There is a new normal now as we deal with face covering and social distancing during our CPR/AED and First Aid classes. Many people are wondering if we CAN teach a class and still be safe from COVID-19. As the State of Illinois has floated through the Phases, we’ve adhered to guidelines that are both stringent and fluid. Currently, we are on Phase 4 which allows gatherings of 50 or less, social distancing of 6′ and face coverings.
Just because you can have a gathering of 50 people, doesn’t mean we can do a CPR class of 50 people. As your leading, central Illinois training provider for American Heart Association, American Red Cross and Emergency Care and Safety Institute, VES takes all the COVID-19 precautions seriously. For instance, for a CPR training, each student will be issued their own equipment and have a workspace that is 6′ away from other students. We practice good hygiene from the minute the student walks through our door; they go straight to the sink to wash with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Then they can enter the training room. If the student does not have their own face covering, they are issued one from us. And, in the event an AED training unit is shared, gloves will be issued and donned during that portion of training. Afterward, any disposable items are properly discarded and students are encouraged to wash or sanitize their hands again before leaving the building. This has been working quite well. In order to have enough equipment for each student, we are limited our class sizes to no more than 10 people per class. In our training facility, we are down to 3 people per class because our training room cannot accommodate 6′ of social distancing with more than 3 people at time.
In Phase 4, we are back to doing full, instructor-led classes, but students are still taking advantage of the blended learning format. In blended learning, part of your learning is done online and the rest is done in front of an instructor; cutting down the amount of time you have to be in a room with others. In comparison, there is not a lot of cost difference, but the time saved sitting in class is usually preferred. The card you receive is exactly the same as the card you would receive for instructor-led ONLY classes.
Let us know how we can help you achieve your life-saving training goals. If you are an individual looking for a class, call us, email us or check out Enroll for a Class page. If you have a group, please contact us via email at jen@vital-education.com or call us at 217-359-0101.
