Emergency First Response

What Emergency First Response does

Emergency First Response (EFR), founded in 1996, is a private CPR and first aid training organization headquartered in Santa Margarita, California, and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). The company designs and distributes a performance-based curriculum covering Primary Care (CPR), Secondary Care (First Aid), Care for Children, CPR & AED, and Refresher courses, alongside a tiered instructor development program (Instructor, Instructor Crossover, Instructor Trainer). Course content follows International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) guidelines and incorporates hands-on practice with adult/child/infant mannequins, supplemented by home-study materials, video-guided instruction, and virtual instructor-led refresher sessions via two-way video conferencing.

The commercial model is built on three revenue streams: per-participant course registration fees, instructor training and certification fees (including crossover programs for instructors from other agencies), and sales of training materials and accessories such as manuals, videos, reference cards, and barriers. Distribution is executed through a global network of independent certified instructors and through PADI-affiliated dive centers, with regional headquarters supporting the Americas, Great Britain, and Asia Pacific. Region-specific workplace courses are accredited to meet OSHA (US), Health and Safety Executive (UK), and Australian NRT/VET requirements, enabling regulatory-compliant corporate and government training.

Customer segments span individual learners (parents/families, caregivers), workplace employers meeting compliance obligations, and scuba divers for whom EFR is integrated into PADI Rescue Diver and related certifications. Notable customers include provincial and federal-level entities (Deer Lake First Nation in Ontario, the Wenzhou Finance Bureau in China) and dive centers (Sun Diving Center in Sri Lanka, Devocean Divers in the Philippines). The corporate entity operates with a 1-10 employee footprint, with PADI parent ownership providing strategic integration into global diving and water-safety ecosystems rather than external capital.

Name

Emergency First Response

Legal name

Emergency First Response, Corp.

Website

https://emergencyfirstresponse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Emergency First Response is a private CPR and first aid training organization and PADI subsidiary that delivers performance-based, ILCOR-aligned courses through a global network of independent certified instructors across the Americas, UK, and Asia Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

CPR and First Aid Training Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Response, First Aid/CPR/AED & Incident Management Training (BPAKAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Response, Fire Safety & Evacuation (EDABAEAE), EMS Education, Training & Simulation Centers (HLAFANAL), Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ)

Keywords

• CPR training courses
• First aid certification
• AED training programs
• Emergency response training
• Workplace safety training

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Margarita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Course Registration Fees: Fees paid by participants to enroll in CPR, first aid, AED, and other emergency response training courses. Courses can be taken individually or in combinations.
2. Instructor Training and Certification: Revenue from training individuals to become EFR instructors, including instructor courses, crossover programs for instructors from other organizations, and instructor trainer courses.
3. Training Materials and Products: Sales of participant manuals, training videos, DVDs, first aid kits, barriers and accessories, and other training support materials.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Emergency First Response delivers performance-based CPR, first aid, AED, and emergency oxygen training courses through a global network of certified independent instructors. The company also offers instructor certification programs (Instructor Course, Crossover, Instructor Trainer Course) and sells supporting training materials including participant manuals, reference cards, CPR mannequins, and barriers. Region-specific workplace courses meet OSHA (US), HSE (UK), and Australian NRT/VET regulatory requirements.

Product overview

Emergency First Response (EFR) is a global CPR and first aid training organization offering a portfolio of performance-based courses for laypersons. The core curriculum includes Primary Care (CPR), Secondary Care (First Aid), Care for Children, CPR & AED, and Refresher courses. These courses can be taken independently or combined, and are delivered through instructor-led, video-guided, or home-study methods with flexible scheduling. EFR also offers a tiered instructor development program (Instructor Course, Instructor Crossover, and Instructor Trainer Course) for those seeking to teach EFR courses. Region-specific Workplace Courses are available for the United States, Great Britain, and Australia, each customized to meet local regulatory requirements. The company provides supporting Training Materials and Barriers and Accessories products. EFR courses follow ILCOR guidelines and are accredited by organizations including OSHA, HSE, ACE, and USCG.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Care (CPR) Course

