

GCSTC offers mobile and onsite training options for organizations.

Mobile training can be particularly helpful for:

• Employee groups
• Large organizations
• Schools
• Childcare centers
• Healthcare facilities
• Businesses with multiple employees
• Organizations that want to minimize employee travel

Yes.

Grand Canyon Safety Training Center is an American Red Cross Licensed Training Provider.

ARC training options may include CPR, First Aid, AED and other courses based on current course availability and organizational requirements.

Both the American Heart Association and American Red Cross provide CPR and emergency-response education.

However, they are separate training organizations with their own:

• Course materials
• Course structures
• Training systems
• Completion cards
• Certification processes

The most important question is:

Which provider does your employer, school, licensing agency or organization accept?

If they specifically require AHA, take an AHA course.

If they specifically require American Red Cross, take an ARC course.

Not sure?

Ask GCSTC before registering.

American Red Cross CPR and First Aid certifications are widely used for workplace, community and professional training.

However, acceptance depends on the organization requiring your certification.

Always verify the required provider and course before registering.

GCSTC can provide American Red Cross training options based on current instructor, course and scheduling availability.

If your employer specifically requires American Red Cross BLS, tell us when contacting GCSTC so we can help identify the appropriate course.

There isn’t one answer for everyone.

Choose the provider required or accepted by the organization requesting your certification.

Choose AHA when:

Your employer or school requires AHA certification.

Choose American Red Cross when:

Your employer or organization specifically requests or accepts ARC certification.

Not sure?

Contact GCSTC before registering.

We would rather help you choose the correct course than have you take the wrong class.

An American Red Cross skills session is the hands-on portion of certain Red Cross blended-learning training programs.

Blended learning can combine:

Online learning + hands-on skills practice/evaluation

The online portion provides the educational content, while the skills session gives participants an opportunity to demonstrate required hands-on skills with an instructor.

Yes.

As an American Red Cross Licensed Training Provider, GCSTC can provide applicable Red Cross training and skills-session opportunities based on current course offerings and instructor availability.

If you’ve already completed the required Red Cross online training and need the corresponding hands-on skills session, contact GCSTC to determine whether we offer the appropriate skills session.

Stop the Bleed® is a national bleeding-control education program designed to teach people how to respond to life-threatening bleeding emergencies.

Severe bleeding can become fatal quickly.

Stop the Bleed training teaches participants practical techniques that can help control serious bleeding while emergency medical services are being activated.

A person experiencing severe bleeding can deteriorate rapidly.

In some emergencies, the person closest to the victim may be able to provide lifesaving assistance before professional responders arrive.

Stop the Bleed training teaches people how to:

• Recognize life-threatening bleeding
• Respond quickly
• Apply direct pressure
• Pack wounds when appropriate
• Use a tourniquet when appropriate
• Work as part of an emergency response
• Help until professional medical care arrives

The goal is simple:

Recognize it. Respond. Stop the Bleed.

Almost anyone can benefit from learning bleeding-control skills.

Training can be especially valuable for:

• Parents
• Teachers
• Coaches
• School employees
• Healthcare workers
• First responders
• Security personnel
• Businesses
• Construction workers
• Manufacturing employees
• Community organizations
• Churches
• Sports organizations
• Volunteers
• Students
• Community members

You don’t have to work in healthcare to learn how to help control severe bleeding.

No.

Stop the Bleed was created to give ordinary people the skills and confidence to help during life-threatening bleeding emergencies.

You don’t need to be a nurse, doctor, EMT or paramedic to learn bleeding-control skills.

Yes.

Grand Canyon Safety Training Center provides Stop the Bleed education and training. We are a Nationally Recognized Stop the Bleed Education Training Center.

Training can be offered to individuals, groups, organizations, schools, businesses and community programs.

Contact GCSTC to discuss available courses and group training.

Age-appropriate bleeding-control education can be valuable for young people.

GCSTC can discuss available Stop the Bleed programs and determine whether a particular class is appropriate for a child or teen.

