# Planning CPR and AED Training for Fitness Teams

> Plan CPR and AED training for a gym or studio: staff roles, fitness certification CPR rules, CT, NY, and NJ health club AED laws, shift coverage, and records.

Source: https://qkchealth.com/resources/fitness-staff-cpr-aed-training/

Last updated: 2026-10-17

How do you plan CPR and AED training for a fitness team? List each role and shift, and check every rule that applies: certifying organizations, state health club law, and your policy. The AHA says Heartsaver CPR AED is probably the best fit for staff without medical training. Then schedule classes so no staffed hour loses its trained person.

Last updated: October 17, 2026 · Written by QKC Health, an AHA Authorized Training Center · Based on AHA course information, fitness certification requirements, and CT, NY, and NJ health club laws

**What this guide is:** a planning guide for managers of gyms, studios, and fitness clubs. It draws on American Heart Association course information, the CPR and AED rules that fitness certifying organizations publish, health club laws in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, and QKC Health's class pages and Terms of Service.

**What it is not:** hands-on training, a certification, legal advice, or a promise that a certifying organization, employer, or state agency will accept a specific card. Confirm the course and card your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state rules require before you register.

## Which Course Fits Each Role on a Fitness Team?

Typical starting points based on AHA course guidance. A certifying organization, your policy, or a state rule may name something else.

Start with a list of everyone who works at your facility, including part-time staff and contract instructors and trainers. For each person, write down the role, the shifts they work, every fitness credential they hold or are working toward, and any course your own policy requires. Then match the course to the written requirement, not to the job title.

For workers outside healthcare who need a CPR and AED course for work, the American Heart Association (AHA) says Heartsaver CPR AED is probably the best fit. The AHA's Heartsaver courses are for anyone with limited or no medical training who needs a course completion card for job, regulatory, or other requirements.

### Group Fitness Instructors

Usually Heartsaver CPR AED. The instructor certifications in the next chapter ask for a current CPR and AED certification with hands-on skills. Make sure each instructor also knows your emergency plan and the nearest AED to every room they teach in. See [Heartsaver CPR AED](https://qkchealth.com/classes/heartsaver-cpr-aed/).

### Personal Trainers

Usually Heartsaver CPR AED. Check every credential a trainer holds: the personal trainer certifications in the next chapter each ask for current CPR and AED with hands-on skills, and a trainer who also holds a clinical credential may need BLS instead. A trainer who sees clients before opening or after close is part of your coverage only for the hours they are actually on site.

### Front Desk Staff

Usually Heartsaver CPR AED, or Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED if your policy makes the desk your first aid responder. If members report emergencies at the desk, or the AED and first aid kit are kept there, desk staff need to know their part in the plan, such as calling 911 and sending someone for the AED. See [Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED](https://qkchealth.com/classes/first-aid/).

### Managers and Supervisors

Usually Heartsaver CPR AED. The people who write the staff schedule, own the emergency plan, and keep the AED log need the same training as their teams, plus a clear picture of who holds a current card on each shift. See [on-site workplace training](https://qkchealth.com/classes/workplace-training/).

### Opening and Closing Staff

Usually Heartsaver CPR AED. The first person in and the last person out may be the only staff member on site. The state health club laws later in this guide tie the trained-person rule to staffed or normal business hours, so plan these shifts first.

### Childcare Room Staff

If your facility watches children while parents work out, check whether state child care licensing applies to that room and which course it names. The AHA designs Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED for child care workers; our website does not list that course, so ask us before you plan. Our Heartsaver CPR AED class teaches adult, child, and infant CPR. In Connecticut, see the [Connecticut child care CPR requirements](https://qkchealth.com/resources/connecticut-childcare-cpr-requirements/).

Confirm the course and card your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state rules require before you register.

## When to Add First Aid or Choose BLS

Add a course only when a credential, a rule, or your policy calls for it, and split the group so each person takes what they need.

