New RSV How-To Videos and FAQs in Otis

Short how-to videos are now available to help guide you as you administer RSV courses. New videos addressing our most popular questions are on your dashboard in Otis under the “Video Help” section. 

We've also expanded our FAQs to quickly address many of your questions. You can always find the latest version of our FAQs at the bottom of our RSV webpage.

The new videos, along with the FAQs, are available for you to use in your Otis 3.0 platform.

Customizable Flyer and Video

To support your business and help you promote RSV to your customers, we developed a customizable flyer and a 60-second video that you can share, embed on your website, or send as a link in your own marketing efforts through email or social media.

Here's a link to the new customizable RSV flyer. The flyer offers your customers an overview of the easy RSV process and how it can benefit them.

Both the flyer and the video can also be found in your Otis 3.0 portal.

Extension Announcement

On April 9, 2020 HSI extended the Instructor and Instructor Trainer authorization period by 120 days. Also, on April 9, 2020 HSI recommended the expiration date of a legitimately issued certification card be extended 120 days. You can read the full April 9^th statement here.

On August 1, 2020 HSI will return to the normal authorization and certification periods. Please see the tables below.

A COVID-19 Update on this topic can be downloaded here or accessed through your Otis portal.

Regarding Instructor and Instructor Trainer Reauthorization, the authorization card in the Otis Learning Manager Portal will automatically reflect the extended expiration date. Regarding student certification cards, instructors do not need to change to the expiration date of a certification card to reflect an extra 120 days. The extension on the expiration is a recommendation. It is up to the employer or regulatory agency to determine if they will accept an expired certification card with HSI’s recommended 120-day extension. The expiration date for a new certification card should not exceed two years from the month of issue.

To help authorized TCs and Instructors maintain these guidelines, HSI has a range of convenient options for courses that reduce or eliminate classroom contact hours.

Blended Learning

Blended learning gives Training Centers (TCs) and Instructors a flexible, convenient scheduling option that reduces classroom contact hours by combining online cognitive learning and in-person hands-on skills practice for certification.

Students can take their training whenever it best fits into their schedule, wherever they are located. Plus, there’s no need to complete the online component all in one session. The Otis platform allows students to return to where they left off at their next log in. TCs only need to arrange an in-class session for the required skills session. To offer the blended format, simply log into Otis to purchase your blended learning credits.

For more information and a marketing flyer you can customize for your customers, follow this link.

Remote Skills Verification (RSV)

RSV is a fully integrated portal that delivers remote hands-on skills verification with blended training options. With RSV, students benefit from real-time feedback and guidance from instructors to correctly demonstrate the required skills and complete certification, all without unnecessary travel.

RSV is entirely remote and handled completely through your Otis 3.0 platform. HSI handles the scheduling, email notifications and digital certification delivery upon completion. Depending on the course, you can provide the hands-on skills components, or you can let HSI handle shipping those to your students.  

RSV gives TCs the ultimate flexibility in training, allowing you to choose which RSV option makes the most sense for you and your students. Find out more here.

In-Person Training Guidelines

HSI has developed in-person training guidelines using a TEACH COVID SAFE approach that emphasizes social distancing, proper Instructor and student protection, and thorough cleaning of equipment. Be sure to review these guidelines prior to returning to in-person classroom training.

Click here to see the full TEACH COVID SAFE guidelines.

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."

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Thank you for sharing your comments and questions. We look forward to hearing how we can be a better partner to you.