The Role of the Red Cross Authorized Provider

Authorized providers have a long history of working with the Red Cross to provide training and information in first aid and CPR, swimming and water safety, and caregiving. Authorized providers are collaborators with the Red Cross in providing quality Health and Safety Services training in local communities. Whether providing training for their own employees, volunteers, clients or members of the community, authorized providers have an obligation to provide the highest quality training possible. 

As an authorized provider you have agreed, through the Authorized Provider Agreement, to provide American Red Cross instructional programs in accordance with the standards and objectives of the program you desire to offer. The Authorized Provider Agreement provides an outline of the mutual expectations, rights and responsibilities of both the Red Cross chapter and the authorized provider. Following the guidelines in this document ensures the integrity of American Red Cross programs and protects all parties involved—the authorized provider, the Red Cross and the instructor. The agreement also outlines in writing how you will do business with the Red Cross.

Red Cross Responsibilities to the Authorized Provider
To assist you in offering quality training, the Red Cross is committed to providing the following responsibilities to authorized providers:

• Designate an individual to serve as your primary contact
• Provide the finest programs based on research and input from our customers
• Properly train your instructors
• Ensure the quality of the program through ongoing evaluations and program development
• Provide open communications with you
• Provide information that you need to offer quality training as well as meet your training responsibilities
• Provide services to you at a fair price, based on value
• Provide American Red Cross course completion certificates in a timely manner
• Maintain your instructors’ records
• Reauthorize your instructors who meet the criteria
• Maintain course records for five years
• Develop course curriculum and materials
• Provide timely updates and information to instructors
• Adhere to the terms of the Authorized Provider Agreement
• Provide technical assistance to instructors
• Provide a quality assurance program
• Give permission to use the Red Cross name and emblem in promotion of Red Cross instructional programs (in strict accordance with Red Cross policies and procedures)
• Provide flyers, brochures, posters and other course promotional materials

Authorized Provider’s Responsibilities
As an Authorized Provider, you also have responsibilities that are outlined in detail in the Authorized Provider Agreement. The following are the basic responsibilities of the Authorized Provider:

• Designate an individual to be the primary contact to the Red Cross
• Identify only individuals who are qualified to be instructor candidates
• Submit properly completed records and reports in the designated time frames
• Keep the Red Cross informed of changes in an instructor’s status
• Support instructors’ adherence to Red Cross policies and procedures
• Respect the copyrighted materials, name and emblem of the American Red Cross
• Assist the Red Cross in resolving issues that may arise with instructors
• Maintain a safe environment suitable for the delivery of the programs
• Maintain open communications with the Red Cross
• Adhere to the terms of the Authorized Provider Agreement
• Inform course participants that the training is an American Red Cross course; the instructor should show visual Red Cross identification during the training

Instructor Support
Successful training depends largely on the quality of the instructor. Both the American Red Cross and you have an obligation to support your instructor(s) in providing the best training possible.

In accordance with the Authorized Provider Agreement, the Red Cross will provide the following support to your instructors:

• Provide effective, quality instructor training
• Provide effective evaluation
• Provide information on updates and program revisions
• Make available opportunities to volunteer for the American Red Cross
• Provide opportunities for professional skill development by offering periodic instructor upgrades, instructor in-services, additional instructor specialty courses and co-teaching opportunities
• Make available the proper materials and equipment needed to conduct training

The authorized provider also does the following to support an instructor:

• Make an instructor available to the Red Cross for training, retraining and other professional development-related activities
• Supply American Red Cross print or audiovisual materials for support of the courses
• Encourage an instructor to volunteer for the American Red Cross
• Work with the Red Cross to ensure that quality instruction takes place at its facility
• Ensure that the appropriate, qualified individuals are selected to be trained as Red Cross instructors

Certification and Authorization

Certification occurs when an instructor candidate successfully completes the instructor specialty course and is issued an Instructor Certificate signed by the instructor candidate and the instructor trainer. The candidate’s signature on the Instructor Certificate indicates his or her willingness to conduct courses according to the requirements and procedures established by the American Red Cross. The certification of an instructor indicates that all requirements have been met on the date that the instructor candidate completes the instructor specialty course.

After successful completion of an instructor course, the new instructor must be authorized by a chapter to teach the applicable courses within its jurisdiction. Before an instructor can teach, the new instructor and a chapter official must sign the Instructor Agreement. Certified instructors may not teach until they have received authorization from a chapter. To obtain authorization to teach, the instructor should contact the chapter directly to arrange for authorization.

The chapter that initially authorizes an instructor to teach is the instructor’s unit of authorization (home chapter). The instructor’s unit of authorization is responsible for providing the instructor with information on chapter-specific policies and procedures and is responsible for reauthorization of the instructor. If an instructor wants to teach in another chapter’s jurisdiction, he or she must notify that chapter prior to any teaching and obtain extended authorization from that chapter. If an instructor teaches in another jurisdiction, it is his or her responsibility to provide copies of the Course Record to his or her unit of authorization.