### Adding first aid

Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED combines first aid, CPR, and AED training in one course. The AHA designs its full version, Heartsaver Total, to meet OSHA and regulatory requirements, and says its Heartsaver Basic version does not generally meet workplace or regulatory requirements. OSHA does not review or approve any courses. Choose the first aid course when your policy asks staff to give first aid or a credential requires it, and ask us which version your class will use.

ACSM's certification pages say all ACSM certifications will require first aid training starting in 2027, so instructors and trainers who hold or plan to earn an ACSM credential may need first aid as well as CPR and AED. See [first aid training](https://qkchealth.com/classes/first-aid/) and the [Heartsaver First Aid Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/heartsaver-first-aid/).

### When BLS is the right course

The AHA designs its BLS Provider course for healthcare professionals and trained first responders who provide care to patients, and for people enrolled in healthcare training programs. The fitness certifications in the next chapter ask for CPR and AED, but some credentials held by fitness and sports staff ask for more:

- **Clinical exercise physiologists:** ACSM's Candidate Handbook asks Clinical Exercise Physiologist candidates for current BLS Provider or CPR for the Professional Rescuer certification with a hands-on practical skills component.
- **Athletic trainers:** the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOC) requires current emergency cardiac care certification that includes adult and pediatric CPR, second rescuer CPR, AED use, airway obstruction, barrier devices such as a pocket mask or bag valve mask, and demonstrated skills. It lists the AHA's BLS Provider course among acceptable courses.
- **Licensed healthcare staff:** a nurse or other licensed professional on your team may have an employer or license requirement that names BLS. Ask to see it in writing.

The AHA's BLS courses do not include first aid, so a person who needs both takes BLS Provider and a first aid course. Keep BLS candidates in their own group rather than moving the whole team to BLS. See the [BLS Provider Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/bls-provider/), the [BLS Renewal Course](https://qkchealth.com/classes/bls-renewal/) for a current or recently expired card, [BLS vs CPR](https://qkchealth.com/resources/bls-vs-cpr/), and [Which Course Does Your Team Need?](https://qkchealth.com/resources/team-cpr-course-selector/) for splitting a mixed group.

## CPR and AED Rules in Fitness Certifications

What each organization's own pages said when we read them on October 17, 2026, listed alphabetically. Rules change, so check the current page for every credential your staff hold.

The fitness certifying organizations below each make a current CPR and AED certification part of testing, certifying, or renewing, and each says how the skills must be tested. These notes report only what each organization's pages say. They are not a ranking or an endorsement, and organization names are used only to identify them.

### ACE (American Council on Exercise)

- **Exams:** for its Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach, and Medical Exercise Specialist exams, ACE's exam page asks for a current adult CPR and AED certificate with a "hands-on (in-person or virtual) skills check" and says that courses without a skills check, and online CPR/AED courses, are not accepted.
- **Timing:** for the computer-based exam, the certificate must be current when the candidate registers and cannot expire before the exam date.
- **Audit:** anyone selected for ACE's CPR audit uploads a copy of the current CPR/AED card or certificate, both sides, and ACE says a certification is not issued until that hold is cleared.
- **Renewal:** ACE says its certifications are valid for two years and lists a current CPR/AED with live skills check among the renewal requirements.

### ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)

- **Exams:** ACSM's Candidate Handbook asks Group Exercise Instructor and Personal Trainer candidates for current adult CPR/AED certification with a "live/in-person practical skills examination component", naming the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
- **First aid:** ACSM's certification pages say all ACSM certifications will require first aid training starting in 2027.
- **Proof and renewal:** the handbook says candidates who pass an exam are subject to an audit of their eligibility and CPR status. ACSM's recertification page says certifications are valid for three years and lists maintaining a current CPR certification among the renewal requirements.

### AFAA and NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)

- **Exams:** NASM's help center lists a current CPR certification and an AED certification among the entry requirements for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer exam and the AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor exam.
- **Hands-on skills:** the help center says the standard requirement is a CPR/AED course that includes a hands-on assessment, and that hybrid courses are accepted. The same help page still shows an older COVID-19 notice about a temporary waiver, so confirm the current rule with NASM.
- **Renewal:** NASM's recertification page says NASM and AFAA professionals recertify or renew every two years, lists a current CPR/AED certification as part of each renewal, and asks professionals to upload documentation to its Recertification Portal.

### NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association)

- **Exams:** the NSCA's Certification Handbook lists a current CPR/AED certification among the requirements for its credentials, including the NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer and the CSCS. The personal trainer prerequisites page says a candidate without one can still register and test, but a copy of a valid CPR/AED certification must be received within one year of the exam date.
- **Hands-on skills:** the handbook says the CPR/AED certification "must include a hands-on skills performance assessment to be accepted" and asks for copies of the front and back of the card.
- **Renewal:** the handbook says certification continues as long as the professional meets the continuing education requirement, maintains CPR/AED certification, and pays the recertification fee.

Staff may also hold credentials from other organizations, such as yoga, Pilates, cycling, or martial arts programs. Look up each one's current rule the same way. For athletic trainers and clinical exercise physiologists, see the BLS notes in the previous chapter.

## How to Verify a Credential's CPR and AED Rule

Work from the current written requirement for each credential, and keep a dated copy of what you checked.

1. **List the credentials.** For each staff member, record every certification they hold or plan to earn, with the name of the organization that awards it.
2. **Open the organization's own page.** Use its current requirement page or candidate handbook, not a summary from a course seller, and note the date you read it.
3. **Note what it asks for.** Record the course level (adult CPR and AED, or a professional rescuer or BLS level course), whether hands-on skills testing is required and how it may be done, and whether the card must be current at registration, at the exam, at renewal, or for the whole cycle.
4. **Note the proof it accepts.** For example, a copy of the front and back of the card, an eCard, or an upload to its portal, and how long the professional must keep it.
5. **Add your own rules.** Your policy, a contract, or a state law may ask for more than a certifying organization does. Plan for every rule that applies to each person.
6. **Ask when unsure.** If you cannot tell whether a course meets a credential's rule, ask that organization before staff register. Whether it accepts a specific card is its decision.

QKC Health's Heartsaver CPR AED class page describes a hands-on, instructor-led class in which students practice on manikins and AED trainers. For AHA courses that include CPR skills, the AHA requires a hands-on skills session before it issues a course completion card. To check every requirement that applies across a workforce, not only certifications, see [Workplace CPR and First Aid Requirements: What Employers Should Verify](https://qkchealth.com/resources/workplace-cpr-first-aid-requirements/).

## Health Club AED Laws in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey

Brief quotes from each statute, read on October 17, 2026. Each state decides whether its law covers your business, so have your attorney confirm before you rely on these notes.

Each state QKC Health serves has a statute aimed at health clubs. Each asks for at least one AED and at least one trained person on site, and each ties the trained person to business hours in its own words. These notes cover selected statutes only. For other AED laws in these states, such as Good Samaritan protection and New York's public access defibrillation rules, see the [AED laws section of the AED readiness toolkit](https://qkchealth.com/resources/workplace-aed-readiness-toolkit/#aed-laws).

### Connecticut

- **Who it covers:** section 21a-223 of the Connecticut General Statutes sets conditions for a health club license from the Department of Consumer Protection. Section 21a-216 defines a health club broadly, naming gymnasiums, health studios, and martial arts schools among others, and lists exclusions such as nonprofit organizations and facilities operated by the state or its political subdivisions.
- **AED:** on and after October 1, 2022, as a condition of the license, the club must keep at least one AED "in a readily accessible location" on its premises and make that location known to its employees.
- **Trained staff:** at least one employee trained in CPR and AED use, in accordance with American Red Cross or American Heart Association standards, must be on the premises "during staffed business hours".
- **Upkeep and use:** the club must maintain and test the AED according to the manufacturer's guidelines, and promptly notify a local emergency medical services provider after each use.

