As a first aid instructor, your role is to empower individuals from diverse backgrounds to effectively respond to medical emergencies at home, in the workplace or in other settings.

Through instruction, demonstration and hands-on practice, you will teach students how to assess the severity of someone’s condition and promptly deliver essential first aid.

Heart & Stroke’s first aid courses are comprehensive. They cover provider, recertification and level C training, allowing you the flexibility and capacity to educate and empower even more students.

Steps to becoming a first aid instructor

Here is an overview of the step-by-step process to become a first aid instructor, which we will guide you through:

1. Ensure you have a current Heart & Stroke Standard First Aid or Intermediate First Aid certificate as per the requirements of your jurisdiction (see Prerequisites section).
2. Complete and submit your instructor application and pay your $55 instructor application fee.
3. Take the online Core Instructor Training course ($35).
4. Purchase the required resources needed to teach in your region (please review the Course Materials section for your jurisdiction).
5. Self-register for a first aid instructor course a minimum of 10 days prior to the instructor course date.
6. If you’re an instructor candidate in Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Quebec or the Yukon:
   • After you register for your instructor course, you will have access to the CSA-aligned first aid course materials, which are found on the portal. These materials must be downloaded and brought to the instructor course.
   • You must also complete the online First Aid Bridging Course Orientation prior to attending the instructor course. (The course orientation also includes the CSA-aligned first aid course materials which can be downloaded right from links in the course).
7. Attend and successfully complete the first aid instructor course.
8. Successfully complete the teaching of a Standard First Aid or Intermediate First Aid course that is monitored by a Heart & Stroke-approved experienced instructor or instructor trainer within six months of completing your instructor course.
9. Review and accept Heart & Stroke’s online Instructor Agreement and other policy documents.
10. Pay $75 annual instructor fee (pro-rated to activation date) to activate your first aid instructor status.

The first aid instructor course is delivered over one day by an instructor trainer who will guide and develop instructor candidates in the key elements of facilitating Heart & Stroke first aid courses.

Our courses reflect the legislation and regulatory requirements of the jurisdiction in which they are offered:

• Standard First Aid, Emergency First Aid and Standard Recertification for provinces not aligned with CSA standards (Ontario and Saskatchewan) and for provinces in which Heart & Stroke’s first aid courses have not received workplace accreditation (British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador).
  and
• Intermediate First Aid, Basic First Aid and Intermediate Recertification for provinces and territories aligned with CSA standards (Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and the Yukon).

Prerequisites

You must have one of these current Heart & Stroke certifications*:

• Heart & Stroke Standard Level C First Aid certification (for non-CSA-aligned provinces as listed above)
  or
• Heart & Stroke Intermediate Level C First Aid certification (for CSA-aligned provinces and territories as listed above)

*Please note: Prerequisites are based on the regulatory requirements of the relevant jurisdiction. Please check with your instructor trainer to ensure you have the correct certification for your location.

Course Duration

Course Materials

Minimum required materials:

Category #1

Instructor candidates in Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and the Yukon must purchase the following instructor materials from Heart Shop:

• 2015 First Aid - Guidelines Update Student Reference Manual - RE2101E(English) / RE2101F(French)

Heart & Stroke does not require new instructor candidates in provinces and territories who teach CSA-compliant first aid courses, to purchase the 2015 FA Instructor Manual.

Category #2**

Instructor candidates in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Saskatchewan must purchase the following instructor materials from Heart Shop:

• 2015 Standard First Aid - Guidelines Update - Instructor Manual* - RE2001E(English)/ RE2001F(French)
  
  *Please note: Once you have purchased and accessed your First Aid Instructor Manual, please contact our support team at rsc@heartandstroke.ca. A team member will help you to access the Standard First Aid presentation resources.
• Emergency First Aid / Standard First Aid Renewal Instructor Manual RE2002
• 2015 First Aid - Guidelines Update Student Reference Manual - RE2101E (English) / RE2101F (French)

** If you will be instructing first aid in both CSA and non-CSA aligned jurisdictions across Canada, you must purchase materials listed in categories 1 and 2.

Course Completion

Once instructor candidates successfully complete the instructor course, they are allowed to pursue the next steps in the instructor onboarding process.