Who is the CFR Community course for?

Cardiac First Response Community training is suitable for anyone who wants practical CPR, AED and emergency response skills.

It is particularly suitable for:

• Members of the public
• Workplace responders
• School staff
• Sports coaches and sports clubs
• Community volunteers
• Childcare workers
• Security personnel
• Hospitality staff
• Clubs and community organisations
• Anyone who wants to learn practical lifesaving skills

No previous first aid qualification or experience is required.

What will I learn on a CFR Community course?

CFR Community training focuses on the immediate response to cardiac arrest and other life-threatening emergencies.

CPR and cardiac arrest

• Recognising a life-threatening emergency
• Cardiac arrest recognition and response
• Adult, child and infant CPR
• One-rescuer and two-rescuer CPR
• The chain of survival
• Post-resuscitation care

AED and defibrillator training

• How an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) works
• When an AED should be used
• Safe and effective AED use
• Combining CPR and AED use during a cardiac arrest

Choking, heart attack and stroke

• Choking management for adults, children and infants
• Recognition of heart attack symptoms
• Aspirin administration for suspected cardiac chest pain
• Recognition of stroke using the FAST assessment

Emergency response and communication

• Scene safety
• Calling 112 or 999
• Infection prevention and control
• Working with others during a resuscitation attempt
• Handover to emergency medical services
• Completing a Cardiac First Response report
• Practical emergency response scenarios

Practical CPR and AED training

Cardiac First Response is learned by doing.

Throughout the CFR Community course, learners practise CPR, AED use, choking management and other emergency response skills using training equipment and practical scenarios.

You will learn how to recognise when someone needs immediate help, what action to take and how to work with others during a resuscitation attempt.

The aim is straightforward: if you are beside someone when a cardiac emergency happens, you know what to do next.

CFR Community course duration and assessment

A standard CFR Community course is approximately 4 hours for a group of six learners. Course duration may vary depending on group size and delivery arrangements.

Assessment is practical and skills-based. Participants are assessed using the PHECC Cardiac First Response Community assessment process during or at the end of the course.

There is no written examination for CFR Community.

Courses are normally delivered at an instructor-to-learner ratio of 1:6. Larger groups can be accommodated by UFAS using additional instructors and appropriate training arrangements.

PHECC CFR Community certification

On successful completion of the course, learners receive a joint PHECC/Recognised Institution Cardiac First Response Community certificate, valid for two years.

PHECC responder-level certification is issued digitally, giving learners a portable and verifiable record of their certification.

UFAS is a PHECC Recognised Institution delivering Cardiac First Response Community training.

CFR Community group training across Ireland

UFAS delivers Cardiac First Response Community courses for workplaces, schools, sports clubs, community organisations and other groups across Ireland.

Training can be delivered at your workplace, school, sports club or another suitable venue, making it convenient to train your team or group together.

Tell us how many people you need to train and where the course will take place, and UFAS will help you arrange suitable training.