Excellent CPR and first aid classes with instructor Alicia Sagbini. Everything was very well explained. She is very patient and has a lot of experience; it was easy to pass the exam. read more

this place is garbage the instructors are rude and don't know anything about what their talking about, such a waste of our time to go and we will never go back because we would rather have been taught by litteraly anyone else, wouldn't recommend this place to anyone just go somewhere else if u want proper training, if u go to St John u you will just leave pissed off and not really having learned much, I recommend that they fire Monica and Ali because they were rude, unprofessional and not good at their jobs whatsoever read more

I took Occupational First Aid Level 2 course. It requested hard work like pre-study, reading, homework and scene practice at home but thankfully our instructor was very patient and had very rich experience, I succeeded to pass for the test. We were so stressed, tired and nervous everyday but his sense of humor eased it and that was big help honestly. For the registration for the course, there was some glitch or confusion. Text book was PDF file from Work Safe BC and you can study by yourself in advance. It has more than 300 pages. In the actual class, based on what we pre read on it, the instructor gave us more detail and group discussion. No table and nor desk in the classroom. Be sure to wear something comfortable and ok clothing to get dirty. We lay down on the floor a lot where we walk with the shoes. For long hair students, better to tie at beginning. There is big enough lunch room for the one class (about 12 people) which includes the bending machines, hot water kettle, microwave oven and fridge. At the reception desk, you can ask getting the certification laminate and costs $2 cash only. read more

Arrived at the Vancouver office for a OFA 3 course, the instructor was horrible. Julianne was rude, condescending, disrespectful to everyone by shouting, yelling. Making comments of a negative racial conotation towards anyone who did not read or had challenges with English. I'm not going back and I quit course, this was the worst experience of my life. I cant believe an organization like this allows this behaviour to exist. I hear some of the people are going to complain, I hope they do. I'm going to encourage them to write reviews also. She would not answer our questions, belittled and was a bully towards everyone. She ignored us at time and spent time on the phone with her own drama life. At $900.00 for a course like this I would expect professional behaviour and not to be insulted by a bully. Shame on you stjohn, you need to deal with this instructor I cant believe you employ people like this. I advise anyone taking a OFA course to go somewhere else, I'm schedule for trauma tech now Good bye stjohn you are the worst training place with an instructor like Julianne! read more

Attended a basic first aid course. Spent 8 hours in a 30+ degree Celsius room. No ventilation (that I could detect) during a high second CoVid infection wave!? It was difficult wearing masks. On our breaks we rushed outside and people complained about how unbearably hot it was inside the classroom. A fan was placed a distance from the door entrance but it did not help. No doubt this environment made it difficult to concentrate and I felt faint at times. To make matters worse I got sick after I ate the lunch I brought because it must have incubated in the heated room. I only realized how bad it was when I opened my solid hand moisturizing balm and it was melted near the end of the day! This was by no fault of the instructor who attempted get the room cooled down with no success. I barely passed the test and could have done better but the unbearable environment made me sick and I rushed to get out. I don't know how this place will fare during the summer as it was during winter when I attended. read more

Did an Instructor training course over the weekend. Really intense in that there is lots of info, but our instructor Heather made us feel comfortable and kept us on track. She is super knowledgeable and fun and pulls the best out of all the students. I definitely feel prepared for the next steps! read more

Trainer was not the nicest. Very condescending and liked to make it clear they knew more than us. Like, I would hope so? But it didn't need to be like that. Like example, if she told us to grab the first aid kits, we would and then we'd grab them and open them.. she would just stand there staring with her hands on her hips, and then yell "I never said to open them, did I? I guess you don't need me to teach you then!". Like that is not necessary? Just say, oh I see we've opened our kits, so let's go over them. We are all grown adults, so act like one and treat others like them too. read more

HALF of the class failed. Yes. Half. I wish yelp has a negative star for this review. I was taking OFA 2 in Surrey location. (OFA1 in New Westminster was fine.) The instructors there are meant to give you a hard time and to make you look terrible. One of my classmates cried in the middle of the class under tremendous stress from the instructor. She just told you to practice more and more, but you will not be pointed of your mistakes. That's the reason fail rate is high even you take notes, read the textbook, and practice a lot. What's even worse, I always believe I live in a respected and diversified country until I went to this place. Be prepared there's white supremacy if your instructor's name beginning with "E". Conclusion: AVOID St John Surrey branch. When you meet the instructors (one for my course and one for my 2nd attempt of exam), you will know what I am talking about. read more

Class got cancelled due to instructor no show. Last week coworker was given the wrong test. Nuff said. read more

I took OFA3 in Northshore branch . It was an absolute regret. The instructor, E` was very rude towards the students who English was their second language.When they asked questions she yelled`I can not repeat ,ask your classmates` She tried to ignore these students and even did not look at them when teaching. I quit because of backache I got during the course and the manager did not return me a cent. It was a terrible experience both emotionally and physically for me I will never forget. read more

