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BLS Certification in Long Beach

BLS certification in Long Beach at CPR Long Beach is the American Heart Association BLS Provider course in its blended form. You finish HeartCode BLS online first, a course sold separately by the AHA, then come to 121 Linden Ave, Suite B108, in Downtown Long Beach for a 60 minute hands-on skills session and test. Your AHA BLS Provider card is valid for 2 years. The eCard is issued the same day you pass.

The course

What is AHA BLS Provider?

BLS (Basic Life Support) is the American Heart Association course for healthcare providers and students. It teaches high-quality CPR for adults, children and infants, early use of an AED, rescue breaths with a pocket mask and a bag-mask device, relief of choking, and how a team works a cardiac arrest together.

HeartCode BLS is the AHA name for the blended version. The knowledge part is online and adaptive, and the hands-on part is a skills practice and testing session with an instructor. Both parts lead to the same AHA BLS Provider card as the classroom course.

In class

What the BLS class covers

The skills in the official American Heart Association course, practiced hands-on with an instructor.

  1. High-quality CPR

    Compression rate, depth and full recoil for adults, children and infants, with as few pauses as possible.

  2. AED use

    Turning on the AED, placing pads for adults and children, and resuming compressions right after a shock.

  3. Breaths and bag-mask

    Rescue breaths with a pocket mask, and one and two rescuer bag-mask ventilation.

  4. Choking relief

    Responsive and unresponsive choking for adults, children and infants.

  5. Team resuscitation

    Clear roles, closed-loop communication and switching compressors during a code.

  6. Recognition and the Chain of Survival

    Checking the scene, recognizing when someone needs CPR, calling for help and applying the AHA Chain of Survival.

Who needs it

Who needs AHA BLS Provider?

Always check the exact course name your employer, school or licensing office asks for.

Hospital and clinic staff

Nurses, physicians, techs and other clinical staff at hospitals and clinics usually need a current AHA BLS card to work with patients. Check the exact course name your employer lists.

Nursing, medical and allied health students

Most clinical programs ask for BLS for healthcare providers before your first clinical placement, and many name the American Heart Association.

Dental offices

The Dental Board of California requires BLS for license renewal, from a provider such as the AHA or the Red Cross, and the course must include an in-person skills session and test. Online-only BLS does not count.

LBCC EMT and nursing students

Local programs put it in writing: Long Beach City College's EMT program requires a valid AHA BLS Provider card on the first night and does not accept cards from other organizations, and LBCC nursing students must renew AHA BLS every two years.

Format

How the blended course works

  1. Book your skills session

    Pick a date on the booking page. It opens right here on the site.

  2. Do HeartCode BLS online

    Buy HeartCode BLS from the American Heart Association, work through it at your own pace and save the certificate of completion.

  3. Come to 121 Linden Ave

    Bring your completion certificate. The in-person session is about 60 minutes of hands-on practice and the skills test.

  4. Get your AHA card

    Pass the skills test and the AHA BLS Provider card is issued to you as an eCard the same day. It is valid for 2 years.

Before class

Before your BLS class: checklist

About 60 min in person, after the online part. The card is valid for 2 years.

  • Book your skills session date first, so you know your deadline for the online part
  • Buy HeartCode BLS from the American Heart Association and finish it before class (the AHA says about 1 to 2 hours)
  • Save or print the HeartCode BLS certificate of completion and bring it
  • Check that your employer or program asks for AHA BLS Provider (BLS for healthcare providers)
  • Wear clothes you can kneel in, since compressions are practiced on the floor
  • Bring glasses if you need them to read a screen or a manikin feedback light

About the online part (sold separately by the AHA)

The online part is HeartCode BLS, sold separately by the American Heart Association, not by CPR Long Beach. You buy it from the AHA, complete it before your session, and bring the certificate of completion.

The AHA says the online part takes about 1 to 2 hours, depending on what you already know. Finish it before your skills session date: the session is the hands-on practice and test only.

Local requirements

Who asks for BLS near the classroom

Local programs that put a BLS requirement in writing, and the hospitals nearby where clinical staff work.

Hospitals near our students

  • St. Mary Medical Center1050 Linden Ave, Long Beach
  • College Medical Center2776 Pacific Ave, Long Beach
  • MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital2801 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach
  • Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center5901 E 7th St, Long Beach
  • Lakewood Regional Medical Center3700 E South St, Lakewood
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital1680 E 120th St, Willowbrook
  • Los Alamitos Medical Center3751 Katella Ave, Los Alamitos
  • Harbor-UCLA Medical Center1000 W Carson St, Torrance
  • Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro1300 W 7th St, San Pedro

Named as nearby places, not partners. Your employer or program has the final word on which card you need.

