I came to give blood as a walk-in and found that they were booked up completely and would not take any walk-in's. They were nice enough to ask if I could come back later and since it was less than two hours I thought I'd go eat lunch and come back. Then there's the wait, yes it was over an hour and a half waiting to be checked in and have my blood pressure checked. Where I was use to Bloodworks taking zero time to check-in and in and out in 30 minutes. It turned into more than an hour in a half. Definitely, if you come make an appointment and I'd still expect some waiting. read more

I've donated blood a few times, and this one was absolutely horrific to the point that it makes me question donating ever again. On top of taking over an hour to even see anyone (the woman ahead of me decided to leave which I wish I had done as well), I finally had someone come start the process with me. After going through the standard questions and tests, he started getting setup to draw blood. I mentioned that I'm not great with needles and to please go with one of the big veins so he didn't spend too long fishing around, which he brushed off. He proceeded to fish around in one arm for several minutes which was an extremely unpleasant experience, eventually deciding that he needed to try the other arm instead. Another 10 minutes later, we started on the other arm which ended with the exact same result, followed by the declaration that he's only allowed to try twice in a day per patient, and that I needed to reschedule to come back tomorrow. Now I'm leaving with bandages on both arms and a new lifetime phobia unlocked. Stay away from this location! read more

American Red Cross - Bad needle work. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a review of the Adult/Child/Infant CPR with First Aid course. I had been meaning to take on a CPR class for years, and with my crazy traveling schedule, it was hard to find time. In a fit of spontaneity, the day before the class, I signed up on the website. I didn't need this for work or play, but my working excuse is, I volunteer a lot around Seattle. The arrived at the Red Cross, the entrance is on the upper level. The instructor for this particular session was Saul Snatsky, and he is a great instructor. He has patients, take great care that we do things correctly and was thoughtful; as our small group progressed through the American Red Cross (ARC) learning materials. An 8 hour course seems like overkill from the surface, but after we got started, time seemed to pass with ease. You learn the ARC steps when an emergency comes your way, the methods to take action, when you witness or encounter an accident. The only thing this class doesn't cover is Automatic Emergency Defibrillator (AED). Midway through the day, you get a nice lunch break, and there are good places to find something to eat. In case you were wondering, there is no mouth-to-mouth with real people, there are plenty of latex gloves and sanitizer around. My recommendation: If you feel the need to take on the skills to potentially save a person's life, take this course! It's a hands-on class, and if you take time to ask questions, and take it seriously, you will be rewarded with a certain level of confidence, which you can take anywhere with you. read more

Today I was certified in Adult/Child/Infant CPR and First Aid, which I hope will make me more appealing to possible employers (ha!), but is more for my personal confidence. I was really nervous about signing up for an 8 1/2 hour class, and thought it would be pretty miserable. Though it wasn't the most fun day I've had in my life, our instructor, Catherine, helped the time fly by. I love this lady. She was so down-to-earth and funny. I couldn't believe some of the comments that flew out of her mouth. I wish I could remember them. The first clue that she was going to be a hoot was when she said she'd just had knee surgery and wanted to be able to rise from her chair "like a swan." We watched several Red Cross videos where "Connie," the souless robot, and "Ryan," the hunk with the sad eyes, demonstrated how to pump the hell out of your CPR dummy. We practiced a lot on our own dummies as "Connie" counted, which made me feel more sure that I might not freeze in a real emergency. The variety of activities (practice, videos, multiple-choice tests) made the day go by faster, and by the time we were wrapping our partners in gauze I could hardly believe it was time to go. I think it's really important to know this, and feel very satisfied with my day. Though $75 is a lot of money, for eight hours of small class instruction I definitely feel like I got my money's worth. And now I have two cool certification cards to show for it. read more

This is a review not specific to this location, but about the CPR class that they offer. I could have taken the class anywhere in greater Seattle, however, the class that fit with my schedule was offered in Shoreline out of the Center for Human Services. Still, the class is taught by a Red Cross volunteer and the materials (booklets, videos) are also theirs. I've been putting off taking a CPR class for 2 years now and didn't want to postpone it anymore. This involved taking the bus up to Shoreline and forgoing a lazy Saturday morning. Needless to say, the students were irritated when the instructor started the class 45 minutes late (no CPR dummies so she had to go back downtown to pick them up), she had no class roster, and the TV didn't work! Her saving grace was that she had a spare TV in her car, so we got to see the informative videos put out by the Red Cross, and class ended 1 hour earlier than planned despite the foul ups. There's no excuse for me not taking this CPR course every year (or lazy me would be every2+ years) considering how little it costs (money, time effort) to learn how you might make a difference in saving a loved ones life. read more

It is important to note that the Red Cross has many Licensed Training providers in the Pacific Northwest, and many are on the west side of the Puget Sound, but you would not know that by searching the Red Cross website, and the Red Cross may not offer those LTPs as options nor make a suggestion to seek out an LTP. For persons wishing to take a class in Pierce, Kitsap, Mason, Lewis or Thurston there are other options that don't include 2 hours of travel and ferry rides. To take a Red Cross class around the West Sound search for Northwest Response in Gig Harbor. They hold classes in Gig Harbor, and in Bremerton at the Red Cross office on Pacific Ave. Hope this helps out those wishing to take a essential life saving class from the American Red Cross. read more

