Instructor certifications are valid for two years. It is very easy to renew each two year period! In general, you must teach at least one course over the two year period, maintain a student level certification, and complete a free online instructor refresher course from the Red Cross. As long as you do those three things, you will renew for another two years.

Yes! Once you obtain your First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Certification, you can take a free BLS Instructor Bridge course online. In order to take the bridge, you must have a student level certification in BLS from the Red Cross. Once you complete the bridge, you will receive your BLS Instructor certification. Dedicated BLS Instructor courses are not offered very often due to low demand. If you have multiple staff needing to become BLS Instructors, reach out and we may be able to setup a dedicated course.

After becoming an instructor, you will need to have many supplies and pieces of equipment on hand in order to properly hold a course. This includes items such as manikins & lungs, AED trainers, first aid supplies, breathing barriers, gloves and wipes, and student handouts. Here is a resource from the Red Cross that outlines many of the supplies and equipment pieces you will need.

Keep in mind that in addition to the Red Cross Store, there are many other vendors available where supplies can be purchased from, including places like Ebay, Amazon, and Facebook Marketplace that have gently used equipment. Many medical suppliers have the necessary equipment and expendable supplies available.

Also, instructor manuals, training videos, and student workbooks are all provided in free digital formats from the Red Cross so hard copies are not required to be purchased. Red Cross provides a free interactive “course presentation” that has all of the material and video embedded for ease of teaching students. Reach out to us if you have any equipment questions or would like vendor recommendations.

Yes, there are three ways to become “affiliated” in order to issue certifications to your students. Below is an overview and here is a page with more details.

Authorized Provider (AP): The AP affiliation is for businesses, schools and organizations that need to train people internally (like your employees or volunteers).

Licensed Training Provider (LTP): For those that want to setup a business to train groups of people externally (you sell your services as an Instructor). You will generally need to setup an LLC and carry insurance. There are many other considerations of running a business (like rent, taxes, bank accounts, website building, marketing, etc.)

Affiliated-AP/LTP: While still an independent business or organization, you can affiliate with Ohio CPR Certs and we provide customer support, mentoring, discounted pricing on your certification cards, and handle the administrative aspect of issuing cards to your students. This is for those that want to just focus on teaching courses while also saving $2-3 per student on your certification cards.

Outside of the initial Instructor Development Course fee and supply/equipment purchases, you will also need to pay a fee to the Red Cross for each student you train. (Red Cross, American Heart and HSI all charge student fees for every certification you issue. Training others is not free). Depending on the course you teach (adult only vs. adult & pediatric, CPR only vs CPR & first aid), fees range from $22-$38 per student. If you affiliate with Ohio CPR Certs, we can provide card discounts for each student you teach.

Red Cross certification card fees are all inclusive - that means the online blended learning is included, along with all digital workbooks and materials. Your students do not need to purchase workbooks and they do not need to separately purchase online learning courses. Also, you pay no fees for digital Instructor materials (like the manual, videos, presentations). These fees you pay to Red Cross/American Heart/HSI offset the cost of curriculum development, the online Learning Center platform, and the Training Support Center (live phone and chat support). Red Cross fees are comparable to AHA and HSI fees.

Yes! Instructors can teach blended learning courses - most students prefer this method now a days. The online course is included for students so they don’t have to go online and pay a separate fee. Most students and organizations like Blended Learning courses because it will reduce the in-person training time in half. It also reduces the time you spend as an instructor with them. Blended Learning classes are more engaging because students come prepared with a lot of knowledge already!

Yes, as a Red Cross instructor, you will need to teach the Red Cross curriculum, as prescribed in the Instructor Manuals, Powerpoints, and training videos. You can’t substitute or alter courses with your own content or methods. Red Cross has a robust QA/QI department, so there are no cutting corners!

You can teach classes anywhere in the United States! There are no territories - you can teach anywhere you need to. If you setup an AP agreement, you are generally only teaching to your employees internally with your organization. If you are an LTP or affiliated-LTP, you can teach to anyone, anywhere!

Reach out to us and let us know! We can provide multi-student discounts if you need to train 3 or more students to attend our bimonthly classes. If you have 5 or more students, we can setup a dedicated Instructor Training course at your organization or at our training facility!