AHA Training, American Red Cross and Emergency Response Training Now Available in Ellwood City

Since 2017, Star of Life Training has been offering First Aid, CPR, or Emergency Response Training for employers and individuals.

Now there is a location right in the heart of Ellwood City.

Located at 315 Fifth Street, Star of Life Training is an American Red Cross Training Partner, American Safety and Health Institute training center and Emergency Medical Response trainer for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  Star of Life Training is also partnered with Babcock Health Education Services out of Florida and is an American Heart Association Training Center.

Owners Robert and Heather Kratz, who live in Franklin Township, with their two children, said Ellwood City is a great location for this business so this year they decided to make Ellwood City the headquarters.

“This is a centralized location for western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio,” Robert said. “When I went to recertify my skills there were no classes local for a medical provider that was not affiliated with a hospital.”

He said the location has other benefits as well including a lot of quality local businesses that his team can refer students to for dining or other needs and convenient regional access.

“We are centrally located with easy access from 79 and the Turnpike,” he said.

Robert has been in the business of emergency response for a while now and can’t imagine doing anything else.

“I grew up in a small town in Potter County named Austin and graduated high school in 1992,” Robert said. “I completed my EMT Basic at the Community College of Allegheny County.  I attended Penn State Fayette and completed my certification as a Nationally Registered Paramedic.”

Since then Robert has been providing his services as a paramedic and is now training others to follow in his footsteps. His business has already expanded from weekend classes in Pittsburgh hotel conference rooms to the opening of his main Ellwood City office in June.

“I am looking forward to growing and providing our instruction services to not only individuals but companies, nursing facilities, or any location that should need First Aid, CPR, or Emergency Response Training,” he said.

Growing is the goal, but Robert has witnessed some successes already in his business including being a facility who earned the ability to offer continuing education credit classes for first responders. And Robert is particularly proud of how he has been able to stay open and running during the pandemic.

“Our biggest success is being able to operate during the COVID 19 pandemic with little disruption to the services we offer, because of the stringent decontamination procedures we follow,” he said.

And although success is celebrated, it doesn’t come without challenges. Robert said the biggest one is keeping up with government regulations and recommendations.

“Currently we have to ensure compliance with not only the Pennsylvania Department of Health, but National Highway Traffic and Safety Agency, CDC, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, and the American Safety and Health Institute just to name a few,” he said.

For Robert, each class he has brings knowledge to those who can help others and that makes it all worth it.

If you are interested in information about the classes and cost, visit his partner page. There are plenty of options available with tons of flexibility.

“We can host multiple types of classes in a single day,” Robert said. “Our facility is in the old Ellwood City Chamber of Commerce building. We have a reception and office area and three rooms for hosting classes.”

He said hours are dependent upon class schedules and enrollment but that someone is always available via telephone or email (info@staroflifetraining.org) should the office be closed. He added that he hosts classes of all sizes—even for just one person.

“We are unique in that we do not cancel or reschedule classes unless absolutely no other options exist,” Robert said. “Many companies in this field schedule classes and then have to cancel them due to low enrollment.  With our having an actual store front, we can have as few as one person and still hold the class.”

Robert said he could see himself possibly expanding his staff in the future.

“As we provide medical training there are some pre-requisites that individuals need,” he said. “We are able to provide those and are always looking to add quality instructors to our team.”

To learn more about Star of Life Training, visit www.staroflifetraining.org and follow them on Facebook @staroflifetraining.