Skip to content
CPRDowntown LAAHA & Red Cross Training
Book BLS
  • BLS
  • Blended

BLS Certification in Downtown LA

BLS certification in Downtown LA at CPR Downtown LA is the American Heart Association BLS Provider course in its blended form. You finish HeartCode BLS online first, a course sold separately by the AHA, then come to 811 W 7th St, Suite 1119, in Downtown LA for a 60 minute hands-on skills session and test. Your AHA BLS Provider card is valid for 2 years. The eCard is issued the same day you pass.

The course

What is AHA BLS Provider?

BLS (Basic Life Support) is the American Heart Association course for healthcare providers and students. It teaches high-quality CPR for adults, children and infants, early use of an AED, rescue breaths with a pocket mask and a bag-mask device, relief of choking, and how a team works a cardiac arrest together.

HeartCode BLS is the AHA name for the blended version. The knowledge part is online and adaptive, and the hands-on part is a skills practice and testing session with an instructor. Both parts lead to the same AHA BLS Provider card as the classroom course.

In class

What the BLS class covers

The skills in the official American Heart Association course, practiced hands-on with an instructor.

  1. High-quality CPR

    Compression rate, depth and full recoil for adults, children and infants, with as few pauses as possible.

  2. AED use

    Turning on the AED, placing pads for adults and children, and resuming compressions right after a shock.

  3. Breaths and bag-mask

    Rescue breaths with a pocket mask, and one and two rescuer bag-mask ventilation.

  4. Choking relief

    Responsive and unresponsive choking for adults, children and infants.

  5. Team resuscitation

    Clear roles, closed-loop communication and switching compressors during a code.

  6. Recognition and the Chain of Survival

    Checking the scene, recognizing when someone needs CPR, calling for help and applying the AHA Chain of Survival.

Who needs it

Who needs AHA BLS Provider?

Always check the exact course name your employer, school or licensing office asks for.

Hospital and clinic staff

Nurses, physicians, techs and other clinical staff at hospitals and clinics usually need a current AHA BLS card to work with patients. Check the exact course name your employer lists.

Nursing, medical and allied health students

Most clinical programs ask for BLS for healthcare providers before your first clinical placement, and many name the American Heart Association.

Dental offices

The Dental Board of California requires BLS for license renewal, from a provider such as the AHA or the Red Cross, and the course must include an in-person skills session and test. Online-only BLS does not count.

EMT and paramedic students

Local programs put it in writing: Glendale Community College's paramedic program requires a current AHA Healthcare Provider BLS card at entry, and West Los Angeles College's EMT program issues the AHA BLS Provider card.

Format

How the blended course works

  1. Book your skills session

    Pick a date on the booking page. It opens right here on the site.

  2. Do HeartCode BLS online

    Buy HeartCode BLS from the American Heart Association, work through it at your own pace and save the certificate of completion.

  3. Come to 811 W 7th St

    Bring your completion certificate. The in-person session is about 60 minutes of hands-on practice and the skills test.

  4. Get your AHA card

    Pass the skills test and the AHA BLS Provider card is issued to you as an eCard the same day. It is valid for 2 years.

Before class

Before your BLS class: checklist

About 60 min in person, after the online part. The card is valid for 2 years.

  • Book your skills session date first, so you know your deadline for the online part
  • Buy HeartCode BLS from the American Heart Association and finish it before class (the AHA says about 1 to 2 hours)
  • Save or print the HeartCode BLS certificate of completion and bring it
  • Check that your employer or program asks for AHA BLS Provider (BLS for healthcare providers)
  • Wear clothes you can kneel in, since compressions are practiced on the floor
  • Bring glasses if you need them to read a screen or a manikin feedback light

About the online part (sold separately by the AHA)

The online part is HeartCode BLS, sold separately by the American Heart Association, not by CPR Downtown LA. You buy it from the AHA, complete it before your session, and bring the certificate of completion.

The AHA says the online part takes about 1 to 2 hours, depending on what you already know. Finish it before your skills session date: the session is the hands-on practice and test only.

Local requirements

Who asks for BLS near the classroom

Local programs that put a BLS requirement in writing, and the hospitals nearby where clinical staff work.

Hospitals near our students

  • Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center1401 S Grand Ave, a Level II trauma center
  • Los Angeles General Medical Center2051 Marengo St, Boyle Heights, a county Level I trauma center
  • Adventist Health White Memorial1720 E Cesar Chavez Ave, Boyle Heights
  • PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital1225 Wilshire Blvd, 408 beds, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of USC
  • Children's Hospital Los Angeles4650 Sunset Blvd, East Hollywood
  • Keck Hospital of USC1500 San Pablo St
  • Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center4867 Sunset Blvd, a Level I trauma center
  • Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center1300 N Vermont Ave
  • Adventist Health Glendale1509 Wilson Terrace
  • Dignity Health Glendale Memorial1420 S Central Ave
  • USC Verdugo Hills Hospital1812 Verdugo Blvd
  • Southern California Hospital at Culver City3828 Delmas Terrace, with a 24-hour emergency room

Named as nearby places, not partners. Your employer or program has the final word on which card you need.