SO...like any good retail manager..I am required by law to have my first aid certificate...I have put this off forever and was dreading the day I would finally have to take training..that day finally came today..and it was actually not that bad..in fact I almost enjoyed myself! The teacher, Sadia, was very sweet...laid back..explained all the key points and sorta hinted at what to focus on for the test...she was great at answering any questions and took her time with everyone.. The amount of information you have to digest in just 8 hours is intense..so they give you lots of breaks to mentally cleanse... My fave part was the roll playing...I was totally that bad kid in class that kept giggling and cracking jokes...lucky for me my classmates were all super cool and didn't mind the smart ass in the corner...I have to say that the "Annie" dolls that you practice on for some of the class are super creepy and I am pretty sure one of them winked at me mischievously..I'm sleeping with one eye open tonight! For all of you out there that will have to take this class for mandatory reason..don't sweat it..it's not so bad and the day flies by...in fact you actually feel like you have learned something useful that could really benefit someone someday...woot woot for saving lives! read more

I was recently asked to be one of the First Aid attendants at work which required me to obtain my First Aid Certificate. It's been a long time since I'd taken the course so was a bit nervous. The students in my class were quite an eclectic mix. Our teacher, Martin, was awesome. He went over everything in detail, taking the time to answer specific questions pertaining to each of our industries, all with a great sense of humor. Lord knows he needed the latter with my antics. After drawing a smiley face on the bandage of my colleague's fake wound I'd dressed, I was presented with a blow-up latex glove animal for my efforts. It was a heck of a lot of information to absorb in just 8 hours, but somehow we managed through. It helped that our instructor emphasized some key points that we'd have to answer in the test. My body was sore for days after performing CPR on those freaky looking "Annie" dolls for hours on end, but it's a lesson I won't soon forget. For anyone out there who are required to take First Aid like me - it's not so bad when you have instructors like Martin teaching the courses. The day goes by so fast, and you'll come out the other end having learned something valuable that could save somebody's life one day. read more

If you value quality instruction, a respectful learning environment, and inclusivity, do not sign up with St John Ambulance. I read previous comments and like many others, my instructor was also quite rude, disrespectful, and dismissive toward students. He also provided incorrect information and wasted time on things that were irrelevant to the course learnings. Lastly, and probably the most egregious, is that a visually impaired woman could not follow along because the instructor refused to make the simple accommodation of using descriptive language. Multiple students took it upon themselves to help the visually impaired woman understand what was going on throughout the course. This is unacceptable. St John Ambulance should provide training to their instructors to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for all. I wouldn't support this organization. read more

I posted about my situation on January 19. I had a class cancelled without my knowledge or contact from this branch. I took the class I rescheduled anyway due to convenience. Instructor was decent, but I'm not impressed with management. I was contacted by the manager via response to my email complaint and she told me she wanted to talk to me in person, asked for my phone number and when is best to contact me because she "didn't want to call while I was at work". Which she probably said because I mentioned I missed out on working and making money due to the cancellation. It's been over a week and there's been again, no attempt to contact me. Not sure what these kind of places strive for when it comes to clientele satisfaction but I know I won't be recommending this place after this experience. read more

I buy many of my emergency supplies from this branch. The staff is friendly, and when I shop there, I am supporting a local non-profit organization. I have also taken all of my first aid training with SJA since I was in teenager in high school. read more

St John Ambulance - I will get this emergency tent when the office is open on Monday!! - First Aid Classes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I was enrolled in an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) program with St. John Ambulance (Vancouver Branch) from April 16 to April 27, 2018. At first our instructor's behaviour could be viewed as constructive criticism, but by day three it had stretched far beyond helpful feedback into a form of bullying and harassment. He would belittle us in front of our peers, implicating that we were unintelligent and mentally unfit. On April 24th at approximately 11:30am, our instructor belittled a fellow classmate and I by throwing up his arms, grasping his head, and exclaiming "oh my God" loudly because I had grabbed a small, folded burn towel by mistake instead of an abdominal pad. I saw this as an intentional overreaction to my mistake in an effort to belittle us in front of our peers. At around 4:30pm on April 24th, the instructor called me up and told me that I'd be asked to leave the program the following day if I did not improve my speed during scenarios. I did not understand why I was being told this as no one in the course had yet reached the end of the model - an observation made by another student earlier. The "advice" was moreso confusing since he had commended me on my work during a practice scenario earlier that day, and only three days prior he had stated that he thought I wouldn't need to use a supplemental exam. On April 25th, our instructor called me out into the hallway and began asking me what medical conditions I have, and began making observations about my behaviour which he dubbed as being "off" (I was quiet due to days of harassment). I subsequently left the classroom with my belonging during the first break at around 10:30am and did not return. When I confronted SJA in an email, I explained what had happened and asked for a refund. Not only did they deny this request, they also insinuated that I deliberately missed homework during the course which lead to my failure. I have documentation which has been signed my myself, the course instructor, and the branch manager that I had missed an online quiz by mistake as records will show I had jumped well ahead of that module. When I replied and explained this, they continued attacking my credibility by claiming I had physically hurt another student - an obvious scare tactic. Not only do I have a witness that was present when this assault supposedly occurred, I have evidence that they had no intentions of passing me either in that this student did stay until the end of the day (the same day I left the program) and was told to leave before attempting the exam. In addition to my own horrid experience at SJA Vancouver, I saw a significant number of complaints from Google users stating experiences very similar to my own (e.g. harassment) which tells me that this is an ongoing issue at that branch. I'm disgusted with the way students are being treated there, and that many are failing due to what seems to be favouritism of others and abuse of power, leaving them unable to proceed in their careers and $1590.00 less in the bank. I actually flew from Toronto to take the course in order to proceed to the Justice Institute of British Columbia in New Westminster, and spent another $1400.00 on an Air BnB solely for the course. read more

