Frequently Asked Questions

You will get your e-card certification the same day via email, and it will be valid for two years. Claim or get a copy of your eCard here: ecards.heart.org/student/myecards.

Yes, all our courses are nationally recognized and accredited by either the American Heart Association (AHA) or the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI). American Heart Association BLS (Basic Life Support) Provider CPR certification is the accepted standard in the healthcare industry for CPR certification.

CPR & First Aid certification from Texas Heart CPR Training is accepted by all employers and organizations, including:

1. Healthcare professionals: doctors, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), respiratory therapists, and other healthcare providers who require certification for their roles.
2. First responders: police officers, firefighters, and other emergency responders who may encounter situations requiring life-saving interventions.
3. Healthcare students: students enrolled in medical, nursing, or allied health programs who need certification as part of their curriculum or to enhance their skills and qualifications.
4. Workplace safety teams: employees in workplaces where CPR and advanced life support skills are necessary, such as hospitals, clinics, dental offices, schools, fitness centers, and industrial settings.
5. Individuals seeking personal development: people who want to learn life-saving skills for personal or professional development, such as parents, caregivers, coaches, and volunteers in community organizations.
6. Healthcare educators: instructors and trainers who teach BLS and ACLS courses or oversee healthcare training programs.

Of course! In fact, that is our specialty! We will travel to your workplace or school for a minimum of 9 students. Our classes teach you the confidence and skills you will need to save a life in a real emergency situation. Sometimes you might need a class on SHORT NOTICE for work — we can help you with this. To book a class at your workplace, school, church, etc., please call us or send us an email with the date, time, and location.

Healthcare providers are required to take the American Heart Association BLS certification class. Professions that require AHA BLS certification include nurses (RN), nursing students, doctors, medical assistants, hospital technicians, dental assistants, EMTs, physical and occupational therapists, firefighters, paramedics, dentists, respiratory therapists, and more. But you don't have to be a medical professional to get BLS certification. Our AHA BLS certification and recertification class is our most popular class.

Most other people should take the First Aid with CPR/AED OSHA-compliance certification from ASHI. Professions that require this type of certification include teachers, camp counselors, personal trainers, babysitters, nursing home employees, nannies, construction workers, warehouse workers, daycare workers, and a lot more.

This depends on your facility. Our medical training school programs are based on the most current emergency cardiovascular care (ECC) guidelines as published by the AHA. Tens of thousands of healthcare professionals have successfully earned and maintained their emergency life support certifications with our courses, and we work closely with healthcare facilities to educate them on the quality of our training and get our card accepted for you. However, we always recommend that you check with your employer before attending class to avoid any acceptance issues.

There are two ways to take an American Heart Association CPR/BLS class for healthcare providers. You can take the entire AHA BLS class in our classroom — it's just over 3 hours, and the cost is $60. The other approach is to do most of the BLS course online, then come to our classroom for a "BLS skills test" only — the hands-on portion of the course, practicing with the CPR manikins and AED trainers. You pay $37 to the American Heart Association for the online portion of the course and pay us $40 in the classroom. We award you your AHA BLS certification. Both approaches result in the same American Heart Association BLS certification, valid for 2 years.

The AHA does not mandate a minimum age requirement for learning CPR. The ability to perform CPR is based more on body strength than age. Studies have shown that children as young as 9 years old can learn and retain CPR skills. Anyone can take Basic Life Support (BLS) classes and earn certification, regardless of their career or background. BLS is a more comprehensive certification than CPR that includes CPR and other life-saving techniques for cardiac arrest, respiratory distress, and obstructed airways.

It is also important to know whether AED certification is included or not. AED is short for Automated External Defibrillator, which is a mobile defibrillator made for public use. Most CPR classes should include AED training. However, not all places teach how to operate the AED. Here at Texas Heart CPR Training, all our CPR certification classes include AED hands-on training.

The AHA's BLS course provides the foundation for saving lives after cardiac arrest. Reflecting science and education in the 2015 AHA Guidelines Update for CPR and ECC, this course teaches basic life support skills for application in both in-facility and pre-hospital settings, with a focus on high-quality CPR, improvement of chest compression fraction, and high-performing team dynamics. Our AHA BLS certification class is our most popular class.

This course is designed by the AHA to meet OSHA requirements and covers first aid basics and CPR and AED skills for adults, children, and infants.

The OSHA- and USCG-compliant ASHI First Aid, AED, and CPR certification course option is an excellent choice for both the community and the workplace. The intended audience includes adult residential care personnel, teachers, parents, babysitters, and emergency response teams in business and industry. A written evaluation is optional (except when required by an organization), but students must perform the required skills competently without assistance.

First responders or professional rescuers — generally fire, police, and emergency medical personnel — usually need to complete an AHA Basic Life Support (BLS) course. Our AHA BLS certification and recertification class is our most popular class.

No, BLS is not included in the AHA's ACLS courses. However, you can add a BLS class as a bundle while booking the ACLS or PALS class.

The Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course is designed for advanced healthcare providers who either direct or participate in the management of cardiopulmonary arrest or other cardiovascular emergencies, and for personnel in emergency response. You will need a current BLS card, as well as the ability to read basic EKG rhythms and know some pharmacology. You will ideally have some clinical experience, or have just completed or be about to complete nursing school, paramedic school, etc. You will need to achieve a score of 80% or higher to pass the exam. If you don't pass on your first attempt, you can retake the exam as needed.

Texas Heart CPR Training is an authorized training site for the American Heart Association. We have three physical locations in the DFW area: Plano, Dallas and Fort Worth. But if you have a group of nine BLS/First Aid students or five ACLS students, we can come to your location anywhere in the DFW area. We would be pleased to send a licensed and certified CPR trainer to your chosen location — a hospital, clinic, school, commercial business, or church.

CARDIAC ARREST occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly.

Cardiac arrest is an "ELECTRICAL" problem. Cardiac arrest is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs, and other organs.

Seconds later, a person becomes unresponsive, is not breathing, or is only gasping. Death occurs within minutes if the victim does not receive treatment.

Cardiac arrest can be reversible in some victims if it's treated within a few minutes.

• First, call 9-1-1 and start CPR right away.
• Then, if an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is available, use it as soon as possible.
• If two people are available to help, one should begin CPR immediately while the other calls 9-1-1 and finds an AED.

Most heart attacks do not lead to cardiac arrest. But when cardiac arrest occurs, a heart attack is a common cause. Other conditions may also disrupt the heart's rhythm and lead to cardiac arrest.

A HEART ATTACK occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked.

A heart attack is a "CIRCULATION" problem. A blocked artery prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart. If the blocked artery is not reopened quickly, the part of the heart normally nourished by that artery begins to die.

Symptoms of a heart attack may be immediate and may include intense discomfort in the chest or other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, cold sweats, and/or nausea/vomiting. More often, though, symptoms start slowly and persist for hours, days, or weeks before a heart attack. Unlike with cardiac arrest, the heart usually does not stop beating during a heart attack. The longer the person goes without treatment, the greater the damage.

The heart attack symptoms in women can be different than in men (shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain).

Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number. Every minute matters! It's best to call EMS to get to the emergency room right away.

Of course — that is our specialty! We travel to your workplace or school for a minimum of 9 students. Need a class on short notice for work? We can help. To book a class at your location, call us or send the date, time, and location by email.

There are two ways to earn AHA BLS certification. Take the entire class in our classroom — just over 3 hours, $60. Or complete most of the course online (HeartCode BLS, $37 paid to the AHA), then come in for a $40 hands-on skills test with the manikins and AED trainers. Both approaches result in the same American Heart Association BLS certification, valid for two years.