Getting here

Getting to 811 W 7th St

The classroom is in the Fine Arts Building at 811 W 7th St, in the Financial District of Downtown LA, near the Harbor Freeway (I-110). Metro's 7th St/Metro Center station, where the A, B, D and E Lines meet, is nearby.

Metro Rail

  • 7th St/Metro Center (A, B, D and E Lines)660 S Figueroa St, entrances on Flower St, Figueroa St, Hope St and at The Bloc
  • J Line (busway)Stops at 7th St/Metro Center: northbound on Flower St, southbound on Figueroa St

Buses

  • Metro busLines 14, 16, 18, 20, 37, 51, 53, 55, 60, 62, 66, 70, 76, 78, 81, 460, 487 and Rapid 720 stop at 7th St/Metro Center
  • LADOT DASH A, B, E and FDASH stops sit directly across from FIGat7th
  • Commuter linesWeekday rush-hour commuter buses, including LADOT Commuter Express and Foothill Transit, also serve 7th St/Metro Center

By car on I-110

On the Harbor Freeway (I-110), Exit 23A is 6th St / Wilshire Blvd, and Exit 22B is 9th St / 8th St (northbound it is signed Exit 22, without 8th St). From I-10, Exit 13B is SR-110 north / Pico Blvd.

Parking

Paid garages and street meters are nearby, including the FIGat7th garage at 945 W 8th St (main entrance on 8th St). Parking inside 811 W 7th St is not confirmed, so plan on a nearby garage or take Metro.

Directions and map

FAQ

AHA BLS Provider: questions

Where can I get BLS certification in Downtown LA?

CPR Downtown LA teaches the American Heart Association BLS Provider skills session at 811 W 7th St, Suite 1119, Los Angeles, CA 90017, in the Financial District, near the 7th St/Metro Center station. You do HeartCode BLS online first, then come in for about 60 minutes.

How long is the in-person part of BLS?

About 60 minutes. The knowledge part is done online beforehand in HeartCode BLS, so the session is hands-on practice and the skills test.

Is the online HeartCode BLS course included?

No. HeartCode BLS is sold separately by the American Heart Association. You buy and finish it with the AHA, then bring the certificate of completion to your session.

How long is an AHA BLS card valid?

The AHA BLS Provider card is valid for 2 years. Renew before it expires so your card stays current.

Is HeartCode BLS the same card as the classroom BLS course?

Yes. HeartCode BLS is the blended version of the AHA BLS Provider course. After you pass the skills session you receive the same AHA BLS Provider card.

When do I get my BLS card?

The same day you pass. The AHA BLS Provider eCard is issued the same day as your skills test and sent to the email address you booked with.

Can I take BLS if my card already expired?

Yes. The blended BLS Provider course works for first-time students and for people whose card has lapsed. You complete HeartCode BLS online and the skills session the same way.

What should I bring to the BLS skills session?

Your HeartCode BLS certificate of completion and clothes you can kneel in. Compressions are practiced on the floor.

Areas we serve

BLS for nearby neighborhoods and cities

Every class is held at 811 W 7th St. Each page covers the trip from that area and the local hospitals, schools and employers.

Sources for the facts on this page

  1. American Heart Association, BLS course options
  2. American Heart Association, HeartCode BLS
  3. American Heart Association, Basic Life Support (BLS) training
  4. American Heart Association ShopCPR, HeartCode BLS Online (learning objectives)
  5. Dental Board of California, continuing education and BLS
  6. LA County College of Nursing and Allied Health, admission requirements
  7. Glendale Community College, Paramedic program entry requirements
  8. West Los Angeles College, EMT program
  9. CommonSpirit, California Hospital Medical Center
  10. Los Angeles General Medical Center (Wikipedia)
  11. Adventist Health White Memorial, communities we serve
  12. Good Samaritan Hospital (Los Angeles) (Wikipedia)
  13. Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd
  14. Keck Medicine of USC, visit Keck Hospital
  15. LA County EMS, trauma center list (Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center)
  16. Medicare List, Los Angeles hospitals (Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center)
  17. Adventist Health Glendale (Wikipedia)
  18. Glendale Chamber of Commerce, medical centers
  19. HCAI, Southern California Hospital at Culver City
  20. 7th Street/Metro Center station (Wikipedia)
  21. Transit Unlimited, 7th Street/Metro Center station entrances and elevators
  22. FIGat7th, parking and getting here
  23. Harbor Freeway (I-110 / SR-110) exit list (Wikipedia)
  24. Interstate 10 in California, exit list (Wikipedia)

Ready to book AHA BLS Provider?

Finish the online part, then come to 811 W 7th St in Downtown LA for about 60 min in person.

Book BLSCompare all three courses
Email ussupport@cprdowntownla.comBook BLS