A CPR card proves you completed training. A real plan proves you’ll act. If you manage a school, gym, warehouse, clinic, church, or office in Chicago, Heartsaver CPR/AED certification is the foundation of your emergency readiness—but it’s not the finish line. The finish line is a team that can move in the first 60 seconds without waiting for instructions. Here’s how to build that outcome.
Pick your “first five moves” and post them
Every site is different, but the first five moves are remarkably consistent: (1) recognize unresponsiveness, (2) call 911 and send for the AED, (3) start compressions, (4) attach pads and follow prompts, (5) assign someone to meet EMS at the door/elevator. After your group certifies through Chicago’s Pulse, write those five moves in plain language and post them near AEDs and at supervisor desks. Simple beats fancy when adrenaline hits.
Run a 10-minute drill each month
Certification day is a great start; short, repeated drills make it real. Once a month, gather the team for a two-minute compression drill, a pad placement walk-through, and a quick “who does what” round. Rotate roles so everyone experiences being the compressor, the caller, the AED runner, and the door guide. Keep it low-pressure—this is about comfort, not punishment.
Make the AED visible and reachable
Mount it where humans actually are (not locked in an office), label the cabinet on the outside, and add it to new-hire orientations. In large spaces (gyms, warehouses), consider a second AED if response time from one corner to the other exceeds 90 seconds. During your drills, time the AED retrieval and challenge yourselves to beat that time next month.
Assign responsibility without creating bottlenecks
Pick a primary coordinator (often safety or operations) to maintain the training roster, renewal dates, and AED checks. But avoid a single-point failure: post a “Plan B” list of people who can run a drill or call for replacement pads/battery. When responsibility is shared, action is faster.
Practice the 911 call
It feels silly—until the day you need it. Rehearse the script: “We have an adult who is unresponsive and not breathing normally at [address, entrance details]. We are starting CPR and using the AED now.” If your facility has multiple entrances or a tricky elevator, include those instructions in your script.
Adapt the plan for your risks
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Schools and gyms: Emphasize sudden cardiac arrest in youth and athletes; make AEDs court-side and field-side.
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Warehouses and manufacturing: Include trauma awareness and location-specific hazards; practice sending someone with keys/radios to meet EMS.
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Offices and churches: Focus on crowd management and privacy during the event.
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Clinics: Align with your existing medical response policies and ensure coverage when clinical staff are off-site.
Make renewals painless
People put off recertification when scheduling is hard. Chicago’s Pulse posts frequent Heartsaver sessions with clear times and costs; group sign-ups or on-site training can keep your roster compliant without gutting operations for a whole day. Track expirations in a simple spreadsheet and send reminders 60/30/7 days out.
Mindset that makes the difference
A perfect plan on paper is worthless if no one remembers it. A simple plan, practiced briefly and regularly, saves lives. Tie drills to existing meetings, celebrate small improvements, and keep the tone supportive. When your team believes they can help, they will.
Sign up: Heartsaver CPR/AED — View schedule & register