### New York

- **Who it covers:** General Business Law section 627-a applies to a health club, as Public Health Law section 3000-d defines it, "whose membership is fifty persons or more". Section 3000-d defines a health club as a commercial establishment offering instruction, training, assistance, or facilities for physical fitness, including gymnasiums, health studios, and martial arts and self-defense schools.
- **AED:** the club must have at least one AED on its premises, placed for "obvious and ready accessibility to staff, members and guests".
- **Trained staff:** "at all times during staffed business hours", at least one employee or authorized volunteer must be in attendance who holds valid certificates of completion of an AED course and a CPR course from a nationally recognized organization or association.
- **Public access defibrillation:** the section treats covered clubs and their staff as public access defibrillation providers under Public Health Law section 3000-b and makes them subject to that section's requirements, which the AED readiness toolkit summarizes.
- **Resuscitation masks:** Public Health Law section 3000-d separately requires public places, including health clubs, to keep adult and pediatric resuscitation masks, each with disposable gloves, readily accessible, and to post a notice that they are available and how to get CPR training.

### New Jersey

- **Who it covers:** N.J.S.A. 2A:62A-31, as amended by P.L.2012, c.6, applies to the owner or operator of a health club registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs under N.J.S.A. 56:8-39 and the sections that follow it.
- **AED:** the club must have at least one AED stored "in an accessible location within the health club that is known and available to the employees", keep it tested and maintained, and tell the local first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad or other emergency medical services provider about the AED, its type, and its location.
- **Training:** the owner or operator must "arrange and pay for training" in CPR and AED use for the club's employees, and make sure the club has at least one employee on site "during its normal business hours" who holds current certification from the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, or another training program the state health department recognizes.
- **After a use:** the club must make sure an employee who uses the AED asks the appropriate first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad for emergency medical help as soon as practicable.

### What to confirm before you rely on these notes

- Whether your business is a covered health club, given its license or registration, its membership size, and the definitions above.
- How "staffed business hours" or "normal business hours" applies to early, late, or unstaffed member-access hours at your facility.
- Which courses and cards the state accepts, and whether a local rule adds requirements.
- Whether a statute has changed since we read it. We read New Jersey's section as amended by its 2012 law; check the current statute.

The state decides how its law applies. Confirm with your attorney and, in Connecticut and New Jersey, with the agency the statute names: the Department of Consumer Protection or the Division of Consumer Affairs. If you operate in another state, look up its statutes the same way, because the rules differ from state to state.

## Keeping a Trained Person On Site Across Your Hours

Map every block of your operating week, then check who holds a current card in each one.

The AHA's AED program guide says to train enough people so that someone is always available to respond to a cardiac arrest emergency. The state laws above set their own floor for health clubs, tied to staffed or normal business hours, and your policy may set a higher one. Build a coverage map before you schedule any class.

1. **List your time blocks.** Use the blocks your schedule already uses, such as early opening, daytime, evening peak, late close, weekends, holidays, and any hours when members can enter without staff.
2. **Add the people.** For each block and site, list who is scheduled, including part-time staff, contract instructors and trainers, and managers on call.
3. **Mark current cards.** Next to each name, note the course on the card and its Renew By month. Count only cards that will still be current on the date of each shift.
4. **Find the gaps.** Flag any block with no card holder, and any block whose only card holder works alone, leaves the site on breaks, or is due to renew soon.
5. **Close the gaps.** Move a card holder into the gap, pair an untrained new hire with a card holder, or put the staff from that block first in line for training.

**Coverage checks by time block**

| Time block | Who to count | What to check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Early opening | Opening staff and early instructors | A card holder is on site from the moment you open |
| Daytime | Front desk, trainers, and managers | Breaks and meetings still leave a card holder on site |
| Evening peak | Desk staff, instructors, and trainers | Instructors in every room know the plan and the nearest AED |
| Late close | Closing staff | The last person on duty holds a card or is paired with someone who does |
| Weekends and holidays | Part-time and fill-in staff | Fill-in shifts are part of the coverage count |
| Unstaffed hours | No staff on site | Ask counsel how state rules apply, and set a written policy |
| Events and off-site classes | Staff who run them | A trained person and access to an AED go with the event |

A planning aid based on the AHA AED program guide and the state statutes in this guide. It is not a legal standard; your state law, your certifying organizations, and your own policy set the actual requirements.

