Empowering Chicagoland with CPR and AED Skills That Save Lives
You’re having lunch at a local cafe when someone at the next table gasps and slumps forward. You’re coaching your child’s soccer game when a parent on the sidelines collapses. You’re at your office desk when a co-worker doesn’t respond.
In these moments, before the sirens are even heard, the most important person in the room isn’t a paramedic or a doctor. It’s you. The first responder isn’t always the one with the badge—it’s the bystander with the knowledge and courage to act.
Image of the CPR Training session at Downers Grove CPR
This truth is the heartbeat of Downers Grove CPR. For founder David Cotterell, a firefighter and paramedic since 1999, this isn’t just theory. He’s rolled up on countless scenes where the outcome was already decided—not by his advanced equipment, but by a neighbor, a coworker, or a stranger who simply knew what to do. His mission is clear: to put that life-saving power directly into the hands of the community, one student at a time. You can read more stories about the impact of this mission on our blog.
Our facility at 1919 S. Highland Ave. in Lombard isn’t just a classroom; it’s a community safety hub. Here, we transform everyday citizens into confident first responders, because we believe that safety isn’t just a professional responsibility—it’s a community value.
The Critical Gap: Why Your Action Matters Most
The numbers don’t lie. For someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, survival rates drop by 7-10% with every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. In many areas, the average emergency response time is 8-12 minutes. That math is stark, and it reveals a gap—a window of time that belongs solely to the people already on the scene.
David has seen both sides of this equation. He’s witnessed the tragic cost of hesitation and the extraordinary power of immediate, effective bystander intervention. A child pulled from a pool by a parent who knew rescue breathing. A colleague revived in an office building because someone grabbed the AED from the hallway. These aren't rare miracles; they are the direct results of training and preparedness.
Our goal is to make these outcomes the norm in Lombard and beyond. We’re here to ensure that when crisis strikes, the person closest doesn’t feel helpless. They feel ready.
Corporate Safety: Beyond the Box on the Wall
For any business, the safety of your team and visitors is paramount. You may have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) mounted in your hallway—a vital first step. But an AED in a box is just a piece of equipment. An AED in the hands of a trained, confident employee is a lifeline.
At Downers Grove CPR, we build complete, compliant, and confident workplace safety programs. We go far beyond a one-time certificate.
● Expert AED Sales & Strategic Installation: Choosing the right AED can be confusing. We cut through the noise. We assess your workplace layout, employee density, and risk factors to recommend the right model for your specific needs. Then, we help you install it in a strategic, accessible, and well-marked location—not just where it’s convenient to store, but where it can be grabbed in under 90 seconds during a panic.
● Comprehensive Program Management: Owning an AED comes with legal and maintenance responsibilities. We guide you through the Illinois Good Samaritan laws, FDA registration, and routine maintenance checks. We manage your pad and battery expiration alerts, so you’re never caught unprepared.
● Device-Specific, Confidence-Building Training: Generic AED training leaves gaps. We train your staff on the exact model you have on your wall. They’ll practice with the same device, hear its specific voice prompts, and feel its pads, turning anxiety into muscle memory. When seconds count, familiarity breeds calm, effective action.
We partner with local businesses to create a culture of safety, where employees know that their well-being is a top priority and feel empowered to protect each other. To discuss a program for your organization, you can reach out through our contact page or fill out a workplace training request .
Heartsaver Courses: Practical Skills for Real People
You don’t need a medical degree to save a life. Our American Heart Association Heartsaver courses are designed for real people in everyday situations—teachers, coaches, construction workers, grandparents, and friends.
● Heartsaver CPR/AED: This is our flagship community course. In just a few hours, you’ll learn to perform high-quality CPR on adults and children, relieve choking, and use an AED with competence. The training is hands-on, straightforward, and focused on the essential steps that make the difference.
● Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED: Tailored for those who care for children—from daycare providers and preschool teachers to camp counselors and new parents. This course meets all state licensing requirements and dives deep into the unique emergencies faced by infants and children, from fevers and seizures to allergic reactions and injuries.
Our instructors teach with clarity, patience, and a profound respect for your time. You’ll leave not with jargon, but with practical skills and the confidence to use them. You can learn more about our team of instructors on our team page.
For the Littlest Ones: Specialized Training for Parents and Caregivers
Bringing a new baby home is a journey of joy wrapped in vulnerability. That instinctive worry is natural, but fear doesn’t have to be your constant companion. Knowledge is the antidote.
David, drawing from decades of EMS experience, has crafted specialized training that addresses the fears of every new parent, grandparent, and teen babysitter head-on. Our classes for new parents and babysitters are a safe, supportive space to learn and ask the "what if" questions that keep you up at night.
● Infant CPR & Choking Rescue: Using specialized infant manikins, you’ll get hands-on practice with the gentle, precise techniques required for a baby’s small body. You’ll learn to recognize the signs of a true airway emergency and act swiftly.
● Proactive Home Safety: We move beyond reaction to prevention. We discuss safe sleep practices, baby-proofing strategies, and how to identify common household hazards before they become emergencies.
● Building Confidence, Easing Anxiety: Our ultimate goal isn’t to scare you with scenarios; it’s to empower you with competence. We want you to walk out of our Lombard center feeling stronger, more prepared, and able to enjoy the wonders of parenthood with a grounded sense of control.
Why Community Trusts Downers Grove CPR
In a world of online shortcuts and impersonal certification mills, we stand for something different: authentic, experience-based training.
● Rooted in Real Response: Our curriculum is taught by instructors like David, who have spent careers in the field. The stories they share, the tips they give, and the realities they emphasize come from a lifetime of actual 911 calls.
● A Local Hub for Safety: Our convenient Lombard location at 1919 S. Highland Ave. is your community resource. We’re your neighbors, invested in the safety of our shared streets, schools, and businesses. We proudly serve the entire region, and you can see a full list of the communities we serve here.
● Streamlined & Effective: We respect your busy life. We’ve refined the certification process to be efficient, engaging, and stress-free, all while maintaining the highest standards of the American Heart Association. For more details on our policies, please review our course policies.
Join the thousands of Chicagoland area residents and employees we train each year. Whether you come to our welcoming center or we bring our training to your workplace, school, or community group, we are here for one reason: to ensure that when a moment of crisis arrives at your front door, you don’t have to wait for help.
