The need for CPR certifications varies from state to state. More than 40 states, plus Washington DC, now have laws putting CPR training in schools, and many states and school districts require some or all school staff to have a CPR certification. That can vary from a requirement to have a certification in just CPR, or CPR and First Aid, up to CPR, First Aid and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use. Some schools have gone to the next step and purchased AEDs for their campuses.
In California, for example, teachers must be certified in CPR to receive their teaching credential, but most school districts do not require them to keep that certification current. If a teacher has been in the classroom for 15 years, it is very likely they have not reviewed or practiced CPR in 15 years. In a real emergency, rusty skills cost precious seconds.
This could put children and staff at risk when very few employees are trained in something as basic as helping a choking victim. Under the American Heart Association’s 2025 Guidelines, the recommended response for a conscious choking adult or child is now alternating five firm back blows with five abdominal thrusts, the technique many of us learned as the Heimlich maneuver. Choking, asthma, and anaphylactic shock are all breathing emergencies that can lead to cardiac arrest. The more staff at the school that are trained, including teachers, the safer everyone will be.
A simple one-day CPR class or even an online CPR certification class covering adult and child CPR, AED use & first aid could make all the difference in an emergency. About 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year, and immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. At least 12,000 children are treated at hospitals each year for food choking injuries. As you can see from these numbers, life saving skills are something all schoolteachers, cafeteria workers, coaches and support staff need to know.
