Basic Life Support (BLS)

1. BLS Overview
2. Completing the BLS Requirement
   • Updating BLS Data in the Officer Secure Area
   • Checking the BLS Card upload in your eOPF
3. Disclaimer

BLS Overview

A current Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification for healthcare providers is one of the 7 requirements needed to achieve and maintain a basic level of readiness. BLS certification must be renewed every 24 months and BEFORE the expiration of the previous BLS Certificate. Therefore, officers should plan accordingly to ensure a valid BLS certification is acquired prior to the expiration. BLS training is not simply Adult Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). It must include Adult, Pediatric, and Infant CPR and Foreign Body Airway Obstruction (FBAO) as well as training in the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Officers must complete and maintain currency in one of the following approved certifications:

1. American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) for health care providers;
2. American Heart Association (AHA) Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS);
3. American Red Cross (ARC) CPR/AED for the professional rescuer;
4. American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI) CPR for the professional rescuer (CPR PRO);
5. Instructor certification for the courses from AHA, ACLA, ARC or ASHI; or
6. Another BLS training equivalent to the courses listed above and which is reviewed and approved by the Surgeon General.

AHA and ARC both offer partial online training for above listed certifications. The training is partial because proper completion of approved certifications requires a hands-on skills test in addition to written exam. At this time, approved certifications cannot be completed online in entirety. For additional information, go to http://www.heart.org or http://www.redcross.org.

Officers, not the USPHS or the officer’s OPDIV, are responsible for finding BLS classes that meet the above criteria. For a qualified BLS course near you, officers are encouraged to search the internet (e.g., Google BLS Classes).

Additional information, including locations for training in the Washington D.C. area, is located on the BLS Training webpage. This page includes information for BLS courses in the Washington, D.C., area, which can be accessed directly at DC COA’s BLS in the Washington, DC area page.

Completing the BLS Requirement

Updating your BLS requirement is a 2-step process.  You must upload your BLS card to the Officer Secure Area. You should return to the Officer Secure Area a few days later to ensure that your BLS Certificate is properly placed in your eOPF. Step-by-step instructions are included below.

Updating BLS Data in the Officer Secure Area

Step 1.

Using your HSPD-12 Access Card, login to the Officer Secure Area (https://dcp.psc.gov/osa/osa_security_statement.aspx).

Step 2.

From the Left Menu Box click on the “eDOC-U (Document Upload)” link.

Step 3.

Select “BLS Certification” from the "Document Type" drop down.

Step 4.

Select the appropriate certification body from the "Certification" drop down.

Step 5.

Enter the expiration date of certification. If only month and day are written, use the last day of the expiration month.

Step 6.

Start the upload process by clicking “Choose File,” selecting the file and clicking open

Step 7.

Upload the file by clicking “Upload.”

Checking the BLS Card upload in your eOPF

Step 1.

Using your HSPD-12 Access Card, login to the Officer Secure Area (https://dcp.psc.gov/osa/osa_security_statement.aspx).

Step 2.

Select “BLS/PALS/ACLS Certification” from the "OPF Section" drop down.

Step 3.

Select the appropriate link and verify that the document is correct.

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Disclaimer

The HSPAC Readiness Subcommittee will make every effort to ensure the information on this site remains current. If you notice incorrect or outdated information, please send the HSPAC Readiness Chair an email. Officers, not the HSPAC Readiness Subcommittee, are responsible for checking the Readiness website to ensure they are using the most current information. Officers are strongly encouraged to frequently review RDB’s “Readiness, Down-to-Basics Document” for a current listing of all Basic Readiness requirements and detailed instructions for successfully completing each requisite for Basic Readiness.