Knowing vs doing … or … in person vs online
We’ve had a few conversations lately with course participants who have said “why can’t I just do this online, why do I need to come to a class”.
Tonight I read the following in a newsletter I receive from the 12 Week Year.
Sometimes people confuse knowing something with actually doing it. Occasionally in our training events, people tell us that they already “know this stuff.” The problem is that there is a big difference between knowing something and actually doing it.
~ Brian Moran
This is so accurate and while this quote was referring to something completely different, it is very applicable to learning a hands-on psychomotor skill. We’re building muscle memory in class. We’ve noticed that a decent percentage of students who claim they can learn BLS or CPR AED in an online-only class usually need the most support during a class to do the skills successfully.
Learning a physical skill by reading or watching a video online is not the same as practicing the skill.
Yes, you can know what to do… but can you physically do it?
Honestly, some folks can watch a video online and repeat the skills. The reality is that most cannot. But what online courses don’t necessarily provide is the ability to ask questions and receive personalized support. Yes, the website has a FAQ, and maybe a chat function. And yes, sometimes instructors don’t know the answer to every questions. But in most cases your BLS or CPR AED Instructor can answer your questions and give you practical real-life answers. That experienced answer, and the ability to practice chest compressions, learn how to assemble a pocket masks, learn how to use a face shield, practice with an AED trainer; are things you cannot receive from an online-only course.
In our classes you will not only learn what to do, you’ll also practice how to do it. So in the heat of the moment in an emergency you can act and possibly save a life. That’s what we’re training you to be able to do.
We’re sorry, we have to increase our course charges
This is not an easy post to write.
The last time we raised our base course charges was in 2020. Since then the programs we offer courses through have raised prices annually based on a schedule they send us. Other than raising the cost of course links or books to keep with those annual increases, we have not raised our base course charges since 2020.
However a few things have changed over the past 6 or so months, which have required us to look at our expenses and course charges.
Last fall the AHA changed their authorized distributors. We can officially only purchase AHA materials from one vendor – ShopCPR.heart.org. We had free shipping for orders over $100 from our previous vendor, we now have to pay for shipping. We did a comparison between official and unofficial vendors and while there is a difference on shipping charges between vendors – the days of free shipping are over. We now need to factor in the cost of shipping for all physical products in our course charges.
In January the American Red Cross raised their prices and in March the AHA increased the cost of Heartcode products.
Later this month we will have a price increase from our primary source of CPR manikin supplies, Laerdal. This is due the manufacture of a lot of these products outside of the US and with tariffs and shipping charges fluctuating, we’re not surprised that they are adding a mid-year price increase.
On July 1st the AHA will institute it’s annual price increase for non-Heartcode materials and for the first time in 8 years will be raising the cost of Heartsaver certification eCards.
While we looked at how we can crunch numbers, and looking back historically, we realized that our last price increase was in 2020 – 5 years ago. We think we’ve done pretty well at keeping our prices as lean as we can, but this year we’ll need to increase our course charges to keep up with supply costs.
As of July 1, 2025 all our course charges will increase $5.
If you need a course this summer (the schedule is currently posted through the end of August) please register by June 30th to pay the current course charge. If possible we’ll post the September schedule before the end of the month so potential course participants can register for an early fall class before the prices go up. This price increase will also be applied to any private/onsite classes.
We apologize for any inconvenience. But in order to purchase the required materials to provide you with a quality class and learning experience, we need to increase our course charges.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email us.
Can I break something doing CPR?
Short answer: Yes. But not actually a big concern.
If someone needs CPR, you really can’t make things worse for them, it’s better to do something than to do nothing. That person will have no chance of survival if you do nothing.
Longer answer: It’s possible to break a rib, it’s possible to break cartilage, it’s possible you don’t break anything. But the concern or fear of breaking something should not prevent us from starting CPR when needed. There have been several studies done looking at injuries caused while doing CPR, and most have concluded that the injuries were minor in comparison to the need to perform chest compressions to save someone’s life.
