American Red Cross safety certifications
The Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness offers these American Red Cross safety certifications:
- Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED/First Aid for the Layperson
- Lifeguard Certification and Recertification
- Water Safety Instructor (WSI)
The CPR/AED/First Aid certification offered by Campus Recreation and Wellness is meant for bystanders and laypersons. It is not for healthcare providers. If you need a course for BLS/Healthcare Provider or Advanced Life Support, please contact either the university's Department of EMS Education/Center for Emergency Response Training or Simulation Program. The certification offered by Campus Recreation and Wellness might not meet the requirements for students who are applying to departments in the College of Allied Health or College of Medicine.
This course has two parts: an online portion that must be done in advance followed by an in-person skills sessions. The online portion will take 2-4 hours. The in-person skills session is approximately 2 hours.
Select the date for your in-person skill session. Skill sessions take place in the USA Student Recreation Center's classroom at 51 Jaguar Blvd. Please make sure you wear comfortable clothing because you will be on the floor practicing the skills you have learned in the online portion.
Refund policy
- A full refund will be granted if requested by one week (7 days) before the skills session.
- A 50% refund will be granted between 48 hours and 7 days before the skills session.
- No refunds are granted less than 48 hours before the skills session.
- Participants must be on time; no late arrivals will be permitted. The Red Cross does not allow participants to join once the review has started.
- Participants should fill out our refund form to request a refund and cancellation.
Price
- $75/person for general public.
- $55/person for USA students and current SRC members.
- $20/person for USA employees. The $20 will be refunded to the individual if s/he completes the course, and the Department of Safety and Environmental Compliance will cover the full cost of the certification.
- If a USA department or office wishes to schedule a course for their employees, an expense transfer of $200 (10 spots x $20/person) must be submitted to Campus Recreation and Wellness at least two weeks before the requested date. The remaining course fee will be covered by Safety and Environmental Compliance upon employees' completion of the course.
Upcoming skill session dates: Login to the Campus Recreation Portal below to see all upcoming skill dates. A link to the online portion will be in the receipt that is emailed to you upon registration.
Online Portion
- This must be completed in advance of your skill session. Allow 2-4 hours for completion. If you are a USA student or employee, please use your USA JagMail address to create an account with the American Red Cross.
- If you have trouble with the online portion, you may need to try a different web browser (Safari, Firefox, Chrome, etc). You can also call the American Red Cross at 1-800-REDCROSS.
- Show proof of completion to the instructor at the start of the skills session. You can print out the completion record, show the email confirming the completion, or login to your American Red Cross account and show the "completion" status.
The Lifeguard course provides entry level lifeguard participants with the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies and provide care until emergency medical services arrive and take over. You must pass a pretest and be at least 15 years old to take the course.
The recertification option is for lifeguards who are currently certified.
Please see our Aquatics page for more information including course pre-requisites, dates and prices.
The Water Safety Instructor course certifies swimming instructors to teach American Red Cross swimming lessons, diving and water safety programs.
Please see our Aquatics page for more information including course pre-requisites, dates and prices.