### Shift and location planning worksheet

Lay out your coverage map in the shift and location planning worksheet from [Scheduling Group Training Across Shifts and Locations](https://qkchealth.com/resources/scheduling-group-cpr-training/). It has a sheet for each site and shift, with the trained responders on duty now and the number your own plan requires, a sheet that checks how many trained responders each training session leaves on duty, and a make-up list for people who miss a class.

[Download the shift and location planning worksheet (Excel workbook, 36 KB)](https://qkchealth.com/resources/group-training/files/qkc-shift-location-planning-worksheet.xlsx)

## Scheduling Training Without Leaving a Shift Uncovered

Split card holders across sessions, train the gaps first, and settle new hire rules in writing.

### Build the training groups

- Never put every card holder from one shift in the same class. Split them across sessions so each shift keeps a trained person while others train.
- Start with the people who cover the gaps on your coverage map, then the people whose Renew By month comes first. AHA cards stay valid through the end of the Renew By month, so plan the class by the last day of the earliest Renew By month in the group, allowing time for cards to be issued.
- Decide in advance how you will handle someone who misses the class. Under QKC Health's Terms of Service, participants who do not attend a group class do not reduce the confirmed group fee.
- If you train on site, check whether a studio or group exercise room is free at the time you want. QKC Health's Terms of Service ask for a room large enough for participants to work on the floor during skills practice, with access to power.

### New hires and contract staff

- Decide in your written policy whether a new hire must hold a current card before working alone, opening, or closing, and how soon after hire an untrained new hire must train. The AHA's AED program guide includes training for new staff in its list of what AED training should cover.
- Until a new hire is trained, schedule them with a card holder and leave them out of the coverage count.
- Ask for the card at hiring and record the course name and Renew By month from the card itself. Whether a card from another training organization meets your rules is your policy's decision and, for a credential, the certifying organization's.
- Apply the same rules to contract instructors and trainers who work shifts on your coverage map, and keep a copy of their cards too.

### Requesting group training from QKC Health

QKC Health is an AHA Authorized Training Center serving Fairfield County CT, Westchester County NY, and New Jersey. We bring the training equipment, including manikins and AED trainers. Most courses require a minimum of three participants. A request is not a booking: a booking is confirmed only when we confirm the course, date, time, and location with you in writing.

To request group training, use our [contact page](https://qkchealth.com/contact/) or call [(212) 548-3284](tel:2125483284). Include the courses, about how many people need each one, your preferred days and times of day, and any certification exam or renewal deadlines your staff face. The [group CPR training planner](https://qkchealth.com/resources/group-cpr-training-planner/) turns those answers into a summary for the request. For the class day, see [Hosting a Group Class: Setup and Participant Preparation](https://qkchealth.com/resources/hosting-group-cpr-class/), and for budgeting, see [Group CPR Training Costs: Budgeting and Comparing Quotes](https://qkchealth.com/resources/group-cpr-training-cost/).

## Who Checks the AED and Restocks First Aid Supplies?

Give each task a named owner and a backup on a different shift, and keep one log that both can reach.

The AHA's AED program guide suggests assigning specific people to set up training sessions, perform monthly AED checks, order new supplies, keep all AED records, check the FDA database for AED recalls, and work with local EMS if needed. Connecticut's health club law, and New Jersey's rules for anyone who acquires an AED, tie maintenance and testing to the manufacturer's guidelines, so your AED's instructions for use set how and when to check it. For the checklists themselves, use the [AED readiness toolkit](https://qkchealth.com/resources/workplace-aed-readiness-toolkit/): it has an AED inspection checklist and log, a first aid kit checklist and log, and emergency plan worksheets.