A few weeks ago we were teaching Hands Only CPR at an event and this question and concern were brought up quite a bit. A few folks had a story to share with their statement that they would not do CPR because they could break something. So we spent a lot of time dispelling stories and providing information. One of the things we explained is that not everything you view or hear online or in the news is accurate. What gets views are the extremes, not the mundane stories where everything works as it should.
Not so exciting but true fact: If someone is in cardiac arrest and no one does CPR that person will not survive.
A more interesting fact: With bystander CPR a person’s chance of survival is much higher.
A common question: Can I be sued for doing CPR or breaking something? No. As a bystander you are covered by the Good Samaritan Law. Every state in the U.S. has one. The wording for each state varies, but bystanders are covered if they act to help in an emergency, do not exceed their training, and are not expecting compensation in return.
We cover a lot of the facts in a CPR class.
It can take a village
Today I saw the reports on 2 emergencies that highlight the importance of knowing CPR and First Aid and being willing to help. Sometimes emergency services can be delayed or sometimes they can use the help of people on scene. These incidents highlight how helpful and important each of us is to help when needed.
Injured hiker on South Moat Trail. This is the official media release from New Hampshire Fish and Game.
I belong to several online hiking groups and saw a post from someone who was there and assisted from the start to the end of the rescue. I won’t share the entire post, but the part important to this post is this:
“Not having experienced something like this, we wanted to see it through until the end, so we assisted with the transport litter on the carry-out. It amazed me how right on spot they were with their projected timing, the coordination of officers and volunteers coming from all over, and the cooperation handling the load and hazards over boulders, through narrow tree gaps, and steep inclines.”
Lakes Region Search and Rescue, Fish and Game officers, and hikers in the area all helped to carry this injured hiker to the trailhead and safety. The initial actions by the hikers nearby helped to keep the injured person safe and stable. This was not 1 or 2 rescuers, this was a team comprised of trained responders and volunteers on the spot.
Medical Emergency with a surfer at Jenness Beach in Rye, NH. This is the news story from WMUR Channel 9.
What I learned today was that the surfing community started to bring the injured surfer in and alerted lifeguards who called for help and continued the rescue. Not only did the lifeguards do CPR, surfers and beachgoers assisted, helped bring equipment from the ambulance, and assisted the EMS crew on scene. The injured surfer was awake and talking when the ambulance began their transport.
What both these emergencies highlight is that anyone can help in an emergency. It can be making a shelter, assisting carrying a rescue litter, bringing equipment down on the beach or to where emergency responders need it, clearing the scene for movement of equipment or a patient, and helping emergency responders do their job more effectively.
Each of us has the ability to help in some way when someone needs it. We’re thankful for all the responders and volunteers that helped in these 2 examples. But we all know that there are emergencies that happen daily and hourly, and knowing what to do and being willing to help, even in a small way, is key in saving lives.
Winter weather and the class schedule
While the past few winters have been mild, it looks like we might get some snow in 2024! So here’s what our class schedule plan is for this winter.
This year we’re trying a new class schedule, classes are on a 2-week alternating schedule. On week 1 the weekday amd evening classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On week 2 the weekday and evening classes are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If we have to reschedule a class due to weather, it will automatically reschedule to the same day and time the following week. Course participants can choose to transfer to a different scheduled class if that fits their schedule better.
Private classes will be rescheduled to the same day/time 2 weeks later or to a new date as needed.
If we decided to delay the start of a class due to weather it will begin 90-minutes to 2-hours later.
How do we decide to reschedule or delay the start time of a class due to weather? If the schools in Portsmouth and Hampton cancel, we will reschedule the class. If the schools have a 2-hour delay, we will delay the start of the class by 1.5-2 hours – it will depend on the weather conditions. Our philosophy is that if the roads are not safe for school buses to be on them, it’s probably not a great idea for our instructors and course participants to be driving. We know some course participants drive quite a distance to get to our classes and we want you to be safe.
Here is our official weather policy: https://coastalcpr.com/rescheduling-classes-due-to-weather/
In Memory of Lt. Charles Gallant
Last Alarm 12/14/2023
This past week we said goodbye to a colleague and friend.
