CPR & First Aid

The Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Acceptable CPR & First Aid Certifying Entities

DDA accepts CPR and First Aid Certifying Entities based on the following requirements:

  1. The training program must conform to national standards and be based on the same scientific guidelines and recommendations used by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Red Cross (ARC) for course development. 
  2. The emergency care component is required to have hands-on performance of basic first aid and CPR skills evaluated in person by an authorized instructor. 

Below is the list of CPR and First Aid Certifying Entities currently accepted by DDA: 
(note: official training sites who train under Certifying Entity MUST use the Certifying Entity's Official Cards/Certificates. Homemade certificates will not be accepted)

  • American Health and Safety Council 
  • American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI) 
  • American Heart Association (AHA) - including AHA Heartsaver for K-12 Schools 
  • American Heart Saver 
  • American Red Cross (ARC) 
  • CPR Test Center
  • Ellis Associates Inc (EA)
  • Emergency Care & Safety Institute (ECSI) 
  • EMS Safety Services 
  • Every Second Counts, CPR (AHA provider)
  • First Responder 
  • First Response Safety Training
  • Training Health and Safety Institute (HSI) 
  • Life Aid Medical and Heart Rhythm CPR Training 
  • Medic First 
  • MTN Provider Certificates/Cards 
  • Military Training Network
  • Cardiac & Trauma Life Support 
  • Nashville First Aid and CPR 
  • National Safety Council (NSC) 
  • NCS & Walden Security  
  • Tennessee Department of Children's Services and Harmony Family Center 
  • PATH CPR & FIRST AID 
  • ProCPR by ProTrainings
  • Waterdogs Scuba & Safety 

All classes must be completed with hands-on skills training.  Curriculum and training materials must follow current AHA guidelines.  Web-based courses or on-line trainings are NOT accepted unless it includes in person hands on skills test showing competency administered by a certified trainer. 

If you have a training entity not listed above that you would like for DDA to accept, please contact:

Karen Chambers
Training Coordinator II
DIDD Staff and Provider Development
Karen.Chambers@tn.gov