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First Aid, CPR, and AED training teach related but distinct emergency-care skills. Choose the course by the employee’s duties, required topics and age groups, accepted issuer, and practical-skills requirements. Arizona workplace and licensed-facility rules vary; BLS and pediatric First Aid may require a different course from Arrow’s HSI adult First Aid and adult/child/infant CPR/AED option.
Key takeaways
- Confirm the full course name, issuer, covered age groups, and acceptance requirements before enrollment.
- BLS is a distinct credential pathway, and AHA BLS does not include First Aid.
- Adult/child/infant CPR coverage does not establish pediatric First Aid coverage.
- Online learning alone is different from a completed course with the required hands-on component.
- Arizona employers should review applicable OSHA/ADOSH and facility rules rather than assume one universal certification requirement.
- Workplace AED ownership also involves Arizona oversight, maintenance, 911, and post-use reporting responsibilities.
When an employer asks for “CPR certification,” it helps to finish the sentence. CPR for which employees? For adults only, or also children and infants? Does the job require First Aid, AED skills, or a BLS provider card? Who has to accept the credential?
Those details determine the course. A warehouse employee, a childcare worker, and a nurse can all need emergency training without needing the same card. Buying a class from its headline alone can leave an employee with a credential that omits a required subject or uses the wrong training format.
For many workplace response roles, combined First Aid, CPR, and AED training is a useful starting point. Confirm the job’s actual requirements before enrolling. The employer’s safety assessment, facility licensing rules, client contract, and accepted course specification may each affect the answer.
CPR, First Aid, and AED training cover different skills
These subjects are often taught together because the same workplace responder may encounter several kinds of emergency. They should still appear clearly in the course description and on the credential you expect to receive.
| Training | Main focus | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| CPR | Recognizing cardiac arrest and practicing the resuscitation skills taught for the course’s age groups | Adult, child, and infant options; required practice; practical assessment; accepted credential |
| First Aid | Recognizing injuries and sudden illness, activating help, and providing the initial care covered by the curriculum | Adult or pediatric First Aid; subjects required for the role; workplace relevance |
| AED | Practicing safe use of an automated external defibrillator as part of emergency response | AED skills included in training; the device and age-group options relevant to your site |
| BLS | Basic Life Support training for healthcare and other designated professional response roles | Exact provider course required by the employer; separate First Aid requirements |
AED stands for automated external defibrillator. Its training belongs alongside CPR rather than being treated as a substitute. First Aid covers a broader range of injuries and illnesses. A combined course can address all three subjects, but the precise options still matter.
A short CPR awareness session can also have value. If a job requires a documented course with assessed skills, verify that the session actually produces that credential.
Choose a workplace course or BLS based on the role
BLS means Basic Life Support. It is often required in clinical or professional response roles. A workplace First Aid/CPR/AED course is generally designed for people who provide initial help while professional responders are on the way.
The American Heart Association’s BLS program offers its own provider course-completion card and training paths. Its course FAQ explicitly states that First Aid is not included in AHA BLS. An employee who needs BLS and First Aid may therefore need both requirements addressed.
Read the employer’s wording before registering. “BLS Provider” and “First Aid/CPR/AED” should not be treated as interchangeable entries in a training spreadsheet. If HR gives a shortened requirement, ask the department responsible for acceptance to confirm the full course name, issuer, and subjects.
| Role or setting | Selection question | Requirement owner |
|---|---|---|
| Office, retail, hospitality, or property staff assigned to initial response | Which First Aid, CPR, AED, and age-group skills fit the site and assigned duties? | Employer safety lead and applicable rules |
| Security personnel | What emergency-care duties and credentials do the employer, client, and post orders require? | Security agency and client management |
| Healthcare or professional response role | Is a named BLS provider course required, and is First Aid a separate requirement? | Employer, credentialing team, or licensing authority |
| Licensed childcare facility | Does the course satisfy the applicable adult and pediatric First Aid/CPR requirements? | Facility licensee and Arizona licensing rules |
| Assisted-living manager or caregiver | Does the training and documentation satisfy the facility’s adult First Aid and CPR requirements? | Facility manager and Arizona licensing rules |
| Construction crew or changing worksite | What trained-person coverage, documented training, supplies, and medical-access provisions apply? | Employer safety lead and applicable construction standards |
This table is a way to organize the decision. The building’s name alone does not determine every employee’s course. A receptionist and a clinician in the same medical facility may have different assigned roles.
Adult, child, and infant CPR does not mean pediatric First Aid
Check the age groups separately for each subject. A course can teach CPR/AED for adults, children, and infants while its First Aid component is adult First Aid. Seeing “infant” in the course title does not establish that pediatric First Aid is included.
Arrow’s current HSI First Aid, CPR, and AED offering makes this distinction: adult First Aid, with CPR/AED for adults, children, and infants. It is not a pediatric First Aid certification for childcare regulatory purposes. The current HSI program specification also states that limitation.
