This review is for the most excellent training provided by John Martin Lambeth of the Red Cross on how to administer CPR, First Aid and AED on adults, children and babies. John has been training Austinites for 12 years and he keeps it fresh, funny, and smart (and most importantly, memorable!) every minute of those 6 1/2 hours. I was exhausted when I showed up this morning (we're in the thick of SXSW atm) and it seemed unlikely that anything he might do or say would stick, but I am feeling 100% Certified and Ready. Minus one critically important star because the Red Cross is so disorganized and unprepared and frankly messy where its finances are concerned. When hurricane Harvey hit, I was on the horn looking for ways to help with my Spanish, my blood, my time. Never got a call back. I waited for days. I called several numbers... even one that our Mayor Adler provided. NADA/zip/nothing/ZERO. Fed up, I sought CERT and CISM training elsewhere and finally crowned those incredibly useful hours with today's skills. Total: Fifty hours of emergency and disaster relief training! Bring it on. On second thought, don't you dare bring it on :) Thank you, John! You're a jewel in a box full of old potatoes. Sorry, Red Cross, but I'm calling it like it is. read more

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0 stars is way too much; - Operational failure and lack of accountability I volunteered with the American Red Cross Central & South Texas Region starting in 2024. I peronsally invested tens of hours of my personal life on multiple trainings (Shelter Academy, online courses, and the two-day in-person course, etc etc). After that I received essentially no communication, no meaningful deployment opportunities, and no clear path into the frontline roles I requested, despite people were DYING around the country and were in need of help!! After some weeks, my volunteer account was deactivated and my training records disappeared from the system with no prior warning and no explanation of the specific conduct alleged. When I asked for clarity, NO individual from the region ever identified themselves or provided a clear account of what I was accused of. This is a scary modus operandi An organization that cannot manage basic volunteer communication, training records, or transparent decision-making is the same organization that "claims" to coordinate life-saving field operations. How an institution treats its own trained volunteers is a direct indicator of how it operates under pressure. Opacity, sudden unilateral decisions, and refusal to answer basic questions are not signs of a high-reliability operation. I would not want myself or anyone I care about to have to deal or have to be taken care of, by anyone from this organization in an actual emergency!!! I would probably die, before anyone would even wear their "Red cross uniforms" The internal process has a culture more concerned with protecting egos and revenge, rather than accountability, or operational competence. I am leaving this review so that other potential volunteers understand what the experience can look like when things go wrong: no warning, no named responsibility, and no recovery of records you already earned. Stay out read more

Very disappointing services provided. Trying to find out information to donate CPR classes to the community as a certified CPR instructor and they wouldn't answer the doorbell. Caught a lady coming out and asked the question and was told, "we didn't answer the doorbell because the reception isn't here today". Horrible excuse! read more

What a messed up organization Volunteered and training and worked No one calls for me to come back Go to shelter must call Red Cross No one answers phone Voice mails full Informed I must go down town to convention center screw them Totally screw up director is a dumb ass They don't care read more

This review is for the Adult and Pedi CPR/AED/ First Aid class. The class was not very interesting, mostly a review of material I already knew. It ran from 9 AM to 1 PM. Pages were projected, on a front screen, but changed so rapidly that I couldn't even read what was on them. Our instructor was a nice guy, but I had a hard time understanding him because he spoke so softly. For the money, $104, you don't get a workbook or wallet card, onsite, as you leave, to show completion of the course. Instead, you get a page emailed to you which allows you to print a wallet size card which you can then laminate. The material covered is on the Red Cross app, which I put on my phone. Next time around, I'm going back to the AHA class. Cheaper and better organized, with a nice workbook and wallet card. read more