Why CPR Needs to Be Refreshed Every Year
Your HLTAID011 First Aid certificate is valid for three years. Your CPR is not. The Australian Resuscitation Council recommends refreshing CPR every 12 months, and that recommendation exists for good reasons.
CPR is a physical skill. The depth, rate, and consistency of compressions all matter. The timing of rescue breaths matters. The confidence to act without hesitation matters. None of those things are maintained by having done the course once. They are maintained by practice.
Guidelines also change. The evidence base around CPR, rescue breaths, and defibrillation is reviewed and updated regularly. An annual refresher ensures your technique reflects current standards, not the approach that was taught three years ago.
"When people understand the why behind what they are learning, the skills stay with them for life."
What I Focus On in This Session
A CPR refresher is short. That means every minute needs to be used well. I do not spend this session on theory you already know. I spend it on the things that actually fail in a real emergency.
The first is compression quality. Most people compress too slowly, too shallowly, or stop too often. We work on consistent rate, consistent depth, and staying on the chest. Two minutes of uninterrupted CPR sounds manageable. On a floor, on a real-weight manikin, pushing to the correct depth at the correct rate, it is harder than you expect. That is exactly why we practice it.
The second is rescue breaths. Breaths are valuable and a person in cardiac arrest does need them. But they need to be delivered efficiently. You have a five-second window from when you leave the chest to when you need to be back on compressions. We practice that timing so it becomes automatic, not something you calculate under pressure.
The third is the AED. Every session includes hands-on operation of an AED in a simulated scenario. Not watching a demonstration. Actually turning it on, following the prompts, and delivering a practice shock.
Unit of Competency
This unit is also included in HLTAID011, HLTAID012, HLTAID013, and HLTAID014. If you hold one of those certificates and need to renew CPR only, HLTAID009 is the correct course. It is accepted across all Australian states and territories.
CPR Training for Workplaces, Schools and Communities
This session is designed for anyone required to hold a current CPR certificate, including employees under workplace health and safety obligations, educators, childcare staff, sporting clubs, community groups, and individuals. Every session is practical and assessed.
Two minutes of uninterrupted single-rescuer CPR on a full-sized adult manikin. Correct hand position, compression depth of 5 to 6cm, and 100 to 120 compressions per minute assessed.
Two-finger technique on an infant manikin with correct compression depth and airway management. Covers age-appropriate differences in compression depth, rate, and rescue breath delivery.
Head tilt, chin lift, and seal technique. The five-second window for two breaths before returning to compressions practiced until it becomes automatic under pressure.
Hands-on use of an Automated External Defibrillator within a simulated emergency. Pad placement, safety checks, and delivering a practice shock following voice prompts.
How to swap between rescuers with minimal interruption to compressions. Communication, timing, and maintaining quality compressions through transitions covered and practiced.
Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation. The full sequence from recognition to action practiced until it is instinctive rather than calculated.
The Reality of Performing CPR
This is the part of CPR training that most courses skip over. I do not skip it, because I think it is the most important preparation you can have.
Performing CPR on a real person is not like practising on a manikin. The body feels different. The situation is frightening. And there is a physiological response that almost every rescuer experiences but almost nobody talks about in training: the instinct not to harm the person in front of you.
Effective chest compressions require enough force to depress an adult sternum by five to six centimetres. That force, applied consistently at 100 to 120 compressions per minute, will in many cases result in rib fractures. This is not a failure of technique. It is a known and expected consequence of performing CPR correctly. A cracked rib is survivable. Cardiac arrest without intervention is not.
"Your body will resist doing what you need to do. Training is how you override that resistance before you are ever in that moment."
The second thing training prepares you for is the pace. You have to push hard enough and fast enough to be effective. Most untrained bystanders compress too gently and too slowly because it feels more natural. It does not look like the person is suffering. In reality, ineffective compressions deliver almost no benefit.
Rescue breaths are beneficial and should be attempted when possible. The person in cardiac arrest does need oxygen delivered to their blood. However, the priority is always to minimise time off the chest. You have a five-second window to deliver two breaths and return to compressions. Practising that timing in training is the only way to make it feel natural under pressure. Compression-only CPR is a valid alternative in specific circumstances, but it is not the preferred approach when breaths can be delivered safely and efficiently.
