Frequently asked questions

Are Online BLS & ACLS Certification Classes Valid?

Are online BLS, ACLS & PALS Courses an Internet Scam?

Do you think online CPR classes are valid?

Over the past few years, we have had numerous students come to
 us after wasting money on one of those online CPR training companies.

How someone can take a BLS, ACLS or PALS class on a computer.?

1. Go to an online CPR course website

2. Pay about $60 with a credit card

3. Print out your certification card.

So, do you think this sounds like a valid certification card?


You did not get a course manual, no practice on manikins, no written test, no 
instructor feedback, and no reading or videos.

How these companies trick the community: 


1. They frequently offer a one hundred percent money back guarantee.


That is generous. However, these scam companies already know that their 
certification is not accepted for any type of job in Ontario. 

In order to get 
your money back, you must have your supervisor fill out a long form that asks 
for their personal information. 

And then your supervisor will know that you
 decided to take a fake CPR class instead of attending an official training.


RNAO will use its own discretion and quality control mechanisms before they consider your claim eligible for any reimbursement.  (Applies to Nurses only)

2. These companies use similar names to the Heart and Stroke
 Foundation or Red Cross in order to trick people.


3. They use logos that are similar to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or Red Cross.

Why you should not take an online BLS / ACLS seminar:

You do not receive a valid certification card.

You would not be prepared to perform life-saving maneuvers.

You would have to take the class all over again.

It is possible that you could lose your job or work time by not taking the correct class.

You should not support these scam CPR companies.

What you should do?

You should make the responsible decision and take an official Heart and Stroke Foundation BLS / ACLS or PALS course. 

The Heart and Stroke Foundation teaches a variety of
 Emergency Cardiac Care

Courses in many locations in Canada.

Does BCLSguy run renewal courses?

The short answer is yes.

This course is available to those groups identified by the Heart and Stroke Foundation as Experienced Providers

Although we do tailor courses to the indivual needs of a group, we can organize a renewal course for participants who work in qualifying clinical areas of their Health Care setting.

Please contact us if you have a group of participants who would like to arrange for a renewal course.

BLS Renewal Courses

We heard you. You told us that experienced BLS providers don’t want to relearn information they already know, and the time they spend relearning could be better spent improving patient outcomes!

In April 2017 the Heart and Stroke Foundation released a new course with a tightly designed curriculum, defined course objectives and four accelerated learning agenda choices designed especially for these experienced BLS providers.

This accelerated course enables experienced providers to renew their existing Heart & Stroke BLS certification in less than half the time of the full course. 

Students need to come prepared. The BLS Renewal course is fast-paced, assumes you have retained the cognitive knowledge learned in the Heart and Stroke BLS Provider course and can demonstrate skills mastery. There will be limited practice and limited opportunities for remedial coaching.

All participants are expected to be highly proficient BLS providers. This is not an entry-level course, those students who are unsuccessful in the skills or knowledge test will have to take a full BLS Provider course.

Who is an experienced provider?

Experienced BLS providers are highly proficient professionals, who already have a current Heart & Stroke BLS Provider course completion card (issued within the past 12 months and current to the most recent Guidelines) and use their BLS skills frequently in responding to cardiac arrest cases.

The BLS Renewal course is designed for professionals working in the ED, CCU, ICU, PICU or as a member of a code team, as well as paramedics and other pre-hospital first responders who frequently respond to cardiovascular emergencies. The BLS Renewal is also an efficient way for proficient providers to meet the BLS prerequisite in advance of an ACLS or PALS course.

BLS vs BCLS for Health Care Providers (HCP)
The new lingo is BLS for Providers.

Both descriptions are used and interchanged frequently to describe this  course.

This course is the pre-requisite for any of the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) advanced level courses such as ACLS and PALS

  • ACLS = Advanced Cardiac Life Support
  • PALS = Paediatric Advanced Life Support