Teaching the Public to Save Lives

For more than a century, the American Red Cross has been saving lives with health and safety education programs. Red Cross training ranges from first aid, CPR and AED to swimming and lifeguarding; from HIV/AIDS education to caregiving programs like Babysitter’s Training. American Red Cross programs help people live safer and healthier lives. The Red Cross constantly strives to respond to the health and safety concerns of Americans at home, in school and in the workplace. Today’s innovative programs also include teaching lay persons and professionals how to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to save victims of sudden cardiac arrest. 

Every year more than 12 million people enroll in Red Cross courses to learn how to prevent and cope with injuries, the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading killer of children. One in 23 Americans has received Red Cross training that reflects the most recent developments in first aid, lifeguarding, swimming, CPR, and health care. As a result, the chances are better than ever that a Red Cross-trained volunteer is nearby ready to act when someone starts to choke, collapses from a heart attack, or is drowning in a swimming pool.

Our mission is to reduce the incidence of accidental death and injury through educational programs that are accessible, affordable, and responsive to the needs of the American people.