Lt. Charles Gallant was a member of Rye Fire Rescue and Rye Professional Firefighters Local 4411 for 20 years. In addition to his myriad duties at the fire station, Chuck was also an active community volunteer. He organized the annual Rye Holiday Parade, helped organized the Rye 400 celebrations, and volunteered with charitable events such as the MDA boot drive and the ADA Tour de Cure. Chuck organized and ran the Rye Firefighters Toy Drive for years, working tireless this past year to gain recognition for the Rye Toy Bank as a Charitable Organization with the State of New Hampshire.
Chuck was also a BLS Instructor. Often teaching class accepting only donations to the Rye Toy Drive as his payment. We never taught together, and our teaching styles were different, but his commitment to the community was his top focus. Chuck leaves behind shoes that will be difficult to fill.
If you had an upcoming class scheduled with Chuck, or need to schedule a class, please reach out to us at 603-601-6138. We will do our best to try to help cover your class. We will also be donating a portion of the course charges to the Rye Toy Bank in Chuck’s memory.
If you recently took a class with Chuck and have questions on your course or eCards please contact his Training Center, Exeter Hospital, at 603-580-6534 or email mnickerson@ehr.org.
Donations to the Rye Toy Bank can be dropped off at the Rye Fire Station, 555 Washington Road, Rye, NH 03870.
Safety First 2023
About a week ago a lot of people realized the importance of CPR and using an AED.
I haven’t posted about the Bengals/Bills football game and Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest. I’ve seen a lot online. Quite a few instructors are using it as an example as to why you should take a CPR AED class. I’m not one to take advantage of someone else’s emergency for my own gain so I haven’t posted until now. I’ve seen a lot of posts and comments that I have not replied to, because, well… I didn’t want to get dragged into a conversation that I didn’t have time to fully respond to. But here is some info I thought I’d share.
Do I think a lot of posts about taking a CPR AED class are a good idea? Yes! Of course I think taking a class is a great idea! Just make sure your class is hands-on and not just online. It can be with us or any other awesome instructor. Personally I think EVERYONE should know how to do CPR and use an AED. But I also know that not everyone can or is able to.
Which is more important… CPR or using an AED? Both! Both work together! It’s not CPR or an AED… it’s CPR AND an AED. The 2 work together. CPR – Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation does the work the heart isn’t able to do. It moves blood and oxygenated blood through the body keeping the brain and important body functions working. The AED – Automated External Defibrillator – delivers an electrical shock that stops the hearts electrical short circuit so that it can restart with the correct electrical rhythm. AED’s don’t start the heart – they stop it so that it can restart correctly. Providing CPR and using an AED together is important!
What caused Damar’s heart to stop? I’m a CPR instructor and a former EMT-I, not a cardiologist. I could make some educated guesses, but an official statement from his medical team would be a better answer than asking me or asking online.
What should people do next? It looks like a lot of folks have donated to Damar’s charity which is awesome! I would think that Damar would also support donations to organizations that support CPR AED training and Cardiac Arrest Support such as the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross or the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. You could also look at local youth programs in your community. Does your High School have an Athletic Trainer and CPR/AED trained coaches? Do your local schools or recreation fields have trained staff and access to an AED? Cardiac arrest can affect people of all ages, including healthy kids and young adults. In most communities they are working on their budgets for this current year. Does your city/town/municipality include CPR AED or First Aid training for teachers, recreation staff, coaches and other volunteers? If you’re not sure – ask! How can you help them to make sure their staff or volunteers are trained and have access to an AED?
How much does it cost to take a CPR AED class? It varies depending upon where you are, the certifying organization, and the equipment an instructor uses. Each organization that provides certification, such as the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Health and Safety Institute, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, National Safety Council, and more; all charge fees to instructors to provide their programs. Plus an instructor has out of pocket costs for course supplies such as first aid materials, CPR manikin parts, and more. I can’t give you a price for all courses, but you can check our prices on our class info page.
