CPR AED vs First Aid
The AHA offers two closely related Heartsaver courses: CPR AED on its own, and First Aid CPR AED, which adds the full first aid syllabus. The CPR part is the same in both. The difference is everything that is not a cardiac arrest.
The short answer
Choose Heartsaver CPR AED if you only need to respond to cardiac arrest and choking. Choose Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED if you may be the person who responds to any emergency — bleeding, burns, allergic reactions, seizures, heat illness — which is what most workplaces need.
| Heartsaver CPR AED | Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED | |
|---|---|---|
| CPR, AED, choking | Yes | Yes |
| Medical, injury and environmental first aid | No | Yes |
| Typical session at our centre | 09:00–13:00 | 09:00–14:30 |
| Card validity | 2 years | 2 years |
Gyms, sports clubs and venues that have an AED and want staff to use it, or individuals who want the life-saving core in a shorter session. The general CPR & AED training course is another short option.
Workplace first aiders, security and reception teams, and anyone who will be called to “any” emergency. Most emergencies are not cardiac arrests, which is why employers usually choose the full first aid course.
Someone collapses and is not breathing normally. The first trained person to reach them calls for help and for the AED, and starts chest compressions straight away. When the AED arrives, it talks the rescuer through the pad placement and decides whether a shock is needed. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation lowers the chance of survival, which is why both courses spend most of their time on doing these steps quickly and well. The first aid course then adds everything else that happens far more often at work.
Neither. Clinicians need BLS. See first aid vs BLS.
Other life support and first aid courses: BLS Course · ACLS Course · PALS Course · Training calendar
Yes, Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED includes the full CPR AED content.
Heartsaver CPR AED. At our centre it runs 09:00 to 13:00, compared with about 14:30 for First Aid CPR AED.
Yes, you can take the full First Aid CPR AED course at any time.
Most workplaces choose First Aid CPR AED because it covers every type of emergency.
Yes, the CPR, AED and choking content is the same.
Safety First Medical Services is an American Heart Association training centre on Al Reem Island. AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED, Pediatric First Aid and CPR AED courses for individuals, with on-site group training for companies, schools and clinics across the UAE.
See first aid dates and register Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED course Company group enquiry
What we teach follows the awarding body and the UAE health authorities. For the definitive position on a course or licensing question, these are the places to check.
Last reviewed by the training team at Safety First Medical Services, an American Heart Association training centre at Addax Office Tower, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Call +971 55 761 9841 or email training@safetyfirstmed.ae.