AHA Community Training Center

The Richmond Ambulance Authority is also a Community Training Center (CTC) for the American Heart Association. As a CTC, we provide the following initial, recertification and instructor courses:

• BLS (basic life support—CPR)
• BLS-AED (CPR and use of the automated external defibrillator)
• ACLS (advanced cardiac life support)
• PALS (pediatric advance cardiac life support)
• PHTLS (prehospital trauma life support)

State Approved EMS Training

RAA periodically provides these initial and recertification courses:

• EMT-B (emergency medical technician—basic)
• EMT-C (emergency medical technician—cardiac)

Continuing Education Program

Additionally, our CE (continuing education) program is state approved and covers a wide variety of topics on site to help medics comply with local and state mandated requirements.  Other agencies and providers are welcome to attend.  As needed, RAA teaches a critical care medic course internally, which qualifies a core group of providers to function as crewmembers during specialty critical care transports. Also internally, the Authority conducts special driving courses like EVOC (emergency vehicle operations course) as part of the CE and safety programs.

Grand Rounds

On a regular basis the RAA Medical Director sponsors an evening lecture series that is a component of the continuing education program. An example of two suitable topics for Grand Rounds would be "12-Lead ECG Recognition" and "Surgical Cricothyrotomy Practice Lab".

Trauma Center Physician Lecture Series

RAA sponsors a quarterly evening lecture series where the speakers are arranged by the Trauma Center of the Medical College of Virginia, a component of Virginia Commonwealth University.  The lectures are provided in the Authority's main classrooms, complete with refreshments and state approved CE credits, and all area providers are encouraged to attend.

Disaster Preparedness

--RAA functions as backup municipal emergency command center

--Haz Mat & Weapons of Mass Destruction training

--Biological Terrorism response (drug stockpile, response initial meds)

--Threat Analysis (isolating community weakness & contingency planning) training

--Mass Casualty Events planning and education

--Mock disasters

--Y2K/Hurricane Readiness