CPR Training Requirements

CPR isn't just limited to emergency workers. Instructional classes and training are offered to the public, as well.krankenschwester image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR, is defined by the American Heart Association as a combination of rescue breathing and chest compressions when a person is thought to be in cardiac arrest. It's a technique that can be performed in emergency situations by both emergency and public personnel. CPR classes and training are offered to the public in communities throughout the world to instruct people what to do in case of an emergency. Certification is not necessarily required to perform CPR.

Heartsaver First-Aid

Heartsaver First-Aid training teaches people how to recognize and treat emergencies in the first few minutes of the incident, to buy time until medical personnel arrives. According to "CPR for Everyone," this class is typically five hours of instruction and is intended for corporate employees, security guards, airline personnel and lifeguards. A course completion card is granted to individuals upon finishing the curriculum.

Often, a person will choke before he or she becomes unresponsive. Because of this, it can be important to recognize what to do in a choking situation so that CPR techniques may not have to be used in the situation. According to Washington University's "Learn CPR" program, people should be trained on the proper technique of the Heimlich Maneuver to dislodge any foreign object so that further complications are prevented.

The Family & Friends CPR is a self-directed personal kit offered by the American Heart Association to instruct people on the proper technique if a loved one were to experience cardiac arrest. The kit takes 22 minutes to learn and covers child and adult choking, an automated external defibrillator demonstration and infant CPR and choking. The kit features video-based instruction and credits participants with an American Heart Association participation card.