There are a handful of emergency care training brands to consider when choosing CPR, AED, First Aid and active shooter training programs. Training Centers must strike a balance between offering high-quality programs that promote learning and retention, and cost-effectiveness for both the Training Center and its customers. To address the varying needs of businesses and individuals, Training Centers can benefit from emergency care and active shooter response training programs that prioritize flexibility and support.

Case study: American Federation of Teachers

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and ICWU32 Training Centers provide a variety of training opportunities to its network of 1.72 million members, including:

• Pre-K through 12^th-grade teachers
• Paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel
• Higher education faculty and professional staff
• Federal, state, and local government employees
• Nurses and other healthcare professionals
• Early childhood educators
• Retiree members

AFT provides CPR, AED, First Aid, Basic Life Support (BLS) and active shooter training courses. This requires a streamlined approach to developing in-house instructors and maintaining high-quality training that’s spread across more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide.

How AFT uses HSI’s suite of programs

As an HSI approved Training Center, AFT instructors can adapt training to fit the unique needs of school, healthcare, and government employees — without sacrificing quality.

For example, AFT had a challenge specific to its internal program capabilities. Instead of being met with red tape or needing to adjust its standards, HSI was able to work toward a mutual solution that continued to focus on students receiving a high-quality training experience.

Bisson explains, “HSI was understanding of the situation instead of being rigid. We were able to come to an agreement that allowed students to have ample time to practice and become proficient. In the end, it really saved the program, and our students were able to benefit by leaving with those essential lifesaving skills.”

AFT’s experience with adding AVERT to its offerings

AFT now offers HSI’s active shooter training — AVERT —short for Active Violence Emergency Response Training. According to AFT, learning to minimize harm during an active violence incident is at the top of the list for its members. But AVERT has also given AFT members the knowledge and confidence to:

• Assess a threat
• Formulate a plan of action
• Find cover or concealment
• Evade an assailant
• Defend a room from an armed attacker
• Use advanced bleeding control techniques

AFT’s first AVERT training took place in the fall of 2022. Since then, AFT members have reported feeling empowered thanks to their AVERT training. Therefore, AFT is planning to continue to expand course availability.

That said, AFT’s health and safety team must juggle a lot of moving parts to provide this necessary training on a large scale. HSI has been able to offer support and flexible solutions along the way.

“HSI worked with us and gave us a really reasonable discount for our large order, allowing us to do more work with the money that we have available,” said Bisson. “Plus, they set up a system that allowed us to ship TAC+PACs directly to training locations as needed, rather than having them sit in our office taking up valuable space.”

What to look for when choosing an emergency care training provider

Here are a few key factors to consider when exploring emergency care training programs:

1. Is it a nationally recognized emergency care training provider? HSI’s emergency care training programs are currently accepted, approved or recognized as an industry credential meeting the requirements of thousands of U.S. state regulatory agencies, occupational licensing boards, national associations, commissions, and councils in hundreds of occupations and professions.
2. Will you be able to use your own expertise and training skills? HSI’s training programs are designed to be flexible, allowing Instructors to use their own expertise to adapt to the needs of each class.
3. What level of support is offered beyond the sale? You can access client services team members around the clock, giving you direct contact with HSI versus navigating multiple layers of communication.
4. What are the associated costs? What’s the process to become an Instructor, and how much does it cost? How much do student training materials and instructor supplies cost? What business tools will you need to invest in? HSI offers straight-forward pricing and an easy-to-use, cost-effective administration tool via its free online Otis portal.
5. Is there an opportunity to expand offerings? HSI offers a diverse portfolio of programs, including CPR, AED, First Aid, BLS, AVERT, Child & Babysitting Safety (CABS) and more. Plus, HSI is constantly developing and refining its programs and support tools, providing you with a one-stop-shop for all of your emergency care training needs.

Interested in what HSI has to offer? Check out our CPR programs or explore our case studies to see how other Training Centers are using HSI’s emergency care and active shooter training programs in action.