San Francisco CPR prides itself on offering the highest quality training programs for CPR in San Francisco, California. All of the programs at San Francisco CPR are certification courses, where completion awards are given once the student finishes the program and passes the post-tests. Other providers cannot compare with San Francisco CPRs quality training and very affordable rates. There are two kinds of programs available to students: Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support. There are three BLS classes and two ALS classes. Not all of the programs have accompanying re-certification classes.
Basic Life Support training
Basic Life Support covers the very basic CPR skills such as chest compressions. The programs for BLS focus more on building these skills and teaching students how to recognize and react to an emergency cardiovascular situation. None of the BLS programs below have pre-requisites but the post-tests vary among the three.
- Basic CPR – This basic program includes first aid and defibrillator training. It is 4 hours long, and has an optional post-test (a skill test) at the end that certifies the student as a rescuer. Students are taught the proper way to give compressions and rescue breaths using the latest adult training mannequins. This is a program for the general public.
- Basic CPR (C) – Unlike the other basic CPR class, this is tailored for healthcare providers. It teaches the same basics but modifies the lessons for people who are in healthcare and are familiar with the terms and cardiovascular conditions. It is longer, 4.5 hours. A skills test and written exam are given at the end of the program to certify the student.
- Basic Life Support for HCPs – Another healthcare provider program, this is also 4.5 hours long. This program teaches both one-person and two-person rescue, unlike the basic CPR programs that just teach one-person rescue. It also teaches the Basic Life Support guidelines from the American Heart Association. This has an accompanying re-certification program that is 4 hours long.
Advanced Life Support
ALS classes are much more complicated than BLS ones, which makes them available only to healthcare providers and professionals. ALS is a concept that covers the management of cardiovascular disorders in a clinical setting, such as a hospital or clinic. Trainees are taught about the components of a “crash cart”, a movable set of drawers with equipment and medication needed for CPR.
Before applying for and ALS program, students are required to pass a pre-test consisting of a practical and written test. They are also required to have a valid Basic Life Support for HCPs training certificate.
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) – Completed over 2 days, with 16 hours in total, ACLS teaches CPR management for adult victims. Re-certification is available, 5 to 6 hours long.
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) – Also completed over 2 days, but only 14 class hours total. It teaches CPR management for pediatric victims. Re-certification is 6 to 8 hours long.
All of the certificate received from any of the programs are valid for 24 months. Before they expire, rescuers can renew them through a re-certification class. Only students with valid certificates can sign up for re-certification.