BLS vs CPR vs first aid: which card is which?
Written by Justin Alcalde, AHA and American Red Cross instructor, CPR West Covina
What is BLS?
BLS stands for Basic Life Support. The American Heart Association designs its BLS course for healthcare professionals and other personnel who need CPR and basic cardiovascular life support skills in and out of the hospital. The AHA also says fire, police and emergency medical personnel usually need a BLS course.
The course teaches high-quality CPR for adults, children and infants, breaths and ventilations, early AED use, working as a team during multirescuer CPR, and choking relief for all ages. You leave with an AHA BLS Provider card, valid for 2 years. Every route includes hands-on skills: the online HeartCode BLS lesson must be followed by a hands-on session with an AHA Training Center before the card is issued.
We teach AHA BLS Provider at our West Covina training center for $89, in under 2 hours, with a same-day eCard.
Is BLS the same as CPR?
Every BLS class teaches CPR, but not every CPR class is BLS. The AHA CPR course for people outside healthcare is Heartsaver CPR AED. It is designed for anyone with little or no medical training who needs a CPR card for work, or who simply wants to be ready to help.
Heartsaver CPR AED teaches adult CPR, AED use and choking relief, plus how to spot a heart attack or stroke, drowning response and opioid emergencies. Child and infant CPR are optional modules at the AHA, and our classes include them. BLS goes further for clinical work: CPR for all ages is standard, and its course list adds breaths and ventilations and team CPR with more than one rescuer.
BLS vs Heartsaver CPR AED vs Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED
| Item | AHA BLS Provider | AHA Heartsaver CPR AED | AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Healthcare professionals, and other personnel who need CPR in and out of the hospital | Anyone with little or no medical training who needs a CPR card for work | The same people, when the job also asks for first aid |
| CPR | Adults, children and infants | Adults, with child and infant modules (included in our classes) | Adults, with child and infant modules (included in our classes) |
| AED use | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Choking relief | Adults, children and infants | Adults, children and infants | Adults, children and infants |
| Breaths, ventilations and team CPR | Yes | Not on the AHA course list | Not on the AHA course list |
| First aid | No | No | Yes: medical, injury and environmental emergencies |
| Card | AHA BLS Provider eCard, valid 2 years | AHA Heartsaver CPR AED card, valid 2 years | AHA Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED card, valid 2 years |
| Price here | $89 | $79 | $98 |
Course content is taken from the American Heart Association course pages. Prices match our checkout.
Does BLS include first aid?
No. The AHA says plainly that first aid is not included in its BLS courses. For first aid it points to Heartsaver First Aid, Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED and Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED.
So CPR and first aid are not the same thing. A CPR AED class covers cardiac arrest, AED use and choking. First aid covers medical, injury and environmental emergencies. The AHA offers them as separate courses, and Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED puts both on one card.
Need BLS and first aid?
Take two classes. Book BLS for the healthcare card, then Heartsaver First Aid $69 or Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED $98 for the first aid card.
Red Cross BLS vs Red Cross CPR and first aid
The American Red Cross splits its classes the same way. Red Cross BLS is for healthcare clinicians and first responders. Its Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED class is for people who need a certification that satisfies OSHA workplace or other regulatory requirements.
| Item | Red Cross BLS | Red Cross Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Nurses, physicians, EMS professionals and other healthcare and public safety personnel | Anyone who needs a certification for an OSHA workplace or other regulatory requirement |
| CPR and AED | Adults, children and infants | Adults, children and infants |
| Breathing emergencies and choking | Yes, including obstructed airways | Yes, breathing emergencies |
| Teamwork and communication | Yes | Not on the Red Cross course description |
| First aid | Not on the Red Cross course list | Yes |
| Certificate | Red Cross digital certificate, valid 2 years | Red Cross digital certificate, valid 2 years |
| Price here | $69 | $79.99 |
Course content is taken from the American Red Cross class pages. Prices match our checkout.
Check which brand your employer names
If the posting names the American Heart Association, book the AHA class. If it accepts the Red Cross, see Red Cross BLS or Red Cross Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED.
Which one does my job want?
- Read the posting word for word
If it says "BLS", "Basic Life Support" or "BLS Provider", book BLS. If it says "CPR", "CPR/AED" or "First Aid/CPR", book a course for people outside healthcare, like Heartsaver, and add first aid if the posting names it.
- Healthcare jobs and students in clinicals: BLS
Nurses, doctors, EMTs, dental staff, medical assistants, fire and police usually need BLS. Students in nursing, medical, dental or EMT programs should book BLS when the program names it, and ask the program if the handbook only says CPR.
- Teachers, coaches, daycare and fitness: Heartsaver
If you are not a healthcare professional, the AHA says Heartsaver CPR AED is probably best for a work CPR card. Add first aid if the job asks for it. For daycare, the AHA points to a different course, Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED, so ask your director or licensing office which course they accept before you book.
- Check AHA or Red Cross
Some employers name one organization. Match the brand on the posting before you book.
- Still unsure? Ask before you pay
Use Which CPR class do I need? to pick by job, or call us at (626) 605-2067 with your job title and we will help you choose.
Questions people ask
Is BLS the same as CPR?
Not exactly. BLS is a CPR course for healthcare professionals. It teaches CPR for adults, children and infants, breaths and ventilations, AED use, team CPR and choking relief. A general CPR course, like AHA Heartsaver CPR AED, is built for people with little or no medical training.
Does BLS include first aid?
No. The AHA says first aid is not included in its BLS courses. If you need first aid too, add Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED or Heartsaver First Aid.
Does BLS count as CPR certification?
BLS covers CPR and AED use for adults, children and infants, so ask your employer whether a BLS card meets their CPR rule. Your employer makes the final call. If they also want first aid, BLS alone will not cover it.
Is CPR and first aid the same thing?
No. A CPR AED class covers cardiac arrest, AED use and choking. First aid covers medical, injury and environmental emergencies. The AHA offers them as separate Heartsaver courses, or together as Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED on one card.
Heartsaver vs BLS: which should I take?
Take BLS if you work or train in healthcare, EMS, fire or police, or if the posting says BLS. Take Heartsaver if you are not a healthcare professional and need a CPR card for work, and pick the version with first aid if the job asks for it.
Is Red Cross BLS the same as AHA BLS?
Both are BLS courses for healthcare workers, both cover CPR and AED for adults, children and infants, and both cards are valid for 2 years. The Red Cross says its BLS content is consistent with the 2025 AHA Guidelines. Some employers name one organization, so check yours before you book.
Can I get BLS certification online?
Not fully. The AHA requires a hands-on skills session after the online portion, and the Red Cross requires an in-person session to check your skills. With HeartCode BLS you do the AHA lesson online, then finish the skills session with us for $79.
Book the right class
BLS $89 or Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED $98, taught in person at 100 N. Barranca St, Suite #255-B, West Covina, with a same-day eCard.
Related questions
Sources
- American Heart Association: Basic Life Support (BLS)
- American Heart Association: Heartsaver CPR AED
- American Heart Association: Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED
- American Heart Association: course FAQs (BLS and first aid, choosing a course)
- American Red Cross: BLS classes
- American Red Cross: Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED class
Facts checked . Prices on this page come straight from our booking system, so they match checkout.