When Compression-Only CPR Is Appropriate
Standard CPR with rescue breaths is the recommended approach for most situations. Compression-only CPR is appropriate in specific circumstances where delivering breaths is not safe or practical.
In all other circumstances, compressions and breaths together give the casualty the best chance. Compressions keep blood circulating. Breaths keep that blood oxygenated. Both matter.
The Defibrillator Changes the Outcome
CPR alone keeps a person alive. A defibrillator gives them a chance to recover. The two work together, and understanding that relationship changes how you respond in an emergency.
Most cardiac arrests involving a shockable rhythm cannot be reversed by compressions alone. The heart needs an electrical reset. An AED delivers that reset. The earlier it is applied, the better the outcome. Every minute without defibrillation reduces survival chances by approximately 10 percent.
When you arrive at an emergency, send someone for the AED immediately. Do not wait to see whether CPR is working. The AED should be on its way before you start your first compression.
"CPR is about survival, not always in the way you might think. You could save the person in front of you. You could save the person waiting for a transplant."
Effective and continuous CPR does more than give a casualty a chance at survival. It keeps organs viable. For people on the organ donor register, bystander CPR can be the difference between organs that are viable for transplant and organs that are not. Every compression matters, not just for the person in front of you.
Further Reading From the REACHAU Blog
A firsthand account from Britt on why bystander CPR matters beyond the immediate casualty. Includes the connection between effective compressions and organ viability for donation.
Covers survival rates, Good Samaritan protections, differences between adult and infant CPR, when to stop, and how to stay calm. Practical answers to the questions most people have but rarely ask.
Why the AED is the most overlooked step in a roadside emergency and how to build the habit of sending for it immediately. Includes practical role-assignment tips for multi-rescuer situations.
What Participants Say
I thought the training course was very educational. After the session I walked out with new knowledge about first aid that could help during a situation where it is needed. The trainer was very knowledgeable and very clear when explaining first aid in the practical course.
Britt's personality and down to earth approach made for a relaxed and enjoyable learning environment.
Short but covered all that was required, didn't drag on. Easy to understand the trainer.
Trainer explained difficult concepts in easy to understand terms and was very engaging when explaining the scenarios.
Common Questions
How long is the HLTAID009 certificate valid for?
12 months. The Australian Resuscitation Council recommends annual CPR refresher training to maintain skill currency and stay current with guideline updates.
How long does the session take?
Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours face-to-face. There is no lengthy online pre-work for this course.
Do I need this if I already hold HLTAID011?
Yes. HLTAID011 includes CPR but is valid for three years. The CPR component should be refreshed annually. HLTAID009 is the standalone course for annual CPR renewal.
What if I break someone's ribs during CPR? Am I liable?
No. Rib fractures are a known and expected consequence of effective compressions. Australian Good Samaritan laws protect you when you act in good faith without expectation of payment. A fractured rib is survivable. Not performing CPR is not a safer choice for the casualty.
Should I do rescue breaths or just compressions?
Standard CPR includes both. Rescue breaths are beneficial and should be delivered when possible within a five-second window off the chest. Compression-only CPR is appropriate when breaths cannot be delivered safely. This is covered in the session.
Is there a physical requirement for this course?
Assessment requires performing CPR on an adult manikin on the floor for at least two minutes. If you have a physical limitation that may affect this, contact Britt before booking to discuss options.
Can you run this at our workplace?
Yes. On-site CPR refresher sessions are available for workplaces, schools, clubs, and community groups across Perth metro and regional Western Australia. Contact Britt to arrange.
Is this training available in regional WA?
Yes. REACHAU was built specifically to serve regional, remote, and underserved communities. Participants come from Byford, Armadale, Serpentine, Jarrahdale, the Wheatbelt, and the South West. If you are in a community that is hard to reach, that is exactly where we want to be.
What is the price of the HLTAID009 CPR course?
Course pricing is on the booking page. Use the Book Now button to find upcoming sessions and current pricing. Group and on-site bookings are available. Contact Britt directly for a quote.
Serving Communities Across Western Australia
REACHAU delivers HLTAID009 CPR refresher training to individuals, workplaces, schools, and community groups across Perth's south-east corridor and regional Western Australia. If larger providers do not come to your area, that is exactly the gap REACHAU exists to fill.
Book Your Annual CPR Refresher
Nationally recognised. Personally delivered. Available across Western Australia.