### Duties to assign

- **A quick look at opening:** whoever opens checks that each AED's status indicator shows it is ready and reports any warning to the AED owner. The AHA's guide encourages all employees to glance at the AEDs regularly and check the status indicator.
- **Scheduled checks:** the AED owner, or a backup who works a different shift, runs the checks on the schedule in your AED's instructions for use, with the toolkit's AED checklist, and records each one in the log.
- **Pads and battery:** the owner tracks the pad and battery expiration dates and orders replacements before those dates.
- **First aid supplies:** name who restocks each first aid kit after any use and who checks the kits on a schedule, with the toolkit's first aid kit checklist and log. In New York, include the resuscitation masks and gloves that Public Health Law section 3000-d requires; the statute says they are discarded after a single use, so replace them after each use.
- **After an AED use:** your plan names who tells the AED owner, who replaces the pads and supplies, and who sends any notice your state requires. Connecticut's health club law calls for prompt notice to a local emergency medical services provider after each use.
- **Records and recalls:** one person keeps the AED records the AHA's guide lists, such as the prescription, warranties, and maintenance schedules, and checks the FDA database for recalls.

Write the owner and backup for each duty into your emergency plan. The toolkit's response team roles worksheet has a place for them.

### Where the log lives

Keep one log for each AED in a single agreed place that opening staff, closing staff, the AED owner, and the backup can all reach on every shift, such as a binder at the front desk or a shared folder the management team can open. Name that place in your emergency plan so a new manager can find it.

### Training on the AED your facility uses

The AHA's AED program guide says people need to know how to use their company's specific AED. It says AED training should include time for every person to examine the AEDs and practice, training for new staff, and annual refresher training, and it notes that most manufacturers have a training video.

- When you request training, tell us the make and model of each AED at your facility, and ask how the class can cover your model. We bring AED trainers; do not assume they match your model.
- After the class, walk each person to every AED in the building and show where it is kept, what the ready indicator looks like, and where the spare pads and rescue kit are.
- Show new staff the same things during onboarding, along with the manufacturer's training video if your AED has one.

## Keeping Instructor and Trainer CPR Records

Record the Renew By month from each card, and keep the copies that certifying organizations may ask for.

AHA course completion cards are valid for two years, through the end of the Renew By month shown on the card. Record the actual Renew By month from each card or eCard, never a date you work out from a class date or a hire date. For each person, keep:

- Name, role, and the shifts or sites they cover
- The exact course name on the card, such as Heartsaver CPR AED or BLS Provider, and the organization that issued it
- The Renew By month, as printed on the card
- Each credential that depends on the card, such as an ACE, ACSM, AFAA, NASM, or NSCA certification, and that credential's own renewal date
- Where the copy of the card is stored

For the tracking process, see [How to Track Employee CPR, BLS and ACLS Renewals](https://qkchealth.com/resources/employee-cpr-certification-tracking/). For eCards, corrections, and handing records to a manager or HR, see [After the Class: Course Cards and Team Training Records](https://qkchealth.com/resources/cpr-course-cards-training-records/). The AHA's My Cards page looks up an AHA eCard by the code on the card, and the Training Center that issued a card can confirm whether it is valid.

### Proof certifying organizations may ask for

- **ACE:** a copy of the current CPR/AED card or certificate, both sides, from anyone selected for its CPR audit.
- **ACSM:** proof of eligibility and CPR status from a candidate who passed an exam and is selected for audit. The handbook says ACSM may revoke a credential it cannot verify.
- **AFAA and NASM:** documentation uploaded to the Recertification Portal at each two-year renewal.
- **BOC:** athletic trainers keep emergency cardiac care documentation for two years after the reporting period ends, as original cards or certificates or as front and back copies.
- **NSCA:** copies of the front and back of the CPR/AED card, which it accepts as scans, photocopies, or faxes.

Encourage each instructor and trainer to keep their own copy as well. Your file supports your coverage map; theirs supports their certification.

### Renewals and privacy

- Review the list on a set schedule, such as monthly, and start planning a renewal class well before the earliest Renew By month in each group.
- To renew a Heartsaver card, ask us which course to book. The BLS Renewal Course is for a current or recently expired BLS card.
- If someone needs a card by a certification exam or renewal deadline, tell us that deadline when you request training. We offer same-day eCards after successful course completion. The AHA allows a Training Center up to 20 business days to issue a card, so confirm the timing in writing.
- Keep only the information you need, store it where only the people who manage scheduling and records can see it, and remove people who leave from the coverage map.

### Team renewal tracker

A workbook with one row per card. You enter the Renew By month from the card, and it works out the last valid day, the days left, and a status word, with a summary by card type.

