Training Center Profiles
There’s nothing more valuable than the been-there, done-that advice we can learn from our industry colleagues. In our Customer Spotlight feature, we share the ideas, lessons learned, and best practices of our Training Centers. Read on to discover how they make their TC a success.
Please note, all questionnaires were submitted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Training Center (TC) Name: Actfast, Inc.
TC Director: Charlotte Rigsby
TC Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Brand affiliation: ASHI for about 15 years
What is the biggest challenge for your business? Beating the competition.
What do you do to market your training business? Word of mouth, Facebook, Instagram, email and a small bit of cold calls.
Based on what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were starting out? Set up a website! Affiliate with local Chambers of Commerce.
What are your plans for your Training Center for the next 5-10 years? Going digital with everything I can! Adding new instructors to my training center. Customer additions.
Of your business or training investments that cost less than $500, what has given you the best return? A new computer
What strategies have proved to be a waste of time and money? Mail outs and cold calls.
Where do you go to stay current with the latest industry information and knowledge? Obviously HSI. Then I check with OSHA and my state’s requirements. I also look at other training companies that post good up to date information.
Can you share a favorite Good Samaritan story about your students? This year I have had numerous students share their experiences providing CPR. I guess the one that impressed me the most came from one of my long-time customers. He was working with a first-year electrician. The young man hit a low hanging power line and was shocked. It knocked him off and the senior electrician got to him quickly. He was not breathing so he administered CPR within a minute or two. After five cycles of CPR he had revived the young man. He thanked me and thanked me for his training!
Do you have any specific training tips, such as props, scenarios or exercises, that you would like to share? I actually use an example of providing CPR that happened to me. It helps the students understand the steps that are taken to secure the scene, check for response, call for help and assess for breathing or gasping. I call it the “pickle man story.” I was checking out at a grocery store when a man collapsed. He had nothing but jars of pickles, (thus the name). All of the jars of pickles fell and broke. His head had hit the place where the groceries are put. It split the skin on his head when he went down. The scene was a mess! I asked for help clearing the scene and help move the victim to his back. After getting no response I asked the same gentleman to call 911 and retrieve the AED from customer service. After assessing for breathing I realized he needed CPR. I performed CPR until an EMT came with the AED. I continued CPR until the pads were attached to the victim’s chest. This helps students understand the steps that need to be taken, perform CPR and incorporate an AED. Sometimes real-life experiences help the students have a better understanding of how to respond in an emergency.
Training Center (TC) name: Head Start of Lane County
TC Director: Jean Sperry
TC Instructors: Val Haynes, Jean Sperry, Heather Shulmire, Gabriela Fabian-Santiago, Sylvia Hartsock, Heidi Johnson, Alyssa McPherson, Bethany Pritichanrd, Lonnie Stone, Chris Hendrick, Jorjie Arden, Jen Cooper
TC Location: Eugene, Oregon
Website: www.hsolc.org
Brand affiliation: MEDIC First Aid for 3-5 years
Business structure: Non-profit corporation, Internal TC
Based on what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were starting out? Be patient figuring out the Otis Platform...you will get it!
Of your business or training investments that cost less than $500, what has given you the best return? Manikins
Does your organization offer refresher training? If so, what strategies have worked to encourage employees to participate? It is required to maintain employment
Where do you go to stay current with the latest industry information and knowledge? HSI Blog
What is the biggest training challenge at your company? Scheduling and coordinating training across multiple locations
What is the most difficult part of managing an internal TC? Recruiting and scheduling Skill Check for Instructors around other work responsibilities.
Do you have any specific training tips, such as props, scenarios or exercises, that you would like to share? We like to use the Obstructed airway vest on an adult manikin torso.
Training Center (TC) Name: CPR.AED.BFA.Associates
TC Director: Catherine Riley
TC Location: Holland, Massachusetts
Brand affiliation: ASHI for over 25 years
What is the biggest challenge for your business? Keeping cost down without sacrifice, so that all can afford the training.
What do you do to market your training business? Word of mouth
Based on what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when you were starting out? Best results are possible with an engaged, open and accepting Instructor. Keep up with ongoing personal education. Stay strong.
What are your plans for your Training Center for the next 5-10 years? Probably retirement. LOL.
Of your business or training investments that cost less than $500, what has given you the best return? Key chain barriers with phone number and name.
What strategies have proved to be a waste of time and money? Direct mail, cold calls, newspapers
Where do you go to stay current with the latest industry information and knowledge? Everywhere, but ASHI is #1
Can you share a favorite Good Samaritan story about your students? During introductions in a community class, seven of the ten students had the same last name. When I asked, "What’s going on here?" The patriarch said, “This is my family, and I am a survivor of SCA because someone knew CPR and saved my life, so now the family comes to learn.” Pretty moving!
Do you have any specific training tips, such as props, scenarios or exercises, that you would like to share? Allow for "self-discovery". If a student isn't quite on the mark, ask them to do their own self-evaluation, and usually they recognize their error and self-correct.
We want to hear from you!
Let your colleagues know what's worked, and what hasn't, in your training business and classrooms by completing one of our 15-minute profile surveys.
If your TC provides training for individuals or organizations for a fee, click the "External TC" button. For those TCs that offer training for employees/members at no charge, choose "Internal TC."

|