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Frequently Asked Questions
CURRICULUM/CONTENT
Q: What does the FAST course teach?
A: First Aid for Severe Trauma™ (FAST™) is the first national STOP THE BLEED
®
course
designed specifically for high school students with input, feedback and testing from teachers,
student, and medical experts. FAST teaches key topics designed to save a life in the first 10
minutes after a severe bleeding injury, including:
• Response principles: Preparing for bleeding emergencies; recognizing that a bleeding
emergency exists; emergency action steps, deciding to act in an emergency
• Scene safety: Keeping yourself safe in an emergency; helping others to safety; violent
situations
• Emergency communications: Communication basics; communicating with others at the
scene; communicating with the emergency dispatcher
• How to care for life-threatening bleeding: Using pressure to stop bleeding; applying direct
pressure; using a tourniquet; after the bleeding stops
Q: What is the duration of the FAST course?
A: The instructor-led (100% classroom) version of the course is expected to be 135 minutes. The
blended learning (online + classroom) version of the course will also take about 135 minutes,
divided into a 90-minute online portion that may be given as homework while the remaining 45
minutes will occur in-person in a classroom. The online-only version will be a 90-minute course.
Q: What age range is the FAST course designed for?
A: FAST was designed specifically for high school students; however, students from middle school
upwards and adults can take the course and benefit from the course material.
Q Is FAST a STOP THE BLEED course? Will it meet my state requirements to teach about
bleeding control?
A: The Red Cross FAST course meets all U.S. Department of Defense requirements to be a STOP
THE BLEED
course.
Q How did the FAST course come about?
A: The Red Cross FAST program is a collaborative initiative with the American Red Cross, the
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, and the Department of Homeland
Security Science and Technology Directorate.
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IMPLEMENTATION
Q: How do I sign up to teach the FAST program?
A: There are two ways to teach FAST courses:
Option #1: Become a Red Cross training provider.
Option #2: If you are already a Red Cross training provider, add FAST to your agreement.
If you do not have a Red Cross sales executive, simply complete this webform and tell us which
option is right for you. We’ll then get in touch with you to complete the paperwork and give you
information on how to train your Instructors to be certified to teach FAST.
Q: How much does the FAST course cost?
A: The FAST course and digital materials will be offered at no charge to high school students under
the age of 19, thanks to a grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The Red Cross will
charge a fee of $24 per participant for certification classes taught to non-high school students.
The online only course will cost $30 and users will receive a certificate of completion upon
finishing it.
The Red Cross will offer FAST course instructor materials in PDF format at no cost to FAST
instructors in teaching high school students. This includes instructor manuals, reference cards
and student manuals. There will, however, be a charge should the school wish to purchase
printed versions.
Additionally, schools will be required to have training supplies such as limb models and
tourniquets available in the classroom for in-person, psychomotor practice and skills testing. The
Red Cross will make training kits available for purchase if you do not already have supplies.
Q: Where can I obtain supplies for this course?
A: Training supplies for skills- and scenario-based learning are required. The Red Cross has built a
FAST Classroom Kit containing the following elements and suitable for up to 24 students. The
Classroom Kit will retail for $299 but if you are a school, your sales executive can provide you
with a coupon code that brings the price to $229. Recommendations for models on which to
practice tourniquet skills can be found on the Red Cross Learning Center.
• 6 tourniquets
• 1 First Aid for Severe Trauma Instructor’s Manual
• 1 First Aid for Severe Trauma DVD
• 24 First Aid for Severe Trauma Ready Reference Cards
Q: How many tourniquets will we need when we teach FAST?
A: We expect that you will need 1 tourniquet for every group of 4 students taking the FAST course.
Q: How many students can be taught FAST in one class?
A: One instructor may teach up to 24 students in one class.
Q: Does the course use videos?
A: The FAST courses do use videos. Videos may be obtained at no cost through the Red Cross
Learning Center via download, streaming, or embedded within the course presentation. A DVD
will be available through the Red Cross for a fee; the cost of the DVD is pending.