[Download the team renewal tracker (Excel workbook, 29 KB)](https://qkchealth.com/resources/group-training/files/qkc-team-renewal-tracker.xlsx)

## CPR and AED Training for Fitness Staff: Frequently Asked Questions

### Do personal trainers need CPR and AED certification?

Usually, yes. The personal trainer certifications from ACE, ACSM, NASM, and the NSCA each ask for a current CPR and AED certification, and each describes a hands-on skills requirement. Employers and state health club laws can add their own rules. Check the current requirement page for every credential a trainer holds, and ask the certifying organization if you are unsure.

### Is online CPR accepted for fitness certifications?

Acceptance depends on the credential. ACE requires a live skills check, which may be in person or virtual; ACSM specifies an in-person practical component, and NSCA requires a hands-on skills assessment. NASM lists a hands-on standard but also retains an older temporary-waiver notice, so confirm its current rule directly. AHA CPR course completion cards require hands-on skills testing.

### Does a gym need an AED?

It depends on the state and the business. Connecticut requires licensed health clubs, New York requires health clubs with 50 or more members, and New Jersey requires registered health clubs to keep at least one AED and have a trained staff member on site during business hours, as each law words it. Federal OSHA standards do not specifically address AEDs. Have your attorney confirm how your state law applies to your facility.

### How often should gym staff renew CPR?

AHA course completion cards are valid for two years, through the end of the Renew By month shown on the card. Fitness certifying organizations ask professionals to keep a current CPR and AED certification to renew their credentials, and the AHA AED program guide says AED training should include annual refresher training. Your facility policy can set a shorter cycle than the card.

### Do personal trainers need BLS or CPR?

Usually CPR and AED, not BLS. The AHA designs BLS Provider for healthcare professionals and trained first responders, while fitness certifications usually ask for CPR and AED with hands-on skills. Some credentials ask for more: athletic trainers need emergency cardiac care training that includes second rescuer CPR, and ACSM clinical exercise physiologists need BLS or a professional rescuer course.

### Do fitness staff need first aid certification too?

Only where a credential, a law, or your policy asks for it. ACSM says all its certifications will require first aid training starting in 2027. When first aid is needed, the AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED course combines first aid with CPR and AED, and the AHA BLS courses do not include first aid. Check each credential and your own policy.

## Sources

This guide summarizes the following official sources and QKC Health's own pages, grouped by topic: fitness certifications, state laws, AHA course and AED program information, OSHA, and QKC Health. They were checked on October 17, 2026.

