Did you know CPR certification needs to be renewed?

Believe it or not, CPR certification needs to be renewed as it expires every two years. CPR recertification helps to refresh your memory and renew your skills prior to your certification expiring. The American Red Cross renewal and recertification classes take less time than the standard CPR classes and allows you to maintain your certification for an additional two years. Keeping your personnel up to date with the latest training techniques can be the difference between life and death when in an emergency situation.

The Renewal Process

When renewing your CPR certification, you can choose blended or traditional learning, depending on what your CPR certification requirements include. A blended recertification involves learning online then completing a hands-on training in-person. A traditional recertification involves finding an in-person class and completing the class and hands on-training, all in-person.

Why CPR Certification and Renewal is Important

Being CPR certified and staying up to date with your renewal is important because in just one year, 475,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest and 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital environment. Bystander CPR drastically improves a victims survival rate and if the bystander is CPR certified the survival rate increases even more. If CPR is performed immediately, it can double or triple the chance of survival.

Performing CPR is important because it keeps the blood flow active in the victim. CPR is critical in the six links of what the American Heart Association call the Chain of Survival:

1. Recognition of cardiac arrest and calling 9-1-1
2. Early CPR
3. Rapid defibrillation
4. Advanced resuscitation by EMS
5. Post cardiac-arrest care
6. Recovery

Renewing your certification every two years is essential but it is also important to take refresher courses each year. Additionally, the American Red Cross app helps to keep you up-to-date on your skills at the tap of a button. You can never have too much information when it comes to saving a life, so we encourage all individuals to become CPR certified and keep their certification active.