Why should you take a CPR AED class? Well, because Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death worldwide. Despite coming out of a global pandemic, we are all most likely to have heart disease than any other disease or illness. Heart disease does not discriminate based on age, gender, or race. Anyone can have heart disease or suffer a traumatic cardiac arrest. If someone in your family collapsed… would you want to know what to do? If someone collapsed in line next to you at the store… would you want to know what to do? If someone in your family collapsed somewhere… would you want someone nearby who knew what to do? If the answer to any of these questions is YES … then you should take a CPR AED class.
Where can I find a CPR AED class? You can click on my Class Schedule link. You can also go to CPR.heart.org and click on find a class or visit www.redcross.org/take-a-class and enter in a class type. You can also check with your local hospital, fire department, recreation department or search online for a local class.
I wish the best to Damar Hamlin and his recovery. I am sure I am not alone in wishing that this had never happened to him.
No one wants to hear that their family member has suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest. In almost every class I teach I emphasize to my course participants that early action – recognizing cardiac arrest, calling for help, starting CPR – is the best actions that we can all take. If the basics, such as CPR, aren’t started quickly – it won’t matter how well trained the paramedics are or how skilled the hospital staff may be. They won’t have a viable patient to work on if lay providers haven’t done basic CPR or used an AED. The basic steps of CPR are the beginnings of the chain of survival – all other advanced interventions cannot be successful if basic CPR hasn’t been performed quickly. Knowing how to do CPR and use an AED, or following the directions from 911 can make the difference for survival from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
What is one thing you can do to help prevent or treat Sudden Cardiac Arrest in your community?
We’re hiring!
Do you want to help save lives? Do you want to be part of the chain of survival and helping to train people to help others in an emergency? You can do so by teaching lifesaving skills!
We teach people how to save lives, and are looking for instructors to help us to do that! Are you a BLS or First Aid CPR AED Instructor looking to teach more? Are you looking to become an instructor to teach at our Training Center? Let’s see if we are the right fit for each other!
We are hiring Per Diem BLS, CPR AED, and First Aid Instructors to teach at our Hampton, NH Training Center and for our clients in the Greater Seacoast Area. This is a per diem part-time hourly non-benefits eligible position. We are currently hiring to fill 4 positions.
Instructors will teach 1-6 (or more) classes each month and are classified as part-time hourly employees. Class schedules are flexible, there will be a mix of daytime, evening, and some weekend classes. Ideal candidates will have a flexible schedule that will allow them to teach as much or as little as they want, however instructors must teach at least 1 class each month.
Interested applicants who are not currently certified as instructors are welcome to apply. We will provide training along with an employment contract. This contract will include training as well as required classes to teach for a minimum of a 3-month period. Please email us at jobs@coastalcpr.com with any questions you may have.
Interested applicants will need to fill out a job application form here: https://forms.gle/LLz5KWk2AXAymz7S8
Detailed job descriptions can be found here:
BLS Instructor job description
First Aid CPR AED job description
Starting pay for First Aid CPR AED Instructors is $20 per hour. Starting pay for BLS Instructors is $25 per hour. There is a 6-month probationary period and increases may be given after the probationary period ends.
All instructors are welcome to teach their own classes outside of the Training Center.
Coastal CPR & First Aid, LLC is an EEO employer registered with the State of New Hampshire.
We’re excited to meet you and have you join our team!
Website updates
Welcome to our new website! It’s still a work in progress, and long overdue.
Over the past weekend and into the upcoming week will be updating the website. Occasionally you might have trouble finding something, but at this point the class schedule and registration should be up and running.
We’ve switched registration platforms as well. This system integrates into our website differently and we’ve added new webpages to divide the course catalog so you are not overwhelmed with a page of icons or bullets for every single class we offer. We have separate pages for
- Healthcare Provider – BLS, ACLS, and PALS
- Lay Provider – CPR AED, First Aid, First Aid CPR AED, and Pediatric classes
- Other programs and workshops – Babysitting (new program coming this fall!), OSHA, Badge Programs, Customizable programs and workshops, and more!
In addition we set up a new email: Classes @ CoastalCPR.com for class inquiries and communication. And well, to cut down on the growing amount of spam mail we receive.
As you can see, our web designer Isla has been hard at work.
