Watch out for offers of free CPR training and certification programs that take place entirely online.
It’s Not Even Free CPR Training
Click on any of the ads for these schemes and you’ll see that they gradually change their tune to charging $40 or more for something that turns out to be bogus.
Fueled by the seeming growth in the number of natural disasters, civil unrest incidents, and geopolitical threats, these faux-training programs keep proliferating, preying on people who want to help others, whether for professional or civic reasons.
While watching online videos showing how to handle emergencies is certainly informative and better than nothing, you need actual hands-on training, in person, to be able to save lives competently.
Real First Aid
Real first aid training usually includes some form of skills testing and generally require students to earn certification cards — rather than just doling them out as soon as the payment goes through.
Apparently, many scam classes make unapproved or erroneous references to the American Heart Association, using phrases like “AHA approved,” “AHA compliant,” or “follows AHA guidelines.”
Skip the wannabes and go directly to the AHA to find the real deal, in a location near you. Or if you prefer, look for classes offered by local chapters of the American Red Cross, hospitals, and accredited educational institutions.
And About Those Certification Cards…
If you have any professional objectives for seeking CPR training, look for courses that offer certification cards — and find out how long it will take to receive them.
Before you pay tuition for any CPR class, read all of the provider’s literature about what’s included in the course, and don’t skip the fine print: that’s where you can find out about cancellation policies including whether they offer refunds or impose penalties for last minute changes in scheduling. You can always shop around for another provider with more flexible policies.
Readers, are you interested in first aid training?
Jackie Cohen is an award winning financial journalist turned turned financial advisor obsessed with climate change risk, data and business. Jackie holds a B.A. Degree from Macalester College and an M.A. in English from Claremont Graduate University.