I chose the Red Cross as a way to deploy to disasters. The depth of the training they gave me made it possible to be effective in an emergency situation immediately. They have sent me across the country to help in the aftermath of hurricanes, vast wildfires, massive flooding, mass shootings, air disaster, and multi unit apartment fires. The experience has been life changing. read more

I would have given the Seattle Red Cross a ZERO star rating if the people at the front desk were not so nice (yelp also will not allow it.) My experience on the phone while making my reservation for class was good. The woman explained the courses offered and helped me fit one with my schedule. Since I have been an Aquatics Director, WSI and Lifeguard I thought taking the CPR - Pro Rescuer Challenge would be not a problem. Upon arrival at the Red Cross the woman flinched when I told her I was here for the C-Pro Challenge. She muttered "that's tough." This didn't bother me because I have taken the challenge 5-10 times and never had an issue. I over-studied for the practical to make sure it would be a breeze. There were two of us signed up for the class - myself and a young guy with LG experience but only testing for the ordinary CPR - Adult for Personal Training. I would love to see his review on yelp! The gentleman teaching the class snapped at me for muttering "survey the scene" instead of the new term "size up the scene." Does it really matter what I call it during a practical? He at this point made it sound like I would probably fail and the other guy would fail without a doubt. In less than 2 minutes of trying to size up the scene and turn me (the vic) over, the teacher told him to go home. There was a very heated argument between the two of them as I just stood there drooling and scared for my turn. My turn lasted about 5 minutes. Evidently, trauma from the instructor's behavior is no reason to stutter, panic and forget. The instructor told me to stop, come back tomorrow for the review (with him) and had the gall to say only Instructors are knowledgeable enough to pass the challenge. So why offer it to anyone else? As I was waiting in the hallway, the instructor stopped me to tell me what to study for the review course. He mentioned AED questions like "if there is too much body hair for the pads to stick what should you do?" and I answered directly from the book. He told me I was WRONG. I then proceeded to tell him my answer was directly out of the book and completed the full in depth answer. He did not like being shown up so he said "well most places don't have two pads so that isn't even an option." Ugh really? The instructor can fail me in under 5 minutes, but gets schooled by the same person in the next twenty on the same material? So I have two issues with this man: he wants to fail students because it makes him feel better about himself and he wants to treat students like idiots so it makes him feel better about himself. Bottom line: Do NOT take a challenge course in the Red Cross building. DO take the Red Cross Challenge at a local YMCA or neighborhood pool. The Red Cross offers no transfer or refund for the challenge course even if it lasts 2 minutes. Simply put - they want the extra money and will do what it takes to fail you. read more

I recently wasted an entire Saturday taking a first aid and CPR class from the American Red Cross at the Seattle location. The class was overpriced and poorly taught. The instructor was a senile amateurish volunteer. Over the years I have taken many of these courses for work that go beyond the level of basic first aid. The best courses are always taught by professionals: careers firefighters, EMT's, or anyone else who works in emergency medicine. If you want adequate training and more bang for your buck find an organization that offers qualified instructors. I also caught a severe head cold from the training mannequins that lasted for several weeks. I cannot emphasize this enough: avoid the Red Cross for instructional purposes. If you feel the need to support the Red Cross just write a check. read more

Five stars because I haven't taken any courses elsewhere for me to compare. Well, and because the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. After dragging my friend along to a 7-hour CPR & life support training course, I decided to take another 7-hour course by myself. The second course was a HIV/AIDS education for health care professional. There were a total of 6 instructors, one of which was diagnosed with HIV for 21 years. The whole course was very informative, and well worthed the $65 IMO. read more

Find a fire department to do your corporate CPR/AED training because the American Red Cross did a terrible job not only in who they sent to our business but in there communication on fixing the problem. They are not worth the headache and lack of service. Super disappointed. read more

I signed up for First aid/CPR training through the Seattle Red Cross schedualed to take place in Olympia Wa. I took a day off of work to attend the training. Thirty minutes after the class was scheduled to start the instructor still had not shown up. When I inquired with front desk staff of the hotel where the training was to take place, they informed me that this instructor had a history of no-shows, and that his contact number had been disconnected. I have been taking these classes for years (not in Seattle), and never before have I had an experience as infuriating as this one. I don't know what kind of slacker or charlton the Seattle Red Cross does business with, but they cost me $105 plus lost wages for their shoddy and unprofessional business practices. read more

I signed up for a partially online and in person adult and pediatric CRP and first aid at the Seattle red cross location. Once I had arrived I was told the instructor would not be attending because she could not get here due to "road closure". A majority of the class had made it to the location on time or early and I had no issues with the road. The instructor herself did not contact the students in advance or after to apologize or reschedule. I called the red cross to resolve this and there were not classes of the same nature (partially online) within the month so I was forced to cancel the class after wasting hours on the online portion and didn't get a certification. I also had to call the red cross twice and be on hold for 45 minutes because the instructor did not tell the Red Cross that she did not show up, and had to deal with phone operators telling me the class was not actually cancelled. After an hour I finally got my money back. I would not recommend this location to anyone for CPR training, I ended up going to CPR Seattle instead and had great experience there. read more