Potentially, yes.

If you completed an eligible American Heart Association and American Red Cross online/blended course, you may need to complete the required hands-on skills component.

Before registering, provide GCSTC with:

• The exact course name
• Your online course completion information
• Your completion date
• Any information provided by your employer or organization

This helps us determine which skills session you need.

For blended-learning programs, yes, the required online portion generally needs to be completed before the hands-on skills session.

Bring or have available the appropriate completion information when you arrive for your skills session.

If you are unsure whether your online course qualifies, contact GCSTC before scheduling.

Skills session focuses on demonstrating the required hands-on skills associated with the course.

Depending on the course, participants may practice and demonstrate skills such as:

• CPR
• AED use
• Rescue breathing/ventilation
• Adult CPR
• Child CPR
• Infant CPR
• First Aid skills
• Choking response
• Other required hands-on skills

The exact skills depend on the course you completed.

The time required depends on the specific American Red Cross or American Heart Association course and the skills session format.

Some skills sessions are shorter than a complete instructor-led course because the participant has already completed the required online education.

GCSTC will provide the applicable session information when you register.

No.

A skills session is generally associated with a blended-learning pathway where the participant has already completed the online educational component.

An instructor-led class is a different training format.

If you only need the hands-on skills session, make sure you register for the correct session rather than an entire instructor-led course.

Yes, depending on the course and scheduling requirements.

Organizations can contact GCSTC about arranging American Red Cross or American Heart Association skills sessions for groups of employees, staff members, volunteers or other participants.

Group skills sessions can be useful for:

• Businesses
• Healthcare organizations
• Childcare centers
• Schools
• Community organizations
• Nonprofits
• Sports organizations

Yes.

The American Heart Association offers blended-learning pathways for certain courses.

For example, AHA HeartCode BLS combines online learning with a required hands-on skills session.

AHA and American Red Cross blended-learning programs are separate programs.

Make sure you complete the correct provider’s course and skills session.

Generally, no.

AHA and American Red Cross are separate training organizations with separate course systems and requirements.

If you completed an AHA online course, you generally need the appropriate AHA skills session.

If you completed an ARC online course, you need the appropriate ARC skills session.

Don’t mix providers unless the organization requiring your certification specifically confirms that it is acceptable.

Blended learning combines online education with an in-person, hands-on skills session. You complete the educational portion online before coming to Grand Canyon Safety Training Center (GCSTC), then meet with an instructor to practice and demonstrate the required skills.

Instructor-led, in-person training takes place entirely in the classroom. Your instructor teaches the course content, demonstrates the skills, answers questions, provides hands-on practice and completes the required skills evaluation.

Blended training may be a convenient option for busy professionals who prefer completing the educational portion on their own schedule.

Depending on the course, the process may include:

1. Complete the required online education.
2. Attend the scheduled GCSTC hands-on skills session.
3. Practice the required skills with an instructor.
4. Successfully demonstrate the required skills.
5. Receive your course completion credential when all requirements are met.

Important: Blended learning is not necessarily online-only. Courses requiring hands-on skills verification still require an appropriate in-person skills session.

With instructor-led training, you attend the entire course in person. Your instructor guides you through the educational material, demonstrations, hands-on practice and required evaluations.

This format can be especially helpful for:

• First-time CPR students
• Students who prefer face-to-face instruction
• People who learn best through hands-on practice
• Healthcare professionals
• Businesses and groups
• Anyone who wants direct access to an instructor throughout the course

Which format should I choose?

The best format depends on your learning style, schedule and certification requirements.

Choose blended learning if:
You prefer completing the educational portion online and then attending a shorter, hands-on skills session.

Choose instructor-led training if:
You prefer learning directly from an instructor in a classroom and having opportunities to ask questions and practice throughout the course.

Not sure which format you need? Contact GCSTC before registering. We can help you determine which course and training format best matches your employer, school, licensing or certification requirements.

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