Supporting Instructor Development
As a collaborator with the American Red Cross, your organization can help identify potential instructor candidates. The benefits to you include the ability to encourage instructor development and the opportunity to strengthen your ability to offer training to your constituencies. The benefits to the American Red Cross include expansion of training options for our customers and increased availability of training in the community.

Selecting the Right Instructor Candidate
To ensure the quality of American Red Cross Health and Safety Services training programs, it is important to select the appropriate person to enter the instructor course.  Here are some characteristics to consider:

• An excellent communicator and educator
• Knowledgeable about the subject taught
• Positive and enthusiastic attitude
• Patient and flexible
• Professional demeanor
• Committed to teaching

Supporting Instructor Trainer Development

To maintain its reputation of providing the highest quality health and safety training available, the American Red Cross relies on identifying potential candidates to become instructor trainers. An instructor trainer candidate (ITC) is an experienced Red Cross instructor who has entered into training to become an instructor trainer (IT). Instructor trainers are authorized by the local Red Cross chapter to conduct instructor courses and train new instructors. If your organization has a need to train instructors, you may want to inquire with the local chapter about developing an instructor trainer for your organization. 

The process to train instructor trainer candidates has been designed to be flexible enough to take into consideration the knowledge and experience a candidate possesses upon acceptance into the program. Training time may vary based on a candidate’s knowledge and experience and the course(s) a candidate may wish to teach. The training ensures that an instructor trainer will serve as an effective representative of the American Red Cross and will abide by the standards, policies and procedures of the organization. Candidates completing this process are then able to train individuals as instructors and help increase the reach of American Red Cross health and safety training programs.

Supporting the Local Chapter

Instructors and instructor trainers are precious resources, and the American Red Cross depends on these individuals to meet the demand for training in the community. There are several ways in which your organization can help support local chapters in their efforts to meet that demand. Instructors and instructor trainers should work with their unit of authorization (home chapter) to determine how to address training needs.

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance in American Red Cross Health and Safety Services programs is the responsibility of all parties: the American Red Cross, the authorized provider and the instructor. The Red Cross is the leader in quality health and safety training, and it maintains that status by authorizing instructors who adhere to the training standards and continually strive to provide exceptional training and service to the community.

You can help to maintain this high quality by using the following strategies:

• Choose the right individuals to become instructors
• Support instructors’ compliance with Red Cross policies and procedures by making sure they have the proper equipment, space and time to conduct the training
• Make instructors available for additional training as necessary
• Review, take action and monitor the information received from the course evaluation forms (course evaluation forms for students are available in the instructor manual for the applicable course) or online at www.redcross.org/instructorscorner
• Observe instructors when they teach
• Encourage instructors to co-teach with other Red Cross trained instructors

The Red Cross will also support you with its quality assurance efforts. In addition, the Red Cross takes steps to ensure its training standards are maintained. These include:

• Providing high quality instructor training
• Establishing and explaining all national and local policies, regulations and procedures that relate to the instructor’s responsibilities including the Instructor Agreement
• Making co-teaching opportunities available to instructors
• Monitoring of Course Record forms and other reporting forms for potential problems
• Evaluating courses randomly by either surveying or observing the teaching of instructors
• Providing technical support to instructors

If a Problem Occurs
Even with the best planning and proactive quality assurance programs, problems may occur. When this happens, the Red Cross will work closely with the authorized provider to immediately deal with the situation.

If a problem is minor, the Red Cross will try to deal directly with the instructor to resolve the issue. Most situations can be handled effectively with simple counseling.

Occasionally issues arise that may need further intervention. When this occurs the Red Cross will keep you informed of steps that are being taken by the Red Cross and will solicit your help in solving the problem. The basic steps for dealing with larger issues are:

• Identifying the problem
• Counseling the instructor
• Providing remediation, if needed, such as co-teaching, teaching under observation or retraining
• Monitoring the instructor
• Continuing counseling, remediation and monitoring as necessary

In severe cases, the American Red Cross has the right to suspend an instructor’s authorization. When this occurs, the instructor can not teach Red Cross courses until the problem is resolved. When a resolution can not be attained, the Red Cross may have no recourse but to withdraw the instructor’s authorization. The Red Cross has an extensive and thorough process for withdrawal of authorization and does not do this lightly.

In situations where the Red Cross has identified that courses are not taught according to standards and that the participants must be retrained, the authorized provider is responsible for all costs associated with any retraining. (See Authorized Provider Agreement). The Red Cross will notify the participants advising them of available retraining.

Who Instructors Can Teach For
Under the terms of the Authorized Provider Agreement, the instructor, as an employee or volunteer for the authorized provider, may provide training using Red Cross courses to the authorized provider’s employees, members and/or customers.  

At times, instructors may be asked to conduct Red Cross training by organizations or individuals that are not directly affiliated with the authorized provider. When this occurs, the other organization may wish to become an authorized provider. The other organization may also wish to have the local Red Cross chapter provide full service training directly. In either case, the other organization should contact the Red Cross to make arrangements for training. The instructor may then have the opportunity to teach the course for the other organization or for the local chapter.