1. [Schedule Your ACE Certification Exam](https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/schedule-your-exam/), American Council on Exercise
2. [Certified Personal Trainer](https://acsm.org/certification/get-certified/personal-trainer/), American College of Sports Medicine
3. [ACSM Candidate Handbook, July 2025 (PDF)](https://acsm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ACSM-Candidate-Handbook-July-2025.pdf), American College of Sports Medicine
4. [Recertification](https://acsm.org/certification/recertification/), American College of Sports Medicine
5. [Are there any prerequisites for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (NCCA) Exam?](https://support.nasm.org/are-there-any-prerequisites-for-the-nasm-certified-personal-trainer-ncca-exam), National Academy of Sports Medicine
6. [Are there any prerequisites for the AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor exam?](https://support.nasm.org/are-there-any-prerequisites-for-the-afaa-certified-group-fitness-instructor-exam), National Academy of Sports Medicine
7. [Can I do my CPR/AED course online?](https://support.nasm.org/can-i-do-my-cpr-aed-course-online), National Academy of Sports Medicine
8. [Recertification and Renewal](https://www.nasm.org/products/nasm-recertification-and-renewal-information), National Academy of Sports Medicine
9. [NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer Exam Prerequisites](https://www.nsca.com/certification/nsca-cpt/nsca-cpt-exam-prerequisites/), National Strength and Conditioning Association
10. [NSCA Certification Handbook, effective July 1, 2026 (PDF)](https://www.nsca.com/globalassets/certification/certification-pdfs/nsca-certification-handbook.pdf), National Strength and Conditioning Association
11. [Certification Renewal Requirements, Athletic Trainer Life Cycle](https://bocatc.org/athletic-trainer-life-cycle-2/), Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer
12. [Connecticut General Statutes, section 21a-216](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_420.htm#sec_21a-216), Connecticut General Assembly
13. [Connecticut General Statutes, section 21a-223](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_420.htm#sec_21a-223), Connecticut General Assembly
14. [New York General Business Law, section 627-a](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GBS/627-A), New York State Senate
15. [New York Public Health Law, section 3000-d](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PBH/3000-D), New York State Senate
16. [P.L.2012, c.6 (New Jersey AED statutes, as amended)](https://pub.njleg.gov/bills/2012/PL12/6_.HTM), New Jersey Legislature
17. [Course FAQs](https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/faqs/course-faqs), American Heart Association
18. [Heartsaver Courses](https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/heartsaver), American Heart Association
19. [Heartsaver CPR AED Training](https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/heartsaver/heartsaver-cpr-aed-training), American Heart Association
20. [Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Training](https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/heartsaver/heartsaver-first-aid-cpr-aed-training), American Heart Association
21. [BLS Course Options](https://cpr.heart.org/en/courses/basic-life-support-course-options), American Heart Association
22. [Course Card Information](https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/course-card-information), American Heart Association
23. [Your On-site AED Program: An Implementation Guide (PDF)](https://cpr.heart.org/en/-/media/CPR-Files/Training-Programs/AED-Implementation/2023-updates/KJ1683-AED-Guide.pdf), American Heart Association
24. [Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs): Standards](https://www.osha.gov/aed/standards), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
25. [Terms of Service](https://qkchealth.com/terms/), QKC Health
26. [Heartsaver CPR AED Certification in Connecticut](https://qkchealth.com/classes/heartsaver-cpr-aed/), QKC Health

Last updated: October 17, 2026

## Ready to Plan Training for Your Fitness Team?

Send your roles, shifts, and course needs through our contact page, or call us to talk it through. QKC Health brings AHA CPR, AED, and first aid training to your facility for groups of 3 or more, and a booking is confirmed only in writing.

- [Request Group Training](https://qkchealth.com/contact/)
- [Call (212) 548-3284](tel:2125483284)

## Disclaimer

**General information only.** This guide is general educational information about American Heart Association (AHA) courses. It is not medical, legal, or OSHA compliance advice. It does not replace hands-on CPR, BLS, or first aid training, and reading it does not certify you in any course. In an emergency, call 911.

**Accuracy.** We strive to keep this guide accurate and current, but AHA guidelines, course content, card rules, and certification requirements can change, and we cannot promise that every detail is complete, current, or free of errors.

**Check the official source.** Before you rely on anything here, confirm course, card, and guideline details with the AHA at [cpr.heart.org](https://cpr.heart.org/), and confirm what you are required to hold with your employer, school or program, licensing board, or state agency. If this guide differs from an official source, follow the official source. You are responsible for confirming which course and card you need before you register.

**Spot an error?** If anything on this page, or anywhere on our site, looks incorrect or out of date, please call us at [(212) 548-3284](tel:2125483284) or send us a message through our [contact page](https://qkchealth.com/contact/) so we can review it and update it.

**About the AHA.** QKC Health LLC is an AHA Authorized Training Center. This guide is written and published by QKC Health, not by the AHA, and the AHA has not reviewed or endorsed it.

The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in all AHA courses and has developed instructional materials for this purpose. Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the AHA. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a portion of fees needed for AHA course materials, do not represent income to the AHA.

**Outside links and terms.** Links to the AHA, OSHA, and other outside websites are provided for convenience. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content. Your use of this guide is subject to our [Terms of Service](https://qkchealth.com/terms/), including its Limitation of Liability section and its notices for New Jersey and New York residents.

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Published by QKC Health LLC (https://qkchealth.com/), an American Heart Association Authorized Training Center serving Connecticut, Westchester County NY, and New Jersey. Phone: (212) 548-3284. Book training: https://qkchealth.com/contact/