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CPR Certification
Keep'em Pumping!




Your initial CPR certification will take about 4 hours to complete. It is usually better to complete the initial training in one session. Hopefully you will take this training before you start any training to become an EMT. Many agencies offer CPR certification. The two programs I am most familiar with is the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. The American Heart Association conducts ongoing research and publishes their results in medical journals. The other associations uses this research in developing their guidelines.

You should determine which association your employer or organization accepts for CPR certification. Both the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross recognize each others certifications and being equivalent. Click here for a link to the most current Statement of Understanding between the AHA and the ARC (warning link opens a new window). I recommend the American Heart Association's certification program. I am, of course, biased since I am also an AHA CPR Instructor. As an AHA instructor I recognize the following equivalent courses between the ARC and AHA:

Audience AHA ARC
Lay Rescuers Heartsaver CPR: Adult CPR-Adult
Lay Rescuers Heartsaver CPR: Pediatric CPR-Child and Infant
Lay Rescuers Heartsaver AED (includes Adult CPR Certification) CPR/AED-Adult and Child
Lay Rescuers Heart Saver CPR: Adult and Pediatric CPR-Adult, Infant and Child
Lay Rescuers Heartsaver First Aid First Aid or Standard First Aid
Healthcare professionals and rescuers BLS for HCP CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer

If you have taken a CPR course before but not the basic life support course for healthcare professionals then you may want to take the CPR Recertification Program
The American Heart Association has begun to make certification easier. The have now developed a process where you can take the lecture part of the certification on-line. They charge a nominal fee of $17.50 (US). When completed you get to print out a certificate which you can then bring to a CPR instructor to evaluate your skills. So instead of having to commit 3 to 4 hours for recertification, you can spend your time wisely and then only have to commit to about 1 hour for testing. There are some great advantages to taking the American Heart Association on-line recertification:

  • It's on-line (duh). You can do the course where ever you want
  • You have 12 months from the time you start the on-line course to finish it - no more excuses about not having time
  • You have 6 months from the time you finish the on-line course to get skills evaluated
    • You can sign-in to the American Heart Associations on-line learning page here (warning! Link opens a new window)
    When done with the course you need to find a instructor to evaluate your skills. I offer such a service. Use the "Contact Us" form below to inquire about Skills Evaluation in northern New Jersey. Of course the AHA site also has information about training centers.

    I do offer traditional Certification courses using a classroom environment. Some students prefer this method of teaching. I teach all the AHA courses listed above. Contact me using the form below to schedule training.

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