AED Training
CPR buys time. A defibrillator allows the heart to try and regain its normal rhythm. The machine prompts you through it, but knowing what to expect could be the difference between a good and bad outcome.
Why AEDs Matter
Most sudden cardiac arrests begin as an electrical problem called ventricular fibrillation. The heart is not pumping. It is quivering. Chest compressions can keep blood moving, but they cannot correct the rhythm. Only a shock can do that.
Time is the whole story. Once a shockable rhythm starts, the odds of a successful defibrillation fall by close to 10% with every minute that passes, and after roughly ten minutes the chance of resuscitation approaches zero. In most communities, that window closes before an ambulance can reach the door.
When a shock is delivered within the first three to five minutes, survival to hospital discharge can exceed 50%, compared with about one in ten when defibrillation is delayed. The AED on the wall is often the highest-value piece of medical equipment in the building, and it only helps if somebody is trained to take it down and use it.
Time is the whole story. Once a shockable rhythm starts, the odds of a successful defibrillation fall by close to 10% with every minute that passes, and after roughly ten minutes the chance of resuscitation approaches zero. In most communities, that window closes before an ambulance can reach the door.
When a shock is delivered within the first three to five minutes, survival to hospital discharge can exceed 50%, compared with about one in ten when defibrillation is delayed. The AED on the wall is often the highest-value piece of medical equipment in the building, and it only helps if somebody is trained to take it down and use it.
What You'll Learn
• When an AED should be used, and when it should not
• Powering the unit on and placing pads on adults, children, and infants
• Following voice prompts calmly while other people are panicking
• Clearing the patient safely before a shock is delivered
• Coordinating shocks with chest compressions so pauses stay short
• Special situations: water, metal surfaces, chest hair, medication patches, and implanted devices
• Checking, maintaining, and storing an AED so it works on the day it is needed
You handle a training unit yourself, place the pads, and run the sequence start to finish. The machine gives the instructions. The training removes the hesitation.
• Powering the unit on and placing pads on adults, children, and infants
• Following voice prompts calmly while other people are panicking
• Clearing the patient safely before a shock is delivered
• Coordinating shocks with chest compressions so pauses stay short
• Special situations: water, metal surfaces, chest hair, medication patches, and implanted devices
• Checking, maintaining, and storing an AED so it works on the day it is needed
You handle a training unit yourself, place the pads, and run the sequence start to finish. The machine gives the instructions. The training removes the hesitation.
Who Should Take This Class
AED training belongs anywhere people gather: schools, gyms and fitness centers, churches, offices, manufacturing floors, restaurants, athletic programs, and community buildings.
Many states require AEDs in schools and health clubs, and some require trained staff alongside them. Even where the law is silent, a defibrillator that nobody feels confident using is a decoration rather than a safeguard. Check your own state's requirements, since they vary.
We teach AED alongside CPR because that is how the two are actually used: one person compressing, another retrieving the unit, and no pause longer than it takes to deliver the shock.
Many states require AEDs in schools and health clubs, and some require trained staff alongside them. Even where the law is silent, a defibrillator that nobody feels confident using is a decoration rather than a safeguard. Check your own state's requirements, since they vary.
We teach AED alongside CPR because that is how the two are actually used: one person compressing, another retrieving the unit, and no pause longer than it takes to deliver the shock.
Get AED Certified
Classes are taught in person and hands-on. CPR, AED, and First Aid work together in a real emergency, so we teach them the same way, as one response rather than three separate subjects.
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