Question 1

What is the Go-Kit?

Accepted Answer

A wheeled case that opens into a complete skills station: an adult manikin, an infant manikin, bag-valve masks, and a tablet running live compression-rate and depth feedback. We bring it to you, so the hands-on part of certification happens where your team already is.

Question 2

How much space do you need?

Accepted Answer

Clear floor or table space roughly the size of a standard conference table. The Go-Kit runs entirely off its own equipment, including the feedback tablet.

Question 3

Where can you set up?

Accepted Answer

We've run sessions in break rooms, conference rooms, unused exam rooms, site trailers, warehouse break areas, studio floors and restaurant dining rooms before service. If there's room to kneel beside a manikin, there's room for the kit.

Question 4

Do we have to stop work while you're there?

Accepted Answer

No. Skills checks are one-on-one, so people come to the station when they can step away and go straight back afterwards. There's no class the whole team has to sit through together.

Question 5

How many people can you certify in one visit?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your headcount and course mix. Because check-offs are individual and short, most groups move through far faster than a scheduled class allows. Tell us how many people and we'll size the visit.

Question 6

Can you come on second shift, nights or weekends?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Off-hours and split-shift sessions are routine, not an exception.

Question 7

Can you train at more than one of our locations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. License packs are redeemable at any CPRCL location, which is how multi-site employers usually buy.

Question 8

Which course does my team need?

Accepted Answer

Non-clinical staff in workplaces, schools, gyms and offices take Heartsaver CPR, AED & First Aid. Staff working with children take Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED. Clinical staff take BLS Provider, with ACLS and PALS on top for the roles that need them.

Question 9

What's the difference between BLS and Heartsaver?

Accepted Answer

BLS Provider is the provider-level course for people who deliver care as part of their job — nurses, CNAs, med techs, allied health. Heartsaver is written for everyone else: office staff, teachers, coaches, trainers, crews. Both end in an AHA eCard; they differ in depth and in who they're designed for.

Question 10

Is AED use included?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AED use is covered in Heartsaver CPR, AED & First Aid and in BLS Provider.

Question 11

Do you cover infant and child CPR?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The on-site kit includes a dedicated infant manikin, so infant compressions and infant choking relief are practised on equipment sized for it rather than on a scaled-down adult. Child and infant CPR are core to the pediatric course.

Question 12

Who needs ACLS or PALS?

Accepted Answer

ACLS is for staff who manage cardiac emergencies beyond basic life support — ED and ICU nurses, hospitalists, anesthesia, rapid response teams. PALS is the pediatric equivalent, for pediatric, ED and urgent care staff. Both sit on top of BLS rather than replacing it.

Question 13

Can one group take different courses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A clinic might need BLS for clinical staff and Heartsaver for reception and billing in the same visit. Tell us your role mix and we'll structure it.

Question 14

What is blended learning?

Accepted Answer

Two parts: official AHA-aligned coursework completed online at your own pace, then a required in-person hands-on skills session. Both must be finished to be certified.

Question 15

Is a blended course accepted the same as a classroom course?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Completing both parts produces the same nationally recognized AHA eCard as a fully classroom-based course.

Question 16

Can I get certified entirely online?

Accepted Answer

No — and this is worth knowing before you pay anyone. AHA certification requires a hands-on skills demonstration in person. A provider selling a "certification" with no in-person skills component is not issuing an AHA card, whatever the site says.

Question 17

How long does the online coursework take?

Accepted Answer

Roughly one to three hours depending on the course, done at your own pace — between shifts, at home, whenever suits.

Question 18

How long does the in-person part take?

Accepted Answer

Typically 15 to 25 minutes per person for BLS, and longer for ACLS and PALS. Because it's one-on-one, you're not waiting on a class.

Question 19

Does the tablet actually score the compressions?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The station gives live feedback on compression rate and depth while you work, so the skills check is measured rather than eyeballed.

Question 20

What is an AHA eCard?

Accepted Answer

The American Heart Association's digital course completion card. It replaced paper cards and is issued to you individually, with your name, the course level and the issue date.

Question 21

How do I claim my eCard?

Accepted Answer

Go to ecards.heart.org/student/myecards and search using your first name, last name and email, or an eCard code if you were given one. You can also follow the invitation email you receive, or text "eCard" to 51736 if your phone number was entered at the session. You'll set a security question, accept the terms and complete a short survey, and then the card is yours.