A childcare employer should confirm the complete required package before sending staff to a class. A school, camp, sports program, or property serving families should likewise identify the people staff may need to assist and the requirements for each job. Put that decision into the enrollment instructions so staff are not left to guess at checkout.
What Arizona employers should know about training requirements
There is no single CPR, First Aid, and AED rule that applies identically to every Arizona workplace. Start with the standards governing the operation and the duties assigned to staff.
The Arizona State Plan covers most private-sector workplaces and state and local government employers, with stated exceptions. Arizona’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or ADOSH, has adopted federal OSHA standards by reference. Check jurisdiction and any applicable Arizona standards when evaluating a specific site.
General industry and construction have different provisions
Under 29 CFR 1910.151, an employer must have adequately trained First Aid personnel when the specified medical facility is not in near proximity, and adequate First Aid supplies must be readily available. That provision does not establish a universal CPR-card requirement for every employee or a single staff-to-responder ratio.
Construction employers should review 29 CFR 1926.50. Its medical-access provision calls for an available person with a valid First Aid training certificate when the specified medical care is not reasonably accessible in time and distance. The standard also addresses supplies and emergency communication. A general office policy should not be copied onto a changing construction site without this review.
Assess actual access to care with the employer’s safety professional. A nearby clinic’s street address does not answer whether it treats workplace injuries, operates during the shift, or can be reached under the relevant conditions.
Licensed care settings need a closer check
Arizona’s licensed childcare facility rules, including R9-5-301(G) and R9-5-403(E), require coverage by staff with current adult and pediatric First Aid and CPR certification, with a CPR demonstration requirement. A qualified staff member must be present throughout operating hours, on field trips, and during the transportation arrangements specified by the rule. Follow the rules for the particular facility type.
For assisted living, R9-10-806(A)(10) requires managers and caregivers to provide current documentation of adult First Aid training and adult CPR training certification before providing services to residents. The facility should match its enrollment instructions and records to the rule’s actual wording.
These are reasons to verify the course before paying. A provider’s general statement that it offers CPR cannot resolve every licensing, employer, or facility-specific requirement.
An Arizona workplace AED needs an operating program
Buying an AED introduces responsibilities beyond sending employees to a class. For acquisitions subject to A.R.S. § 36-2262, Arizona requires an agreement with a physician to oversee public access to defibrillation, a written report to the Arizona Department of Health Services within five working days after use, and maintenance and testing according to manufacturer guidance. A trained user who uses the AED on a person in cardiac arrest must call 911 as soon as possible. Section 36-2264 specifies exemptions.
Assign ownership for the device, inspections, consumables, oversight arrangements, post-use reporting, and return to service. Staff should know its location and how to retrieve it during their actual working hours. A device inside a locked office may be available to the day shift and inaccessible to everyone else.
Arizona’s AED civil-liability statute provides limited protections subject to its terms, including exceptions for wilful misconduct or gross negligence. Avoid presenting a training card or an AED purchase as blanket immunity. Resolve the organization’s responsibilities with its medical oversight and appropriate Arizona advice.
Include medical-response contacts and coordination in the site’s broader plan. Arrow’s Emergency Action Plan and Evacuation Readiness Checklist helps organize that planning review.
Hands-on practice matters more than the word “online”
A classroom course combines instruction and skills work in one scheduled setting. A blended course places some learning online and completes the required practical component separately. The question to ask is how students practice and demonstrate the physical skills.
OSHA’s First Aid and CPR training interpretation says online instruction alone, without a hands-on component, does not meet the intent of the training standards it addresses. The American Red Cross also distinguishes its online-only courses from formats that allow practical demonstration for workplace certification needs.
Remote delivery can still involve real equipment and assessed performance. HSI describes Remote Skills Verification, and AHA has approved hands-on options within its course pathways. Confirm that the exact format meets both the issuer’s requirements and the organization’s acceptance rules.
Ask these questions before booking a blended or remote class:
- Which subjects are completed online, and which skills must be practiced?
- Where and when does the practical component occur?
- What equipment does each learner use?
- Who or what approved system evaluates performance?
- Does the quoted fee include every required component and the final credential?
- What happens if a learner needs more practice before meeting the standard?
An online completion record can show that a learner finished an online component. Check whether any skills session remains before recording the employee as fully credentialed.
Get the issuer and exact course accepted before enrollment
HSI, the American Heart Association, and the American Red Cross offer established emergency-care training programs. That does not make every course under each name interchangeable or automatically accepted for every role.
AHA’s current Heartsaver portfolio illustrates why the course path matters. It distinguishes its workplace-oriented Total path and specified regulatory courses from Heartsaver Basic, which does not generally meet workplace or regulatory requirements. A familiar logo alone cannot answer the acceptance question.
