American Heart Association CPR Classes in San Mateo County

San Mateo County Cities

San Carlos

San Carlos is the town that borders Redwood City on the North side. This town is known as the city of good living and it is easy to reach our CPR classroom from 101 or Woodside Road. Since San Carlos is so close, we can also teach classes onsite if there are 14 or more students to train.

Menlo Park

Menlo Park rests just to the south of Redwood City. Previously, students looking to renew their CPR cards had to go to San Jose or San Francisco, but now it is much easier. It is easy find our Peninsula location by driving a few miles North on 101 and then taking the Woodside Road exit.

Palo Alto

This mid peninsula city is home to Ikea – my favorite Swedish store. Palo Alto is only 14 miles from our RWC CPR classroom. If you live or work in Palo Alto it may be easiest to head north to take a course. Of there is also an office in San Jose.

Redwood City

My favorite restaurant is located in Redwood City – Copenhagen Danish Restaurant. They serve typical Danish food and it is located just a few blocks away from our AHA classroom on Woodside Road. “Det smager godt”. We are a member of the Redwood City/San Mateo Chamber of Commerce and a member of the RWC Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating.

San Mateo

This town which lies South of San Francisco is the largest city in San Mateo county. Residents of this city who need their BLS or first-aid certification can drive either to San Francisco or Redwood City. I think it depends on traffic and time of day. The drive to Redwood City would be much shorter since it is about 8 miles and the drive to San Francisco is about 20 miles.

Burlingame

If you need a CPR or First-aid certification course in Burlingame, our RWC office is only 11 miles south on Route 101.

Which CPR Should I take?

It depends on your profession. It is important that you read through the description of the classes to make sure you are registering for the correct one. There are basically 3 different levels for CPR certification:

BLS for the Healthcare Providers

This course is for those in the medical field or healthcare field such as nurses, dentists (get continuing education credits), physician assistants, lifeguards, etc. Also even if you are not yet in the healthcare field such as a nursing student or a phlebotomy student, you must take this training.

Previously this class would be called BCLS, C-Level, or BLS. The official name is Basic Life Support for the Healthcare Provider, but now most people refer to this training as simply BLS.

BLS certification course here.

Heartsaver CPR/AED

Heartsaver CPR/AED is for everyone who is not in the medical field or who just wants to learn CPR such as parents, babysitters, social workers, fitness instructors, personal trainers, teachers, etc. The minimum age for taking these classes is ten years old. This is a great class for nannies, grandparents, or anyone who wants to learn the skills of saving someone’s life.

Pediatric CPR

The American Heart Association Pediatric CPR and First-aid course is for those who work in a child care center and need EMSA certification. EMSA certification is required for Title 22 as part of the Child Care code. By law, the CPR and First-aid class must be 8 hours long. It does not matter if it is your very first time taking this class or if you are renewing.

There are some companies that teach this course in less than 8 hours. However, that certification would not be valid. And when licensing comes out to your child care center for their inspection, your certification card would not be valid and you would have to take the class again. View our Trust page to view our EMSA Certification Diploma (0204-DC). You can also view the EMSA’s Childcare Website to view Safety Training Seminars is a license provider of EMSA courses.

About Online CPR Classes

Are online CPR classes valid?

Have you heard about taking a CPR class online – over the computer? If you are searching for a CPR class, you will see many offers for you to quickly and easily take a CPR or First-aid online. Are these courses valid? Would you receive a card? Here are a few reasons why you do not want to do this:

1. You would not learn how to perform CPR properly. I paid about $40 and then the website required me to answer 7 simple questions about CPR. I got 2 wrong but still passed. It took me 2 minutes and then I could print out a card. No practice with manikins, no instructor, no videos, and no reading. Also, the reason I got two wrong was because the guidelines were 8 years old and they had not updated their website.

2. The certification card is not valid. With online CPR classes, you can print out a card, but it is not accepted for any type of job in San Mateo County.

3. Giving out your credit card info. Do you really want one of these scam CPR companies having your credit card information? If they are so unscrupulous to give out CPR cards in 2 minutes, imagine what they would do with your personal information. Also, some of these companies charge your card every 2 years with auto payments.

4. Money back guarantee. These companies offer a 100% money back guarantee if your card is not accepted. They already know that their cards are not accepted for any type of job in San Mateo County. In order to get your money back, you must fill out lengthy forms and have your supervisor fill out these forms also. Then you have to mail back your card to them with tracking. Most people give up since they make it so difficult to get a refund.

So spread the word. Protect your coworkers and friends. If you know someone who mentions online CPR classes, tell them it is a scam. And do not get scammed yourself. Take an official American Heart Association CPR class in Redwood City to be safe.

Exception:

The American Heart Association offers wonderful Blended eLearning classes, which are not online CPR classes. The difference is that the AHA teaches this class in two parts: part on the computer where you review the skills, watch videos, and take a written test. Then, you must practice and take a skills test with an American Heart Association CPR instructor in Redwood City. We offer these classes frequently.

CPR & BLS Renewal Courses

This is one of our most frequently asked questions. I have a lot of students ask me if the course is shorter for renewing students. Actually it is not. There are no renewal classes for the Heartsaver or Pediatric Heartsaver CPR courses.