Why Should Churches Consider CPR Training for Staff Members and Volunteers?

by | Feb 16, 2023

CPR is a lifesaving skill to have and with many people coming in and out of the doors of your church, knowing how to care for them physically, in addition to spiritually, is very important. And if your church has an AED on site, you must have hands-on training with CPR and an AED with at least the “expected users” on your staff. Many churches will also open classes up to volunteers, members, or the public.

What Is an Expected User?

An expected user is those that work around the AED or with the people you would expect to need it most, which is generally the very young and old. Many facilities and churches that have an AED will elect to have all staff trained, but at a minimum, you must have key people you expect to need to use the AED if the situation were to arise. Often churches will choose to have those working with children and youth to get CPR and First Aid training if they choose to not have the entire staff trained.

Why is CPR and First Aid Training Important?

Over 350,000 people go into cardiac arrest every year outside of the hospital in the United States, so it is always possible one of those instances could happen in your congregation. Being prepared can mean the difference in life and death. In addition to CPR training, First Aid training will help staff be prepared for the day to day First Aid situations and the more life-threatening ones.

In our CPR, First Aid, and AED course, you will learn about everything about topics like how to stop bleeding, help someone through a seizure, help someone who is choking, perform CPR, use an AED, and much more. All very important skills to have.

CPR Training as Community Outreach

There are many individuals that must have CPR training for their job or for a volunteer area, like a foster care parent. To accommodate these needs and spread knowledge of life-saving techniques, some churches will open their doors to host training classes for the community or congregation members. This can also be a chance to start conversations with those near your church about faith.

How to Get CPR, First Aid, and AED Training for a Church

We offer a few options for churches across Georgia and South Carolina depending on your needs. If you have an AED on site, you must have CPR, First Aid, and AED training. If you don’t have an AED, our basic CPR and First Aid is a great fit. This class will help you be more prepared in case of an emergency and is a great way to increase safety and preparedness. We have worked with many churches over the years and know how to cater to your church’s needs. Also, many of our instructors attend and volunteer at church, which helps them better serve you.

Learn more about our safety training courses for churches here.

What Are the Training Requirements for a Church Preschool or After-School Program? 

If your church has a preschool or after-school program, then those staff members fall under the expectation of a childcare facility and must have both CPR/First Aid and Fire Safety Training. If you have an AED, then all expected users must have AED training in addition to CPR and First Aid.

What About Fire Safety Certification?

Fire Safety training is not required for church staff unless you have a church preschool, which again falls under the requirements of a childcare facility. Although not required, we also offer Fire Safety training online and in person. Which is a great way to be prepared in the event of a fire. You may even consider just having your team leads trained.

In this course, you will learn about fire prevention, how to evacuate if a fire does happen, how to teach about fire safety to kids and families, home fire safety and more.

About First Response

First Response provides CPR, First Aid, and Fire Safety training to clients across Georgia and South Carolina for over 23 years. We believe training should be relevant, informative, and fun! Feedback from our clients consistently shows that they not only enjoy our classes, they learn something new–even for folks that have taken the class many times before.

Contact us to book a class for your facility, or sign up for a class here.

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