For coaches

AB 310 for coaches

Get certified in CPR and AED use before your league's deadline, and keep the card current. Your league will likely ask for a copy.

How often to renew

Coaches must be recertified in CPR and AED use at least every two years.

Most cards show an expiration date. Put a reminder on your calendar a couple of months ahead so you can book a class before it lapses.

In-person or online

CPR and AED training may be taken in person or online from an accredited organization.

What to look for in a course

• The accrediting organization. The course page should name the organization behind the certification. Write it down and give it to your league.
• CPR and AED together. Make sure the course covers both. Some cover only CPR or only first aid.
• Hands-on practice. If you take a course online, check whether it includes a skills check with a manikin and an AED trainer. Ask your league whether it requires one.
• Child and adult skills. You coach kids. Pick a course that covers child CPR.
• A card with an expiration date. You need proof you can hand to your league.

Be wary of any course that calls itself "AB 310 compliant." The law doesn't certify providers. Check the accreditation yourself and ask your league what it will accept.

Your part of the plan

Your organization's cardiac emergency response plan will name what coaches do in an emergency. Read it, know where the nearest AED is at every field you use, and know who calls 911. Ask your board for the plan if you haven't seen it.

The cardiac emergency response plan must be reviewed every year with coaches and staff.

Using an AED

AB 310 removed the requirement that a medical professional administer the AED.

Under Civil Code section 1714.21, a person who uses an AED in good faith, and not for compensation, to give emergency care is not liable for civil damages. The protection does not cover gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.