Be the Difference Before EMS Arrives: Heartsaver CPR/AED

Most emergencies unfold in ordinary places—your kitchen, a school gym, a loading dock, a Sunday league. In those first minutes, bystanders decide what happens next. Heartsaver CPR/AED is built for that reality: simple steps, practiced until they’re natural, so an average person can start high-quality compressions and use an AED while help is on the way. If you’re a coach, teacher, parent, lifeguard, fitness professional, security staffer, or someone whose workplace keeps an AED on site, Heartsaver is the certification you want.

Chicago’s Pulse makes training straightforward. On the Heartsaver CPR/AED page, you’ll find a scrolling list of upcoming dates—frequently mid-week day sessions—with a clear start time, end time, tuition, and a “Sign up for class” link under each date. Because classes are only a couple of hours, they’re easy to schedule before or after work or between errands. Pricing is posted right next to the sessions, removing surprises and saving time for group organizers who need to budget for multiple seats. chicagospulse.com

What you’ll learn: how to recognize cardiac arrest quickly; perform adult, child, and infant CPR; use an AED confidently; and relieve choking. Instructors break the process into manageable pieces, then rebuild it into a fluid, step-by-step response—checking responsiveness, activating EMS, starting compressions with the right depth and rate, switching compressors to avoid fatigue, preparing and operating an AED, and resuming compressions immediately after shocks. You won’t be buried in jargon; instead, you’ll walk away able to teach friends and family the basics.

Why Heartsaver now? Two reasons. First, bystander CPR can double or triple survival in witnessed cardiac arrest when performed immediately, and AEDs are more common than ever in schools, gyms, and workplaces. Second, the calendar. Late fall and winter bring together family gatherings, holiday events, and winter sports—times when more people cluster, and more minutes pass before EMS reaches certain locations. Taking class now means you carry those skills into the highest-risk months.

If you manage a team—youth sports league, warehouse, retail floor, faith group—consider booking a block of seats or exploring an on-site session. Chicago’s Pulse also lists Heartsaver First Aid (add CPR) for organizations that need a broader safety day, and their policies make it easy to plan reschedules if attendance needs to shift. chicagospulse.com+1

Practical tips to keep skills fresh: add a quick “AED location” reminder to new-hire orientation and pre-event huddles; run a 2-minute compression drill at the start of monthly staff meetings; and rotate who leads the drill so more people get comfortable giving directions. At home, show family members where your first-aid kit lives and practice the 911 script together (“adult down, not breathing normally, starting CPR now”).

You don’t need to be a clinician to save a life. You just need a plan you can execute. Heartsaver CPR/AED gives you that plan.

Sign up: Heartsaver CPR/AED — View schedule & register.