Send the proposed course description to the person who approves credentials. Ask them to confirm the issuer, exact course or path, age groups, First Aid coverage, delivery format, and proof required after completion. Save the response with the training request.
Be precise about “OSHA-approved.” AHA’s course FAQ explains that OSHA does not review or approve individual courses for compliance. A course may be designed to address relevant training needs; the employer must still determine whether it satisfies the applicable requirement and fits the job.
Also ask which curriculum edition will be delivered. HSI’s current First Aid/CPR/AED specification reflects 2025 guidance, while an older registration description may refer to previous materials. Confirm the actual class rather than assuming that every public listing has been updated.
Build coverage around shifts and locations
A list of six trained employees tells you little until you put it beside the schedule. If all six work weekdays in the same building, they may offer no planned coverage for the weekend crew or another property.
Map the employees assigned to initial response against working hours, work areas, breaks, absences, remote assignments, and travel. Where trained personnel are required, the plan needs to account for their availability under the applicable rule. Even where a broader training effort is voluntary, this exercise shows where more training or a different response arrangement would help.
Give staff a short site orientation after class. Identify the emergency number, exact address and entrance information, First Aid supplies, AED location when present, and the person who meets responding crews. Check those instructions after a move, construction change, or access-control change.
For security teams, put the approved emergency communication and assistance duties into site-specific post orders. Course completion does not settle who contacts management, guides responders through a controlled gate, protects emergency access, or documents the event afterward.
If designated duties create occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material, evaluate the employer’s responsibilities under 29 CFR 1910.1030. A general First Aid class does not by itself complete an exposure-control program, protective-equipment arrangements, or required site-specific training.
Track completion, expiration, and practice separately
Keep the issued credential or verification record, exact course name, covered age groups, completion date, expiration date, and issuer or training-center contact. Record remaining requirements accurately if an online component is finished but a practical session is still pending.
HSI’s current First Aid/CPR/AED specification gives a certification period of two years from the month of issue. AHA also issues two-year course-completion cards for the relevant programs. Use the actual card and any shorter employer or licensing requirement to schedule renewal.
Card validity and skill familiarity are separate matters. Between formal classes, arrange instructor-approved refresher practice and brief site drills that address communication, equipment access, and team roles. Keep the exercises within the training program and facility procedures.
A useful drill can reveal that staff know the AED location but not the cabinet-access process, or know to call 911 but cannot describe the correct entrance. Assign a responsible person to correct each problem and check the result. Avoid using a completed training roster as the only evidence that the response plan works.
Prepare a clear request for workplace training
Before contacting a provider, gather the details that affect the class:
- Job roles, assigned response duties, and the organization that accepts the credential
- Required issuer, course name, subjects, and age groups
- Applicable facility, licensing, or client requirements
- Number of learners, shift coverage, preferred dates, and location
- Current credentials and renewal deadlines
- Classroom, blended, or other accepted format and any equipment or accessibility needs
Arrow’s CPR, First Aid, and AED training page describes its HSI course and links to the current registration. Use that listing for dates, location, format, seats, and pricing. Call (602) 863-1022 to discuss the current option and whether it matches your requirement.
If the workplace is also planning broader emergency readiness, review Arrow’s emergency response training and the Arizona workplace bleeding-control guide. Ask about the specific skills and credential each course supplies so the overall plan addresses the intended roles.
Common course-selection questions
Is BLS the same as CPR, First Aid, and AED certification?
No. BLS is a distinct course for specified response roles. AHA BLS does not include First Aid. Check the complete employer requirement before substituting one course for another.
Will an online CPR certificate satisfy my employer?
Check whether it is an online learning record or a completed credential with the required hands-on component. Confirm the exact course and format with the employer before enrolling.
Does infant CPR mean the course includes pediatric First Aid?
No. CPR age groups and First Aid coverage are separate selections. Childcare applicants should verify the complete adult and pediatric requirements for their facility.
Must every Arizona employee hold a CPR card?
There is no universal requirement of that kind in the general-industry First Aid provision discussed here. Requirements depend on the operation, role, applicable standards, facility rules, and employer or client obligations.
Is an HSI credential accepted instead of AHA or Red Cross?
Ask the organization accepting the credential. Confirm the issuer, course option, topics, age groups, and delivery method. Do not assume acceptance from a general statement that a card is nationally recognized.
How long does certification last?
Common HSI and AHA programs discussed here have a two-year period, but verify the issued card and any additional renewal rules for the job. Schedule refresher practice separately.
Does taking the class complete our workplace AED responsibilities?
No. The organization must also address the applicable Arizona oversight, maintenance, emergency contact, and post-use reporting requirements, along with access and device management.
Which course does Arrow currently offer?
Arrow describes HSI adult First Aid with adult, child, and infant CPR/AED. It does not describe that course as BLS or childcare pediatric First Aid certification. Review the current listing and confirm acceptance before registration.
