Did you know that First Aid certificates have an expiry date? Everyone with First Aid Certification must know these are valid for three years. After that, retraining helps refresh the First Aid skills and often includes new information relating to medical advancements, as we have seen with the changes made to provide CPR.
First-aiders holding Standard First Aid certificates must complete their recertification training before their existing certificate expires to maintain their certification.
First Aid Validity
Holders of Standard First Aid & CPR/AED Level C certificates must renew them by enrolling in a recertification course before expiration. The retraining for the renewal takes one day, and the certificate indicates the renewal in Standard First Aid & CPR/AED Level C.
During the course, the person learns any new methods discovered since their previous training and practices all their life-saving skills. After the Standard First Aid & CPR/AED certificate is recertified once, the candidate must retake the full training course after its expiration. Therefore, they must alternate between the full course and recertification training.
Keeping your certificate in Standard First Aid & CPR/AED valid is essential, especially if you require it for your workplace or want to help others in medical emergencies and accidents. At Coast2Coast, the Standard First Aid and Level C recertification is an 8-hour all-in-class course. In addition, candidates must provide proof of a valid Red Cross certificate from a complete training course.
In Ontario, holders of Emergency First Aid & CPR/AED Level C certificates cannot complete a Recertification course. However, they can renew their certificates by registering to complete the full course again. The online blended course training format is ideal for Emergency First Aid and CPR Level C training because part of the course is completed online in their own time, and the other 5.5 hours are in-class.
At Coast2Coast, we offer this course in all of our training facilities across Ontario! Join us for your next First Aid training and earn a Canadian Red Cross certificate which is valid for three years.
Inquire about First Aid Recertification Training
Is your certificate expiring soon? Complete a Recertification course! Our customer service team is ready to help answer any questions you have regarding your training.
End Of Extension Window
The extension window created during the pandemic for Recertification courses ended on March 31, 2021. Therefore, holders of all first aid certificates needed to recertify before the date their first aid certificates expired. If they didn’t, they had to retake the entire course.
Red Cross First Aid Recertification Extended Window
In December 2020, the Canadian Red Cross shared that first aid participant-level certificate holders with certifications that expire between March 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021, could attend a recertification course until March 31, 2021. This extended window allowed those with expired certifications the opportunity to recertify once facilities reopened for training.
Therefore, if you need First Aid certification for your workplace or for personal reasons, you must remember that recertification is important to keep your knowledge refreshed and up-to-date with new medical developments.
Additionally, if you carry Standard First Aid & CPR/AED certification, you can only recertify this every alternate time and only if the certification is still valid.
Coast2Coast First Aid & CPR
At Coast2Coast, we provide classes for certification and recertification courses in several locations to make it easier for you to keep your certificates valid. Practicing your First Aid and CPR skills provides you with the confidence and skills required to deal with the victims of an accident or medical emergency. So don’t let your certification expire; contact us today to maintain your WSIB-approved Canadian Red Cross certificate!
