Our next American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR course is scheduled for Sunday February 5, 2012. Registration opens 7:30am, class runs from 8am until lunch time.  Cost is $60, cash or money order (checks are accepted but cards are not mailed until the check clears).  We encourage everyone to pre-pay in the Course Enrollment section via PayPal or credit card to ensure that you have a seat in the class.  You may also simply show up the morning of the 5th to the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company Bingo Hall, 40 E. Sudbrook Lane, Pikesville, MD 21208 by 7:30am to review class materials.  Please wear appropriate clothing and closed shoes to class for your comfort and safety.

The next available class will be held March 4, 2012..

Our next CPR Instructor Course will begin in March 2012.  The course includes 1 documented observation of a CPR class in its entirety, completion of all pre-course assignments, and 2 full days of classroom sessions. The classroom sessions will be conducted on the following Sundays: March 18 & March 25.  Classess begin promptly at 9am and run through 3pm at the Owings Mills Volunteer Fire Company located at 10401 Owings Mills Blvd, Owings Mills MD 21117.
 
The cost is $425 for the Healthcare Provider Instructor Program, $625 for both the Healthcare Provider and Heartsaver First Aid Instructor Programs, and $525 for the Heartsaver Instructor Program. The Heartsaver Instructor Program includes the Heartsaver CPR & First Aid courses. The difference in price reflects the difference in cost of the Instructor Manuals.  The course fees include the AHA Core Instructor program, the Appropriate Instructor Guide(s) w/DVD, and a pocket mask.  You will be responsible for purchasing your own manikins, books, pocket masks, bag-valve masks, AED trainers, gloves, and decontamination supplies for use once the course is successfully completed. 
 
There is a lot of preparation necessary before the first classroom date. Prior to the first class you must complete the Core Instructor Program independently and bring the printed Certificate of Completion with you to the first night of class.  In addition, you must attend an entire CPR class and provide documentation of attendance. You must also review the entire Instructor Video(s) and take notes on every section. While preparing your notes, identify any questions that you have or think students observing the video might raise.  Throughout the program you must display your comprehensive knowledge of the program content as well as demonstrate skill proficiency.  
 
Payment for the course may be remitted via credit card or paypal on our website- www.bcfmt.com in the Instructor Store section. Or, if preferred, a check may be mailed to 12058 Long Lake Drive Owings Mills, MD 21117. Upon receipt of payment, we will provide you with your Instructor Manual, Instructor Video, and Core Instructor Program.  Cynthia is the instructor for this program and may be reached at training@bcfmt.com. You must have payment remitted by March 4, 2012 to participate in this session. This will provide you ample time to complete all of the pre-course requirements. 
 
Please note:
1.     Each class starts at 9am sharp. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early. No late arrivals will be allowed.
2.     All classes are mandatory and no make-up sessions are available.
3.     There will be NO REFUNDS once the Core Instructor Program has been mailed, which is 72 hours from the time of payment.
4.     You are responsible for locating your own AHA Training Center for Affiliation and complying with their requirements. You may apply to BCFMT for affiliation, however there is no automatic acceptance. You MAY NOT TEACH without being affiliated with an AHA Training Center. 

Our next American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Refresher Course will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Reisterstown Vol Fire Company Main Street Reisterstown MD 21136.
The American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Refresher Course offered by BCFMT, Inc. is designed for healthcare providers who either direct or participate in the resuscitation of patients, whether in or out of hospital. Throughout the ACLS class, participants will enhance their skills in the treatment of the adult victim of a cardiac arrest or other cardiopulmonary emergencies. The ACLS course emphasizes the importance of basic life support, the integration of effective basic life support with advanced cardiovascular life support interventions, the importance of effective team interactions, and communication during emergency events.  Active participation in a series of simulated cardiopulmonary cases and megacodes reinforces course material.  Each participant must review pharmacology and EKGs prior to the course.  The interpretation of EKGs is not covered in this course.  To enroll participants must have a current AHA BLS and AHA ACLS Card. These cards must be brought to class.
 
The cost of our AHA ACLS Renewal Class is $175 per person. Payment may be made via PayPal or credit card in the course enrollment section of our website www.bcfmt.com .  The registration deadline for this class is December 10, 2011. An ACLS book is not included. A pocket mask will be issued the day of class.
The next scheduled AHA ACLS Refresher Class will be held in March 2012. If you need a class and cannot attend one of these sessions, email Bethany@bcfmt.com to find additional options that exist. If you have a small group, we can bring an ACLS Class to your site. 
Please email bethany@bcfmt.com or call 410.591.6058, should you have any questions.

The American Heart Association is re-arranging the ABCs of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in its 2 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, published in  Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.



 Recommending that chest compressions be the first step for lay and professional rescuers to revive victims of sudden cardiac arrest, the association said the A-B-Cs (Airway-Breathing-Compressions) of CPR should now be changed to C-A-B (Compressions-Airway-Breathing).



“For more than 40 years, CPR training has emphasized the ABCs of CPR, which instructed people to open a victim’s airway by tilting their head back, pinching the nose and breathing into the victim’s mouth, and only then giving chest compressions,” said Michael Sayre, M.D., co-author of the guidelines and chairman of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Committee. “This approach was causing significant delays in starting chest compressions, which are essential for keeping oxygen-rich blood circulating through the body. Changing the sequence from A-B-C to C-A-B for adults and children allows all rescuers to begin chest compressions right away.”   www.youtube.com/watch

In previous guidelines, the association recommended looking, listening and feeling for normal breathing before starting CPR. Now, compressions should be started immediately on anyone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

All victims in cardiac arrest need chest compressions. In the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest, victims will have oxygen remaining in their lungs and bloodstream, so starting CPR with chest compressions can pump that blood to the victim’s brain and heart sooner. Research shows that rescuers who started CPR with opening the airway took 30 critical seconds longer to begin chest compressions than rescuers who began CPR with chest compressions.

The change in the CPR sequence applies to adults, children and infants, but excludes newborns.

Already completed Part I of the AHA on-line programs? Schedule to complete your AHA Skills checks.  Email training@bcfmt.com to schedule your appointment.  Please specity ACLS, BLS for Healthcare Provider, Heratsaver AED or Heartsaver First Aid with CPR & AED.

You can complete BLS training and get your course completion card within 72 hours of completing the AHA on-line eLearning video and successfully completing a skills check with one of instructors.

BCFMT now offers American Heart Association eLearning courses to provide a complete, flexible solution for first-time or renewal training for both healthcare and lay providers who need to keep their skills current. Students can complete training at their own pace, in less time and anywhere with Internet access.  
 
eLearning courses allow students:
 

• To learn and practice at his/her own pace
• Flexibility to complete online training at home or work
• Remediation through challenge questions and skills testing
• Opportunity to review information for up to 6 months
• Completion at your own pace.
• With our training center, you can complete the on-line course and schedule the skills check within 72 hours. 

Click here for details  http://www.bcfmt.com/onlineexam.php

Let us come to your facility!  All of our courses can be taught on-site, reducing training and travel costs.  Email training@bcfmt.com for a quote or to discuss any special training needs.

CPR - First Aid - Bloodborne Pathogens - Hazard Communication - DOT Drug & Alcohol Abuse Recognition for Supervisors - Fire Extinguisher - IV Technician - Lock out/Tag out.