Lake-Sumter EMS is a registered Training Center with the American Heart Association for the delivery of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) provider and instructor candidate programs.

Under our Training Center contract we also have a variety of Training Sites. Feel free to contact them about local programs that they may be holding:

• Florida Hospital Waterman: ACLS, BLS, and PALS
• Chuck Srock, Florida Hospital Waterman Clinical Educator, 352/253-3658
• Lake Sumter Community College: BLS
  • Andrea Carlson
• Lake Technical Center, EMS Programs: ACLS, HeartCode ACLS Anywhere, BLS, and Online Healthcare Provider Renewal
• Layne Hendrickson, Lake Technical Center EMS Programs Director, 352/589-2250, x214
• Lake Technical Center, Health Science Education: BLS and First Aid
• Elise Veremakis, Health Science Education Chairperson, Health Science Education, 352/589-2250, x134
• Leesburg Fire Department: BLS
• Lieutenant Steve Allen, Leesburg Fire Department, 352/728-9780
• Leesburg Regional Medical Center/The Villages Regional Hospital: ACLS, BLS, and PALS
  • Linda Ball, Leesburg Regional Medical Center/The Villages Regional Hospital Clinical Instructor, 352/323-5555
• South Lake Hospital: ACLS, BLS, and PALS
  • Pat Meeker, South Lake Hospital Education Director, 352/241-7108
• Sumter County School System: BLS
  • Janet Connelly, School Nurse Coordinator, 352/793-2315, x203

The linked policies are reference material for our Training Center and Training Site Instructor's usage. Instructors can find further information at: http://www.ahainstructornetwork.org. Access to the most current AHA Program Administrative Manual (PAM) can be found at here.

• Training Center Card Maintenance Procedure
• Training Center Dispute Resolution Procedure
• Training Center Equipment Procedure
• Training Center Instructor Communications Procedure
• Training Center Quality assurance Procedure
• Training Center/Training Site Relations Procedure
• How do I become an American Heart Association instructor?

Per the Bureau of EMS an Emergency Medical Technician (64E-2.008) must maintain a current CPR card and a paramedic (64E-2.009) must maintain a current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) card. Lake-Sumter EMS further requires all paramedics to maintain a current CPR card.

A loaner textbook is available before, during, and after the program for all Lake-Sumter EMS employees. Please make time to prepare prior to date of class. When you attend this class, you must return the assigned textbook and CD-ROM or pay a $28.50 replacement fee for ACLS textbook and $11.00 for the BLS for Healthcare Provider textbook.

Refresher classes are offered every March and September. Classes are run over 3-days in a row and are provided free!

We participate in this ACLS Renewal testing every month. The HeartCode ACLS Anywhere program requires a CD-ROM can be obtained through Adelaide Cataneo at Lake-Sumter EMS Administration (call first: 352/383-4554). Once loaded onto a computer with internet access, it’ll connect to Laerdal and then you will need to pay $120.

Successful completion of this CD-ROM program and skill testing at Administration results in a new ACLS-Provider card. There is no associated fee from LSEMS. This opportunity is only available for paramedics living and or working in Lake or Sumter Counties.

Skill assessments take approximately 20-minutes to complete and no there is no associated written test during the skill assessments. You must bring your certificate of completion along with a valid AHA CPR Card to enter the testing.

Lake-Sumter EMS also participates in Online Healthcare Provider Renewal testing every month. This is a program that a participant may purchase directly from the AHA. Successful completion of this on-line program and skill testing at Administration results in a new BLS for HCP (CPR) card. There is a $17.50 fee paid directly to the AHA by the participant; there is no associated fee from LSEMS.

Skill assessments take less than 1-hour to complete and no written test. You must bring your certificate of completion to enter the testing.

All HeartCode ACLS Anywhere and Online Healthcare Provider Renewal testing is performed at our Administrative Offices from 0900-1100 on the below dates. You must make a reservation within 5-days of the test date to ensure there are enough instructors per participants. Great and simple back up plan should you forget your card's approaching expiration!

The recommended renewal interval for all AHA courses is 2 years. Providers who intend to take a renewal course must show a current Provider card as entrance into a renewal course.

Students who present an expired Provider card or do not possess a Provider card may challenge a renewal course but will not be given the option of remediation. They will need to repeat the entire Provider Course if they cannot successfully meet the course completion requirements when evaluated.

Per the American Heart Association's Program Administration Manual: Guidelines for Program Administration and training, 4th Edition, Page 50.

Please contact Mike Hilliard if questions arise. I can also be reached at 352/383-4554 in Administration.

The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in BLS, ACLS, and PALS and has developed instructional materials for this purpose. Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Association. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a portion of fees needed for AHA course material, do not represent income to the Association.