Question 22

How do I download or print it?

Accepted Answer

Return to the same page, enter your details, answer your security question, and download the card in either full or wallet size.

Question 23

How long is my certification valid?

Accepted Answer

Two years — specifically, through the end of the month in which the card was issued. So a card issued mid-March 2026 runs to 31 March 2028.

Question 24

How does my employer verify my card?

Accepted Answer

Employers use the Employer tab on the same eCards site and enter the eCard code. One important catch: you must claim your card first. Until you do, an employer looking it up will find nothing.

Question 25

How soon will I get my card?

Accepted Answer

The AHA requires Training Centers to issue course completion cards within 20 business days. We issue yours as soon as you pass your skills check, so you're not waiting on a whole class to be processed.

Question 26

I've lost my card. What now?

Accepted Answer

You can't really lose an eCard. Go back to ecards.heart.org/student/myecards, look it up with your name and email, answer your security question and download it again.

Question 27

Does the card belong to me or to my employer?

Accepted Answer

To you. It's issued in your name and stays valid until it expires, whether or not you're still with the employer who paid for it.

Question 28

What is a license pack?

Accepted Answer

A block of certifications bought up front and assigned to people as they come due, instead of booking named seats months ahead. It's how employers with turnover or staggered renewal dates usually buy.

Question 29

Can licenses be used at more than one location?

Accepted Answer

Yes — a pack is redeemable at any CPRCL location. One purchase covers a group spread across cities, not just buildings.

Question 30

What happens to licenses we don't use?

Accepted Answer

They stay in your pack and can be assigned later. Ask us about the specific terms for your pack size.

Question 31

Can we add licenses or locations later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. New sites draw from the existing pack, and you can top it up as headcount grows.

Question 32

How do we keep track of who's certified?

Accepted Answer

Every certification produces an individually issued AHA eCard with a name, course level and issue date, verifiable online. That gives you a per-person record rather than a class roster in a binder.

Question 33

Can a new hire be certified without waiting for our next session?

Accepted Answer

Yes. That's the main reason employers buy packs rather than seats — a license can be assigned in someone's first week and redeemed at a CPRCL location.

Question 34

Do our renewal dates all have to line up?

Accepted Answer

No, and they rarely do. Packs let you certify three people this month and nine next month without renegotiating anything.

Question 35

Does OSHA require CPR training?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your site. OSHA's general industry standard, 29 CFR 1910.151(b), requires that "in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace" a person be adequately trained to render first aid. The construction standard, 29 CFR 1926.50(c), uses parallel language for worksites where a medical facility isn't reasonably accessible. Whether yours qualifies turns on proximity and realistic emergency response times, so assess your own site rather than assuming.

Question 36

Do daycare and preschool staff need pediatric CPR?

Accepted Answer

In most cases yes. Federal child care rules under CCDF (45 CFR § 98.41) require pediatric first aid and CPR training for caregivers serving children who receive CCDF assistance, and the national standard Caring for Our Children 1.4.3.1 calls for current pediatric first aid training and pediatric CPR certification for all staff providing direct care. Your state licensing agency sets the exact requirement for your license type — check it there.

Question 37

Do teachers and coaches have to be certified?

Accepted Answer

It varies by state, district and role, and requirements are usually strictest for coaches, school nurses and athletic staff. Many districts certify more broadly than the minimum because AED coverage across buildings depends on it.

Question 38

Do gyms and studios need CPR/AED-trained staff on duty?

Accepted Answer

Many states require AEDs in health clubs, and several also require trained personnel present during operating hours. Requirements differ considerably by state and facility type, and insurers and franchise agreements often add their own on top. Confirm yours.

Question 39

Will this satisfy my professional certification renewal?

Accepted Answer

AHA CPR/AED cards are accepted by the major personal-training certification bodies and are the standard credential in most clinical roles. Each organization maintains its own list, so confirm the wording with yours.

Question 40

Do you help with documentation for audits and surveys?

Accepted Answer

Every person receives an individually issued, verifiable AHA eCard with a clear issue date and course level — which is the form surveyors, credentialing teams and risk managers ask for.

CPR certification questions, answered

The Go-Kit and on-site sessions

Choosing the right course

Blended learning and the skills check

Your AHA eCard

Buying for a team

What the rules actually require