But if you can’t find what you’re looking for, or if links are working correctly please let us know by emailing or calling. Isla is working hard on it, but does take occasional cat naps.
New technology in the classroom
When I started teaching I used a flat panel TV with a built in DVD player. If I’ve traveled to your organization to teach a class you’ve probably seen it. I still use it as it’s quick to set up and play the course video.
But in the classroom I’ve been using a large flat panel computer with a DVD drive. This has worked super well for the past 3 or so years. But over the past few months the computer has displayed the blue screen of despair a few times in the middle of a course. I have the TV/DVD as a back up, but the screen was a little smaller and with everyone spaced out in the classroom I began looking for something new to play the class videos.
And then one of my favorite times of the year comes around… Amazon Prime Day!
Last year I totally took advantage of Amazon Prime Day to buy Alen, our air sanitizer. Alen has been keeping the classroom air clean and healthy for just over a year now.
This year it was go big or go home… and we took advantage of some stellar deals!
New to the classroom is an Amazon Fire TV for watching course videos and a Samsung Smart Monitor for viewing QCPR feedback from the manikins, and also to display any other course materials.
Many thanks to my family for coming over and helping to install these on the wall. I could not have done it all alone and your help was greatly appreciated!
We still need to adjust cables, set up the Fire Stick (not included but just arrived on the Amazon truck yesterday!), and clean up the wall a bit more. But 2 classes in and the larger screens and mirroring the iPad to the monitor made viewing everything so much easier. Currently we have 6 stations in the room, and the view from the back will be much better.
Come check out our new video set up! You can register for any upcoming course by clicking on the Class Schedule link on the top menu of this page.
Over the past few months I have been switching over to the new eCards from the American Heart Association. They’re digital, can be emailed directly to the class participant, and everyone receives their certification card a lot more quickly.
There are a few steps each recipient needs to take to claim their card though, so I’ll go through all the steps here.
It starts off with the roster. When you arrive for your class you need to print your name and email address clearly on the roster form. Also fill in your address and phone number. Your instructor might not need your mailing address, but a phone number is helpful. I know if I can’t read your email address I might need to call you to confirm it so I can send you your eCard.
After the course, your instructor needs to submit the roster to their AHA Training Center or Training Site to have the card issued. I issue my own cards on behalf of my Training Center, and I usually do them within a few days of successful course completion.
You’ll receive an email from ecards@heart.org with a link to your card. This link will take you to a Student Profile webpage, please make sure all your information is listed correctly on this page. If it is not contact your instructor right away to have it corrected. Updates can be made later, but it’s best to do them right away. You will create a login and password after viewing this information. This will give you access to log in to re-download or email your eCard at any time until the card expires.
After you create your login and accept the terms and conditions of the site you’ll receive a survey. It’s up to you if you want to fill it out or not, there are links to submit or skip the survey at the end.
After the survey your eCard will display. There are 2 versions; a certficate and a card. You can download, print or email your cards from this screen.
The card looks pretty much like your previous paper card, except it has a QR code on it. The certificate has the corresponding QR code and a certificate number. Your employer or anyone needing to verify if your card is valid or not can scan the QR code or verify your certificate number at https://ecards.heart.org/student/myecards. You can also visit this site and login to view or re-download your card whenever you want. It’s important to note, no one can verify your card if you have not claimed it. So you need to do all of the above steps.
And that’s how the new AHA eCards work!
A few important notes and hints:
- Your instructor cannot claim your card for you. Nor can they print it off for you. They can’t even view it online until you claim it.
- The card has to be sent to the course participant. It can’t be emailed to your employer.
- If you do not receive your eCard within a week or two, email your instructor. Some firewalls may block the eCard email or your email address may not have been clearly printed on the roster form. The eCard website does not notify the instructor if an email bounces or is blocked.
- If you do not have an email account, the AHA recommends creating a free account such as gmail, hotmail, outlook, or yahoo.
- If you do not have access to a printer, the AHA recommends printing at your local library.
- If you’re printing the eCard to put in your wallet, use thicker paper so it will hold up longer.
- Email a copy to yourself. Open and download on your phone so you’ll have a digital copy with you wherever you go.