I took OFA Level 1 back in September. Lucy is a stellar instructor. Clear and concise on what she expects from her students. But each time Lucy noted an honest mistake she spotted from a student, she would call on the student in front of the class, to have them follow along with the group. This can be somewhat intimidating. And overtime, as this keeps happening to the same person, it starts to be embarrassing. But all instructors have their ways of keeping their students focused. Reasonable. But if there is one change I could make to St. John's Ambulance, it would be to add a policy that all instructors and classmates must respect one another's skill level and learning capabilities. read more

Experienced a class booking glitch with their online booking system the first time I attempted to take the course. This resulted in a false/incomplete booking and a wasted morning. Today I sat in a full classroom waiting 30 minutes after class start time to finally be told no instructor due to a personal emergency. Left to find the other classroom also emptying out as their instructor also had not shown up. I requested and received a refund and will book my first aid course elsewhere. read more

Horrible costumer service. I've been trying to get an appointment for my post assessment to be done and keep getting the run around. Employ a receptionist or someone to take care people who are interested in taking the first aid/cpr course. It's been over a month with me saying they will call back they are too busy with meetings ‍ read more

Front desk staff was not friendly, helpful or knowledgeable. Bad way to start an 8 hour day at a place you already don't want to be. Actual instructor was nice and knew what he was talking about, but hard to understand him with a thick Asian accent. As they say in the medical field, "hope for the best but expect the worst." read more

I took the level 1 first aid class in this place and I do not recommend it. The instructor speaks nonstop and leaves the students all dizzy with so many words that he speaks that you end up losing all his attention. OMG ... Apart from that the instructor has a lot of favoritism with certain students that he likes at the time of qualifying the exams. If they are late after the breaks or at the time of starting the classes, If you like him, there is no need to worry, otherwise you will not get the certificate. ... I wish you good luck with the instructor ... A great waste of time. read more

I took OFA 3 I was not impressed with the instructor "E," yes I passed. However, this instructor is someone you want to avoid she seems to single out people. I don't like being yelled at in front of my peers. Through the course we had different drop ins in the course she was not welcoming and in some cases rude. She seemed specifically rude to a young Asian lady and an Indo Canadian man. They struggled and she made no effort to provide positive support or meaningful critique. Essentially, it was rudeness followed by being dismissiveness that bothered a few of us. I was not impressed by the people skills and she spent too much time getting into peoples personal issues. Really, I'm hear to take a course not live a soap opera of someone else's life. We commented on the surveys but I doubt they got read by the right people she had them on her desk open when we left. read more

Horrible cancellation policy, 20% cancellation fee if you can fill your seat. if not you have to pay for the whole thing. Are you kidding me... life happens but they don't care; hey its 5 business day notice, bought a course on Monday, asked for a refund on Tuesday due to availability, denies it... what kind of company does that. Stay away as there just trying to make money on people. read more

The training is fine but their website is dreadful and customer service also terrible. If you can ever get hold of anyone, they are pleasant enough but usually you have to leave a message and they don't call you back. They have a call centre in the same building but if you talk to the main office, the call centre can't help you. They will transfer you and no one will answer. If you need to switch your training time or course they charge another $20 - so be really sure you won't have to change dates. Like they charge enough already and then to change something that requires a click of a button, another $20. I will look for another place to re- certify next time. I have spent hours trying to deal with this. I also can't do anything on the website because they say I don't have an email registered (I do) and there's no way to do a password reset. They said they would send a link - they didn't. It's really bad. I hate wasting time on stuff like this. read more

Love this branch. I've never had a bad experience here. The instructors are always great. Everyone is really friendly, professional, and helpful. I dislike having to recertify every year, but I always have a good experience with this branch. I've tried other companies over the years, yet I always end up coming back here. Love that you can book online. Highly recommended! read more

I took the emergency First Aid for Industry training (OFA level 1) in February 2017. The instructor was very knowledgeable... and she was also a passive aggressor. The session was composed mainly of people over 40 and, for some, English was their second language. The instructor was 'diplomatically sarcastic', demeaning, and didn't tolerate well the fact that some of the students were not able to keep up with her pace --no matter if you insult somebody with a sweet voice and a hygienic smile: you are still insulting and that's unacceptable, even more if you hold a teaching position! Her attitude towads some of the students was like: "honey... I know you are not very brilliant and that's why I'm going to do the favor of repeating the information one more time". Besides that, the emergency kits were very disorganized. Thankfully, my employer paid for this training. If I've had to paid the course with my money, I'd have left the place after her first sarcastic comment --which happened almost at the beginning of the session. I'm giving it two stars because the place is clean and it's near a train station. read more