Hands-on CPR classes in the Bay Area
CPR classes with small groups, real practice time, and an instructor who will happily answer the question you feel silly asking. Come in unsure, leave knowing what to do.
- Small class sizes
- Evenings & weekends
- On-site training available
- AHA certification
What we do, in one paragraph
Mabuhay Safety Training runs CPR classes, First Aid, and BLS certification across the San Francisco Bay Area. You can come to us or we can come to your workplace. Classes are deliberately small, most of the time is spent practicing on a manikin rather than watching slides, and you normally walk out with your certification card the same day.
People arrive here for two reasons. Either a job, a nursing program, or a licensing body told them to, or something happened — a relative collapsed, a baby started choking, a colleague went down in the break room — and they never want to feel that useless again. Both are good reasons. We teach the same class either way.
What we try to avoid is the version of this training everyone remembers badly: forty people in a conference room, one manikin, a video, and a card handed out at the end. That teaches nobody anything. Compressions are a physical skill. You learn them by doing them, repeatedly, with someone correcting your hands.
The CPR classes we run
Not sure which one you need? Tell us what your employer asked for, or just describe the situation. We would rather point you to the right class than sell you the wrong one.
CPR & AED
The core class. Chest compressions, rescue breaths, and how to use an AED without hesitating. You will work on a manikin until the rhythm feels automatic, not until the clock runs out.
EveryoneFirst Aid
Bleeding, burns, choking, allergic reactions, broken bones, and the judgment call about when to phone 911. Often taken together with CPR in a single sitting.
EveryoneBLS for healthcare providers
The version hospitals and clinics ask for. Team dynamics, bag-mask ventilation, high-quality compressions, and switching roles cleanly under pressure.
HealthcareInfant & child CPR
Smaller bodies, different technique, and a completely different kind of panic. Popular with new parents, grandparents, nannies, and childcare staff.
FamiliesGroup & on-site training
We bring the manikins to your office, clinic, school, gym, or church hall. Easier than sending twelve people across town on a Saturday.
WorkplacesRenewals
Already certified and running out of time? Renewal sessions are shorter and focus on skills practice rather than starting from scratch.
RecertifyingAbout your certification card
We teach American Heart Association courses, and your AHA course completion card is valid for two years from the date of issue. AHA is the standard most Bay Area hospitals, clinics, and nursing programs ask for by name, so if your employer said “we need AHA,” you are in the right place.
If a licensing board or school has specified something different, tell us before you book and we will say so honestly rather than let you turn up with a card that is not accepted.
Where an AHA card gets you through the door
This is the question people really want answered before they pay for anything. American Heart Association certification is the one most Bay Area employers name specifically.
- Hospitals and medical centers
- Clinics and urgent care
- Nursing and allied health programs
- Dental and orthodontic offices
- Home care and home health agencies
- Skilled nursing and assisted living
- Childcare centers and preschools
- Schools, teachers, and coaches
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Workplaces meeting Cal/OSHA first aid provision
- Personal trainers and lifeguards
- Volunteers and community groups
One thing worth checking first
If your employer or school handed you a requirement in writing, read it to us before you book. Occasionally a program specifies something other than AHA, and it is far better to find that out now than on the morning you start.
You will be in good company
A typical Saturday session has a couple of new parents, a nursing student, someone from a warehouse safety committee, and a grandparent who has decided enough is enough.
New and expecting parents
The class most people wish they had taken before the baby arrived rather than after the scare.
Caregivers and home care aides
Required by many agencies, and genuinely useful when you work alone in someone else’s home.
Nursing and healthcare students
BLS is usually a prerequisite for clinical placement. We can often fit you in before a deadline.
Teachers, coaches, and childcare staff
Licensing bodies and school districts frequently require current certification.
Workplaces and safety committees
Cal/OSHA expects employers to have adequate first aid provision. We train whole teams on site.
Anyone who just wants to know
No job requirement, no deadline. Plenty of people take our classes because a family member has a heart condition and they never want to feel helpless again.
What actually happens in our CPR classes
People are more nervous about this than they admit, usually because they are worried about looking foolish. Here is the whole thing, start to finish.
- First 10 minutes
Coffee and introductions
You will find out why everyone else came. It is usually a mix of job requirements and personal reasons, and it settles nerves quickly.
