Getting leaders CPR trained and certifies

[Scoutfish]

How do you guys get CPR training set up? Who do you call or contact?

 

I went to the American Red Cross site, which directed me to our local Red Cross chapter site which gave me an e-mail address..which was bad. I got a daimen mailer type responce in my e-mail.

 

On the National site, the best you can do is type in parameters of when you might like to take the classes, and then they list classes available in that time.

 

I listed Apr 12, 2011 til Aug 31, 2011 . I typed in my Hampstead, NC zipcode and all I goty was 5 results from Indianna or Iowa. Ia?

 

The numbers are not correct and the e-mail is not good.

 

So, should I be going through somebody else?

 

United Way or who? I asked our DE, but he has no clue as all classes of these type are done on the unit level and outside of district or council.

 

 

THanks for any info!

 

 

[JMHawkins]

Try the American Heart Association (google "American Heart Association CPR *your city here*"). If that doesn't turn up anything, maybe contact your local fire department or EMS and see if they know of any public CPR classes. A local business alliance group might also, since many businesses like to have get CPR training for their employees.

[The Blancmange]

Our local fire dept. has someone who is an AHA instructor. He ran a course specifially for our troop.

[Eagle007]

Scoutfish,

 

I'm an AHA Instructor but on any public listing. What I would suggest is to call your local hospital and ask for their education department. They should be able to put you in touch with their CPR instructor or the area AHA Training Site Coordinator.

 

FYI, the new guidelines for CPR started being taught as of April 1st. Any instructor who didn't update their certification and get the new teaching materials won't be able to teach any new classes until they do so.

[EagleBeaver]

There is an address, phone number, and staff email directory at http://capefearredcross.org/ContactUs.aspx which appears to be your local ARC chapter.

 

Entering 28443 at http://www.redcross.org/takeaclass lists training available in Wilmington, NC.

[Eagle92]

I ditto Eagle 007, esp since I work at a hospital and teach AHA CPR classes. Be advised that the new class does take longer to do, but it is worth it.

 

Try and find out who is certified to teach within your district. I know that in my district we have 3 folks who are certified (2 ARC and me) and the ARC folks can also teach W&RFA.

[Scoutfish]

Mn,

Thanks, but those links are the ones I tried. The staff directory has e mails associated with each person, but the kick back.

 

The "take a class " link is all but useless> It asks you to type in a date range of when you want to take a class, then they will see if they have one available. Even typing in my North Carolina zip code only gave 5 results - all from Ia ( is that Iowa or Indianna)

 

WEll, I googled CPR and found a company -

 

http://www.firsthandscpr.com

 

- that will meet at our location and time , and they bring a maniquinn for each participant so that nobody is waiting their turn.

 

2 year certification in CPR/AED ...not that I'm really concerned with using an AED. They will give us a discont and charge only $23.00 per person instead of the uual $35.00 per person because we are a scout pack.

 

But as for the American Red Cross...I'm not so sure they could make it any harder if they tried to.

[Oak Tree]

The phone number listed at http://capefearredcross.org/ContactUs.aspx works. You can always try the old-fashioned way and talk to a real person :-)

[Oak Tree]

Ok, looking back on your first post, you say "The numbers are not correct" - but when I call the phone number, I get the answering machine for the American Red Cross.

[Scoutfish]

Well, I won't deny that I could have dialed the wrong number. But the e mail addresses I copied and pasted and trhey kicked back.

 

And trust me, I prefer live "old fashioned " people over automated systems anyday!

[Oak Tree]

I just tried the same web search you did (more or less, I guess), and I got six courses in Wilmington, NC and nine courses in Burlington, IA (Iowa). I searched on all CPR/AED classes.

 

It's hard to explain any database that will return Iowa and North Carolina on a 25 mile radius of a zip code search. Have you received a new zip code at any point? Our zip code got updated a few years back and it took a long time before all the web sites could be relied upon to do the search correctly.

[Scoutfish]

Same zip code since the pony express as far as I know.

 

Funny thing: I get the Burlington, Ia classes shown to me, but nothing else. No NC classes at all!

 

I'll call them tomorrow and see what they can tell me. Had one of our leaders tell me after I sent an e mail that the $23.00 rate was a steal compared to what it cost his Marine Sciences Dept at University of North Carolina - Wilmington.

[rdclements]

Fish:

 

1. The advice regarding the AHA option is good. If you can get hooked up with an AHA instructor, they can usually operate with more flexibility than the Red Cross courses.

 

2. Make sure that your group gets AED as well as CPR training. Help your charter org get your meeting location equipped with an AED.

 

3. Check out this link about the BSA ARC relationship. If your council is not working with your ARC chapter, maybe you're just the guy they need to get something moving.

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/OutdoorProgram/ConservationAndService/amredcross.aspx

 

-R

[Oak Tree]

I clicked on the map for the Burlington, Iowa classes. It gives me a point on the map of Wilmington, NC. It's a slightly different spot in downtown Wilmington from where the Wilmington classes are held. It appears to be at 218 N. Third St, which is the address for the Des Moines Red Cross chapter in Burlington. Looks like it's just a bad location for the Des Moines chapter. Imagine if you were from there and trying to find a class. You'd never think to search in Wilmington, NC.

[Eamonn]

Where I live CPR courses are offered by the local hospital. They list the when and where on their web sites.

The local community college, they send out a newspaper a few times a year and again they list courses on their web sites.

Because it's cheap! At work we use ASHI (American Safety & Health Institute)All of our contact employees have to be certified. I instruct the course and most times the guys have their cards by the end of their shift.

While ASHI is not as well recognized as some of the others, one of the guys who instructed me to become an instructor said that the council he was in had become an ASHI Training Center. I looked into this and it really isn't that expensive. In fact some Councils could offer courses to non- scout organizations and make a lot of money for the council.

I feel sure if you ask around that there are people in the area/Council where you live who can guide you to where you need to be.

Eamonn.