Online first aid courses

Wisconsin follows the federal OSHA rule (29 CFR 1910.151(b)): there is no fixed first-aider-to-employee ratio, but where no infirmary or hospital is in near proximity the employer must ensure persons are adequately trained to render first aid, with supplies readily available. OSHA guidance expects a trained responder or EMS to reach a victim within 3-4 minutes for high-hazard operations and roughly 15 minutes for lower-hazard sites.

Wisconsin childcare licensing (Administrative Code DCF 251.05, under the Department of Children and Families) requires at least one person with current pediatric CPR and first aid certification present at all times children are in care. Certification is renewed on roughly a two-year cycle and online courses are accepted.

Wisconsin's Good Samaritan statute (Wis. Stat. § 895.48) grants any person who in good faith renders emergency care at the scene immunity from civil liability, provided the care is emergency care rendered at the scene in good faith. Health-care professionals rendering care for compensation within their usual employment are excluded, and § 895.48(4) extends immunity to AED use except in cases of gross negligence.

Wisconsin registered and licensed practical nurses renew through the Wisconsin Board of Nursing with no state-wide CE-hour standard — only advanced practice nurses with prescriptive authority need 16 contact hours per 2-year cycle. Keeping resuscitation and first-aid skills current is employer-driven, so a CPR course meets an employer or facility standard rather than a licensure CE requirement.

In Wisconsin assisted living (community-based residential facilities, CBRF), staffing standards under Admin. Code DHS 83 require every employee to complete first aid and choking-relief training within 90 days of employment (DHS 83.20). CPR is not expressly state-mandated but is commonly required by home-care employers.

Wisconsin's foster care licensing rule (Wis. Admin. Code ch. DCF 56) requires preplacement training that includes medication administration and first aid, including CPR appropriate to the age of any foster child placed in the home. It is administered by the Department of Children and Families, with first-aid reauthorizations built into ongoing training for higher levels of care.

Online CPR and first aid training is recognized in Wisconsin, with no explicit ban on the online format, and certification is valid for 3 years. OSHA does not prohibit online training but its interpretation letters favor a hands-on skills evaluation, so blended formats (online theory plus a practical component) are recommended.