- Next hour
The why, briefly
A short walk through what actually happens during cardiac arrest and why compressions matter more than almost anything else. We keep this part short on purpose.
- The bulk of the class
Hands on a manikin
This is the part that matters. You will practice compressions, rescue breaths, AED pads, and choking response until it stops feeling awkward. Small groups mean you are not waiting your turn.
- Near the end
Scenarios
We run realistic situations. Someone collapses in a hallway. A toddler is choking at a birthday party. You practice deciding, not just doing.
- Last 20 minutes
Skills check and cards
A straightforward skills check, then your certification card. Most people leave with it the same day.
You will not be put on the spot
Nobody gets called to the front to demonstrate. Corrections happen quietly, next to you, while everyone else is busy with their own manikin. If you would rather practice in a corner until you feel ready, that is completely fine.
How to get into a class
Booking one of our CPR classes takes four steps, and the first is a phone call. There is no online form standing between you and a person.
Tell us what you need
Call or text with the class you want, or just describe your situation and we will tell you which one fits. If your employer sent you a requirement, read it to us.
Pick a time
We will offer dates that work around your shifts. Evenings and weekends are normal here, not an exception.
Come and practice
Show up in comfortable clothes. Everything else is provided. You will spend most of the session with your hands on a manikin.
Leave certified
Complete the skills check and your card is issued. Most people walk out with it the same day.
What it costs
Pricing depends on the class and whether you are coming to us or we are coming to you. Group and on-site rates work out lower per person. Call or text and we will give you a straight number — no quote form, no waiting for a callback.
The difference is how the room feels
All CPR classes teach the same compressions at the same depth and rate. What varies is whether you leave able to do them.
Small groups, real practice time
The most common complaint about CPR classes is standing around watching. We cap class sizes so everyone gets substantial hands-on time with a manikin. If you leave without having done dozens of compressions yourself, we have failed.
We teach caregivers for a living
Our team also runs a home care agency, which means we train the people who use these skills in real homes with real clients. That shapes how we teach — less lecture theater, more “here is what it actually looks like at 2am.”
No one gets embarrassed
Adults hate looking incompetent in front of strangers. We correct quietly, we never single anyone out, and we assume you have forgotten everything since the last time. Most people have.
You can ask the dumb question
What if I break a rib. What if they are breathing but weird. What if I am wrong. These are the questions that stop people acting, so we would rather answer them in class than have you freeze in a parking lot.
Flexible scheduling
Evenings, weekends, and on-site sessions. We know most people are fitting this around a shift or a family, not the other way round.
Straight answers about what you need
If you tell us your employer requires BLS and you have booked the wrong class, we will move you rather than take your money. Turning up with the wrong card helps nobody.
We will come to you
We run on-site CPR classes for teams across the region, and it is usually the easier option once you have more than about six people. We bring the manikins, the AED trainers, and everything else. You supply a room with enough floor space for people to kneel, and ideally somewhere to put coffee.
We regularly train home care agencies, dental and medical offices, schools and preschools, gyms and martial arts studios, churches, warehouses, and restaurant teams. If your industry is not on that list it almost certainly does not matter — the class is the class.
For workplaces, it is worth knowing that Cal/OSHA expects employers to make adequate first aid provision, and that in practice usually means having trained people on each shift rather than one certificate in a filing cabinet. If you are working out how many staff to train, we are happy to talk it through.
- We bring all equipment and manikins
- Sessions scheduled around your shifts
- Lower per-person rate for groups
- Split into two sessions if you cannot spare everyone at once
- Renewal reminders so certifications do not quietly lapse
- Mixed classes if some staff need BLS and others need standard CPR
You will know your instructor by name
Not a rotating roster of contractors. The person who answers the phone is usually the person standing next to you when you practice.
Joralyn — owner & lead instructor
Joralyn is an American Heart Association instructor and the owner of Mabuhay Safety Training. She teaches CPR, First Aid, and BLS across the Bay Area, and she also trains caregivers working in real homes — which is where a lot of the practical examples in class come from.
Because she owns the business, she is usually the person who answers when you call and the person standing beside you when you practice. There is no roster of contractors between you and the instructor.
Joralyn is polite, professional, and precise with instruction. If something is done incorrectly, she doesn’t just give you the correction — she has you self evaluate, use critical thinking, then offers correction with reasons why. Ernesto S. · Google review
Across the Bay Area
We run CPR classes throughout the region and travel for on-site sessions. If your city is not listed, ask anyway.
