Rescue Diver students and Divemaster/Instructor candidates must have current (within the past 24 months) EFR Primary and Secondary Care training.
If you’ve completed CPR and first aid training elsewhere within the past 24 months, contact your PADI Instructor to confirm whether the training you receive meets the prerequisite. Please provide the name of the certifying organization, the course name(s) and any supporting documentation. Please note: online-only courses without hands-on training do not meet the prerequisite for any PADI courses.
What if I’m a healthcare professional? We recognize nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals receive comprehensive medical training during their initial schooling. However, in the years that follow, some medical professionals do not use CPR and first aid skills frequently.
Our goal is to have PADI Rescue Divers, Divemasters and Instructors who are recently trained in CPR and first aid. With that in mind:
- If you work in a triage environment such as an emergency room and use your CPR and first aid skills regularly, simply provide your instructor with written confirmation from the facility where you work indicating this is your routine practice area.
- If your initial medical training took place within the past two years, provide your instructor with written confirmation from your educational facility that clearly indicates you received both first aid and CPR training and the course completion date.
- If you completed your medical training more than two years ago but you’ve participated in CPR and first aid refresher training, provide your instructor with information about the certifying organization and the course name(s). Your instructor will verify if the training you received covers the same topics and adheres to the same standards as EFR Primary and Secondary Care.
Why Emergency First Response?
Emergency First Response is one of the largest international CPR, AED and first aid training organizations. Every day, in 170 countries around the world, 56,000 EFR Instructors help individuals, communities and businesses prepare for emergencies. EFR Courses make learning easy by providing a non-stressful environment and learning tools to help students remember key procedures in an emergency.
EFR Primary and Secondary Care
Through a combination of knowledge development and hands-on skill practice, you’ll learn how to identify and respond to life-threatening emergencies (primary care). Learn how to identify a stroke, handle a spinal injury, administer CPR and gain other essential lifesaving skills.
During the secondary care part of the course, you’ll learn how to handle injuries or illnesses that are not immediately life-threatening. Learn how to bandage and splint injuries, burn care, what to do following an animal bite or sting and other basic first aid skills. Your instructor will help you build confidence through hands-on practice in realistic scenarios.
CPR & AED
An Automated External Defibrillation (AED) can increase someone’s odds of surviving cardiac arrest by up to 50 percent. Learn how to deploy and use an AED and perform basic CPR.
Please note, the EFR CPR & AED course alone does not meet the prerequisites for PADI Rescue Diver, Divemaster or Instructor courses. You may add AED training to a Primary & Secondary Care course. Contact a PADI Dive Shop or an EFR Instructor for more information or to register.
Care for Children
During the Emergency First Response Care for Children course, you’ll learn what to do if a child or infant is ill or injured. Find out how medical emergencies can be different for children versus adults and gain valuable insights about the emotional aspects of caring for children. You’ll also learn how to prevent common childhood injuries and illnesses.
Through knowledge development and realistic scenario practice, you’ll acquire the knowledge and skills you’ll need in an emergency or minor (but tear-inducing) mishap. Contact a PADI Dive Shop or an EFR Instructor for more information or to register for this course.
FIND A TRAINING CENTER








Reviews
There are no reviews yet.