Quantifiable outcome

• CPR can double or triple a victim's chance of survival when started immediately.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ornge (Ontario Air Ambulance)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Ornge, Ontario's air ambulance and critical care transport provider, supplies equipment including transport vehicles, stretchers, and AEDs to support the Deer Lake First Nation Emergency First Response Team program. Ornge also provides ongoing training and support for the Indigenous-led emergency response initiative.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFR is part of the PADI family and integrated with PADI diving certifications. EFR courses are required or recommended components of PADI Rescue Diver and other diving certifications. PADI dive centers worldwide offer EFR courses.
• International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFR courses follow emergency considerations and protocols developed by ILCOR members including American Heart Association (AHA), European Resuscitation Council (ERC), Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC), New Zealand Resuscitation Council (NZRC), Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa (RCSA), Inter American Heart Foundation (IAHF), and Resuscitation Council of Asia.
• Regulatory Bodies (OSHA, HSE, USCG, ACE, Girl Scouts USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFR courses are accredited and approved by major regulatory bodies including OSHA, Health and Safety Executive (Great Britain), US Coast Guard, American Council on Exercise, Girl Scouts USA, and others. This accreditation enables EFR certification to meet workplace compliance requirements.
• Stop the Bleed CampaignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFR supports the Stop the Bleed campaign, a national initiative to encourage bystanders to learn bleeding control techniques. EFR instructors help train individuals in communities to respond to life-threatening bleeding emergencies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• ProTrainings: Online and blended CPR/first aid training provider focused on regulated workplace certifications. Competes with EFR's workplace and online refresher offerings via a more digital-first delivery model.
• American Heart Association: Largest CPR/first aid/AED training organization in the United States with extensive BLS, ACLS, and lay-rescuer programs. Directly competes with EFR in workplace compliance, healthcare provider, and community training segments, with a substantially larger brand footprint and hospital partnerships.
• Health & Safety Institute (HSI): Provides CPR/AED/first aid and workplace safety training programs (ASHI and MEDIC First Aid brands) with a strong enterprise and OSHA-compliance focus. Competes directly with EFR's workplace segment, particularly in industrial and occupational safety channels.
• American Red Cross: Major CPR, AED, first aid, and lifeguarding training provider with nationwide instructor networks and direct-to-consumer and enterprise channels. Closely comparable to EFR in product mix, course structure, and target segments, with stronger brand recognition in North America.
• St John Ambulance: Leading first aid and CPR training provider in the UK, Australia, and other Commonwealth markets, often paired with ambulance services. Directly comparable to EFR in workplace HSE compliance training and community first aid programs in Great Britain and Australia.
• MEDIC First Aid: Specialist CPR/first aid and AED training program within HSI serving workplace and community markets. Closely comparable to EFR's Secondary Care and CPR & AED course offerings, particularly for OSHA-aligned workplace compliance.
• British Red Cross: UK-based first aid and CPR training provider with significant workplace compliance and community training market share. Directly competes with EFR's Great Britain operations on HSE-aligned first aid at work courses.

Broad incumbents

• National Safety Council: Larger US-based workplace and public safety organization offering first aid and CPR training as part of a broader EHS portfolio. Overlaps with EFR in workplace safety training but operates as a broad incumbent across multiple safety disciplines.

Regional players

• Lifesaving Society: Canadian lifeguarding and water safety organization that also delivers CPR and first aid training, often via affiliated swim programs. Comparable to EFR's Care for Children and drowning-adjacent use cases, with strong regional concentration in Canada.

Others

• Danmar: Polish-based distributor of first aid training equipment and materials, including CPR mannequins and barriers. Relevant as an ecosystem participant supplying training materials to CPR/first aid instructors, including EFR's barriers and accessories product line.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emergency First Response