East Bay
- Pleasant Hill
- Walnut Creek
- Concord
- Martinez
- Lafayette
- Danville
- San Ramon
- Oakland
- Berkeley
- Fremont
- Hayward
- Antioch
- Brentwood
San Francisco & Peninsula
- San Francisco
- Daly City
- San Mateo
- Burlingame
- Redwood City
- Palo Alto
- Menlo Park
South Bay
- San Jose
- Santa Clara
- Sunnyvale
- Mountain View
- Milpitas
North Bay
- Vallejo
- Benicia
- San Rafael
- Novato
- Napa
Things people ask before booking
Are your CPR classes American Heart Association certified?
Yes. Joralyn is an American Heart Association instructor, and our CPR classes, First Aid, and BLS courses issue AHA course completion cards. AHA is the credential most Bay Area hospitals, clinics, dental offices, and nursing programs name specifically, so if your employer told you they need AHA, this is the right class. Tell us if a school or licensing board has asked for something else and we will be straight with you about whether we can meet it.
How long is CPR certification good for?
Two years. CPR classes from essentially every major provider, including the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross, issue a card valid for two years. Your card will show the issue date and the expiration. We recommend booking your renewal a month or so before it lapses, because employers usually want a current card in hand rather than a booking confirmation.
How long does a class take?
A CPR and AED class typically runs two to three hours. Adding First Aid usually takes it to four or five. BLS for healthcare providers is around three to four hours, and renewals are shorter. We will give you the exact timing when you book, so you can plan childcare and parking.
Is an online-only CPR certificate accepted?
Often not, and this catches people out. Most employers, nursing programs, and licensing bodies require a hands-on skills check with an instructor — a certificate earned entirely online, with no in-person component, is frequently rejected. Blended learning, where you do the coursework online and then come in for the practical, is normally accepted. Before you pay for anything online, ask your employer exactly what they will accept.
What is the difference between CPR and BLS?
BLS, or Basic Life Support, is the healthcare provider version. It covers the same compressions and AED use but adds team-based resuscitation, bag-mask ventilation, and two-rescuer technique. If you work in a hospital, clinic, dental office, or are entering a nursing program, you almost certainly need BLS. If you are a parent, teacher, coach, or office first aider, the standard CPR and AED class is the right one.
Do I need to be fit to take the class?
No. Compressions take effort, but you can practice kneeling, standing at a table, or seated if you need to. Tell us in advance about any back, knee, wrist, or shoulder issues and we will set up accordingly. Nobody is going to make you do something painful.
Can I fail?
Practically speaking, no. The skills check is not a trap — it exists so the instructor can confirm you can do the thing. If something is not quite right, we coach you until it is. In years of teaching, people leave with a card because they earned it, not because we gave up.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothes you can kneel in. Trousers rather than a skirt if possible. Bring a hair tie if you have long hair, and skip the heels. That is genuinely the whole dress code.
Do you come to our workplace?
Yes, and it is often cheaper and far less disruptive than sending staff out. We bring manikins, AED trainers, and everything else. You provide a room with some floor space. Get in touch with roughly how many people and we will work out the logistics.
What if I have never done this before?
Most people in the room have not, or did it once a decade ago and remember nothing. That is the normal starting point and the class is built for it. You will not be the only beginner.
What is hands-only CPR, and should I just do that?
Hands-only CPR is continuous chest compressions without rescue breaths, and it is what the American Heart Association recommends for untrained bystanders who witness an adult collapse. It saves lives and it is far better than doing nothing. Full CPR with breaths matters more for children, infants, drowning, and drug overdose, which is a good reason to take the class rather than rely on the simplified version.
Do you run CPR classes on weekends or evenings?
Yes, and they are among our most popular. Most people booking CPR classes are fitting them around a shift, a school run, or a second job, so weekday-daytime-only scheduling would rule out half the people who need us. Tell us what works and we will find a date.
Can we book a private class for our family?
Yes. Private and family sessions are one of our more common requests, especially from families caring for an older relative or a child with a medical condition. Everyone in one room, all your questions, no strangers.
Come and see us, or we will come to you
Where we are
Mabuhay Safety Training3313 Vincent Road, Suite #102
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Book a class
Call or text and tell us what you need. If you are not sure which of our CPR classes fits, describe the situation and we will work it out with you.