A few years ago, “International Training Inc (ITI) formed First Response Training International to fill a need in the layperson rescuer market. ITI was experienced in developing materials and support for instructors conducting several courses in various activities, some practical and technically complex. ITI took that knowledge and applied it to the outdated and underdone layperson rescuer market in hopes of creating a better and more informed rescuer. First Response Training International strives to provide the most up to date systems for learning and the best customer service to providers and instructors.”(1)

Prior to the creation of First Response, each training organization under ITI (think SDI, TDI, ERDI, etc.) had a course their instructors could teach combining CPR and O2 provider, but there was little continuity between the management and delivery of the course quality.

While we were all notified by our parent organizations when FRTI was being rolled out, not many instructors made the crossover, much less the connection – all of the previous instructor certs were worthless! Technically speaking, if you didn’t crossover to being a First Response instructor, then you weren’t adhering to the new standards and procedures, and the certifications being handed out were basically BS.