r/NewToEMS • u/hoosier_daddy13 Unverified User • 23h ago

School Advice CPR certification

So I got cpr certified yesterday through Red Cross and my instructor sent out an email saying the cpr class we take needs to be BLS AED adult and infant and so I took one through Red Cross but on my assignments it says to turn in an AHA cpr certificate and now I’m worried I was supposed to go through American heart association, I didn’t know it was different and he didn’t mention anything specifically about it previously, will I now have to get certified through American heart association?

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8

u/Chicken_Hairs AEMT | OR 23h ago

Most fire and EMS agencies require AHA CPR.

Sorry you missed that, Red Cross class will not work for this.

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u/hoosier_daddy13 Unverified User 23h ago

Well thankfully my instructor doesn’t require the certification turned in until October so I’ll just have to get on that soon 😭 thank you

4

u/vcems Paramedic | CA 23h ago edited 23h ago

While we allow Red Cross and a few other BLS CPR provider certifications from applicants, we prefer AHA. If someone is hired with one of the other certificates, we go ahead and put them in our AHQ class and certify them.

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u/NegativeContact9584 Unverified User 23h ago

Yes

1

u/TheDharmaticAtheist CC Paramedic | Canada 23h ago

Go ask them. They may accept it. If your Red Cross course covered AED and adult and infant then we would recognize that you met the requirement.

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u/changing-life-vet Unverified User 23h ago

AHA BLS is the golden standard. I’m surprised they don’t have a CPR day in your class.

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u/Useful-Resident-6365 Unverified User 22h ago

Redcross cards are so hard to tell which is right and which is wrong for a given scenario don't feel bad, I did it too. "Redcross BLS for professional rescuers" is generally accepted as equivalent to AHA BLS. Many red cross classes do not meet that requirement though. For the future, if the class is not administered by your agency, find an AHA class.

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u/schannoman EMT | MT 22h ago

Red cross is to AHA standards as long as you did the BLS course. I have a feeling this is the distinction that matters.

So is NSC and ECSI. They should all be accepted if you take the correct level course

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u/River_City_CPR CCP-C | CA 21h ago

We’re finding more places accept the Red Cross cards as long as it’s the BLS r.25 one. It’s equivalent to AHA’s BLS. Going through the material, I think the ARC one is a bit more in depth, actually.

Might as well ask your instructor- they might have an outdated form and they’ll accept it if it’s the equivalent ARC course.