Getting here

Getting to 121 Linden Ave

The classroom is at 121 Linden Ave in Downtown Long Beach, two blocks east of Long Beach Blvd, where the Metro A Line runs. 1st Street station sits in the Long Beach Blvd median at 1st St, the Downtown Long Beach station transit mall on 1st St is the hub for Long Beach Transit buses, and the fare-free Passport shuttle runs through downtown.

By car

From the north: take I-710 south toward Downtown Long Beach, exit at Broadway and go east on Broadway to Linden Ave, two blocks past Long Beach Blvd. From I-405: take I-710 south to the downtown exits. From the east: 7th St runs west into downtown and crosses Linden Ave.

Metro A Line

  • 1st Street108 N Long Beach Blvd, in the Long Beach Blvd median at 1st St. Southbound trains only; walk east about two blocks to Linden Ave
  • Downtown Long Beach128 W 1st St, between Pine Ave and Pacific Ave: the end of the line and the Long Beach Transit bus hub

Buses

  • Long Beach Transit 111 and 112Run along Broadway, which crosses Linden Ave, to Downtown Long Beach station
  • Long Beach Transit PassportFare-free downtown route between 10th St & Pine Ave and the Queen Mary, serving 1st Street and 5th Street stations
  • Downtown Long Beach stationLong Beach Transit routes from across the city, Metro 60 and 232, LADOT Commuter Express 142 and Torrance Transit 3

Parking

Metered street parking and city lots are nearby downtown; check the posted signs. Parking details for 121 Linden Ave itself are not posted yet, so if you need them before class, email us and ask.

Directions and map

FAQ

AHA BLS Provider: questions

Where can I get BLS certification in Long Beach?

CPR Long Beach teaches the American Heart Association BLS Provider skills session at 121 Linden Ave, Suite B108, Long Beach, CA 90802, in Downtown Long Beach, two blocks east of Long Beach Blvd and the Metro A Line. You do HeartCode BLS online first, then come in for about 60 minutes.

How long is the in-person part of BLS?

About 60 minutes. The knowledge part is done online beforehand in HeartCode BLS, so the session is hands-on practice and the skills test.

Is the online HeartCode BLS course included?

No. HeartCode BLS is sold separately by the American Heart Association. You buy and finish it with the AHA, then bring the certificate of completion to your session.

How long is an AHA BLS card valid?

The AHA BLS Provider card is valid for 2 years. Renew before it expires so your card stays current.

Is HeartCode BLS the same card as the classroom BLS course?

Yes. HeartCode BLS is the blended version of the AHA BLS Provider course. After you pass the skills session you receive the same AHA BLS Provider card.

When do I get my BLS card?

The same day you pass. The AHA BLS Provider eCard is issued the same day as your skills test.

Can I take BLS if my card already expired?

Yes. The blended BLS Provider course works for first-time students and for people whose card has lapsed. You complete HeartCode BLS online and the skills session the same way.

What should I bring to the BLS skills session?

Your HeartCode BLS certificate of completion and clothes you can kneel in. Compressions are practiced on the floor.

Areas we serve

BLS for nearby neighborhoods and cities

Every class is held at 121 Linden Ave. Each page covers the trip from that area and the local hospitals, schools and employers.

Sources for the facts on this page

  1. American Heart Association, BLS course options
  2. American Heart Association, HeartCode BLS
  3. American Heart Association, Basic Life Support (BLS) training
  4. American Heart Association ShopCPR, HeartCode BLS Online (learning objectives)
  5. Dental Board of California, continuing education and BLS
  6. Long Beach City College, EMT program (AHA BLS Provider card required)
  7. Long Beach City College, nursing student health requirements (AHA BLS every two years)
  8. CSULB School of Nursing, BSN information sheet (AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers)
  9. Los Angeles Harbor College nursing student handbook 2025 to 2026 (AHA BLS for Health Care Providers)
  10. St. Mary Medical Center, 1050 Linden Ave (Wikipedia)
  11. College Medical Center, 2776 Pacific Ave (Wikipedia)
  12. MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital, main campus, 2801 Atlantic Ave
  13. VA Long Beach, Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center
  14. CMS, Lakewood Regional Medical Center
  15. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital (Wikipedia)
  16. Los Alamitos Medical Center, 3751 Katella Ave
  17. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (Wikipedia)
  18. LA County locator, Providence Little Company of Mary San Pedro
  19. Downtown Long Beach driving directions: I-710 south to Broadway, Linden Ave two blocks past Long Beach Blvd
  20. Long Beach Symphony, directions and parking (I-405 to I-710 south; I-710 becomes Shoreline Dr)
  21. 1st Street station, Metro A Line (Wikipedia)
  22. Downtown Long Beach station, Metro A Line (Wikipedia)
  23. 5th Street station, Metro A Line (Wikipedia)
  24. Long Beach Transit routes (Wikipedia)

Ready to book AHA BLS Provider?

Finish the online part, then come to 121 Linden Ave in Downtown Long Beach for about 60 min in person.

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