Q. What is the price of the course for those who are not high school students?
A. The Red Cross will charge a fee of $24 per participant for certification classes taught to non-high
school students. The online-only course will cost $30 and users will receive a certificate of
completion upon finishing it.
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INSTRUCTORS
Q: How can someone become a FAST Instructor?
A: There will be three Instructor courses available on August 19, 2021:
FAST Instructor Course: A blended learning (online learning and virtual skills session) course
for individuals with no training as an Instructor or professional educator
Online: 1 ½ to 2 hours
Virtual Skills Session: 5 hours, 10 minutes
.7 CEUs, 7.0 contact hours
FAST Instructor Crossover with Skills Session: A blended learning (online learning and
virtual skills session) course for individuals who are professional educators or current Instructors
but not trained in tourniquets and severe bleeding. Participants must provide proof of being an
instructor or professional educator.
Online: 1 ½ to 2 hours
Virtual Skills Session: 1 hour
.3 CEUs, 3.0 contact hours
FAST Instructor Bridge: An online-only course for individuals certified to teach tourniquet and
severe bleeding courses for other providers. Participants must be able to provide current
certification in tourniquet and/or severe bleeding training.
Online: 1 ½ to 2 hours
Virtual Skills Session: 1 hour
.2 CEUs, 2.0 contact hours
Q: What prerequisites and Instructor certifications will be accepted for the bridging and
crossover Instructor courses?
A: The below certificates will be accepted for the free, online-only FAST Instructor Bridge:
American Red Cross
Emergency Medical Response
National Safety Council
Emergency Medical Response
National Center for Disaster Medicine &
Public Health
Bleeding Control Certificate of Attendance
National Registry of Emergency Medical
Technicians Instructor or State Instructor
Licensure/Certification
Paramedic
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency Medical Responder
American College of Surgeons
STOP THE BLEED
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The below certificates will be accepted for the FAST Instructor Bridge Crossover Course with
Skills Session:
American Red Cross
First Aid/CPR/AED
Basic Life Support
Advanced Life Support
Pediatric Life Support
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers
Emergency Medical Response
Lifeguarding
National Center for Disaster Medicine &
Public Health
Bleeding Control Certificate of Attendance
American Heart Association
HeartSaver First Aid/CPR/AED
ACLS
BLS
PALS
PEARS
National Registry of Emergency Medical
Technicians Instructor or State Instructor
Licensure/Certification
Paramedic
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency Medical Responder
National Safety Council
CPR, AED, and First Aid
Canadian Red Cross
First Aid
Canadian Red Cross
First Aid
CERTIFICATION
Q: What certification will students receive when they complete the FAST course?
A: Students who complete either the instructor-led (100% classroom) or the blended learning
(online + classroom) versions of the FAST course will receive a digital Red Cross FAST
certification card valid for two years. Students who complete the online-only version of the FAST
course will receive a Red Cross participation digital certificate. Like all other Red Cross courses,
paper certificates are available for an additional charge.
Q: How will FAST instructors know when their students have completed the online portion of
the blended learning course?
A: The student will get a completion certification for the online portion of the course once he/she
successfully completes it. They can take a screen shot of the certificate or print it out to
demonstrate completion of the online portion. Instructors may also verify student completion of
the online portion of the course through the Red Cross Learning Center. It is important to note
that the student will not receive the two-year FAST certification until successful completion of the
in-person skills session.
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NEXT STEPS
Q: What information do you have that I can share with curriculum decision makers and
funders in my school and district?
A: Please review the information available online at http://www.redcross.org/FAST and download
the materials that you find useful. The information kit contains this FAQ, a product information
sheet, a brochure and infographics about life-threatening bleeding. If there is something that you
need that is not available, please email FASTmarketing@redcross.org with your request or get in
touch with your sales executive.
