American Red Cross and Boy Scouts of America Training Agreement

Is your Unit, District, or Council taking full advantage of the National Agreement that Boy Scouts of America has with the American Red Cross?

Here are the benefits:

Convenience – The primary goal of the agreement is for each council to become self sufficient with its own instructors and trainers of instructors so that BSA staff and volunteers are available to teach the courses whenever and wherever best meets local Scouting needs.

A Scout is Thrifty – just a small fee for each person trained ($5 per participant in most cases to the sponsor Chapter), plus cost of materials. This could result in up to a 90% savings over other comparable classes.

Highest Quality – Red Cross training is universally recognized for its effectiveness. It can help ensure that every one from the Boy Scout working on a First Aid Merit Badge to a Scouter leading a unit on a high adventure trek is fully prepared.

Scope of the Program:

All areas of First Aid, CPR and AED
Wilderness First Aid – Through the Transylvania County Chapter click)
Lifeguarding Program
Emergency Response (meets DOT first responder requirements)
Babysitter’s Training
Swimming and Water Safety
Emergency Preparedness/Be Red Cross Ready
Facilitates product availability including:

Personal First Aid Kits
Family First Aid Kits (hard and soft cases)
Three-day Preparedness Kits
Safety Tubes
Automated External Defibrillators (though Phillips Medical)

How to get started:

Start with your Council to determine if a relationship exists and who coordinates the activity in the Council. This may be a staff professional (such as the Program Director) or a volunteer (such as the Chair of Health and Safety Committee). Also understand there may be separate points of contact for specific programs (such as aquatics). Just starting the process? If you know your zip code you can find the local Red Cross Chapter from their main webpage click). Their Chief Executive Officer and your Council designated point of contact can initiate a dialog.

Best Practices / Model BSA Council – Red Cross Chapter Relationships:

The Sam Houston Area Council click has been successful in a big way with the Greater Houston Area Chapter (hot link click) including chapter-sponsored Venturing crews, See their special Websites at click and click. A good person to contact at the chapter to start conversation about their experience is Gidget Swift at GSWIFT@ghac.org and 713-313-1606.

The Suwannee River Area Council (hot link click) – Point of Contact Field Director, Kevin McMurrian, and the Capital Area Chapter (Tallahassee, Fla.) click) of the American Red Cross have an initiative to "Build Disaster-Resistant Scout Troops. http://redcross.tallytown.com/drt.html )" Based on the chapter's Disaster Resistant Neighborhood Program and Community Emergency Response Team training, the initiative is designed to prepare Boy Scouts and their families for the next disaster.

Still have Questions?
For immediate response, contact your local council service center with questions regarding Scouting safely.

Click here to e-mail questions specific to health, safety, or risk management to the national council.