ACN 138/19 - NOV 2019 EXCEPTION TO POLICY REGARDING APPROVED ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT (ALS) CERTIFICATION SOURCES

ALCOAST COMMANDANT NOTICE                              CANCEL DATE  20 NOV 2020                

R 211504 NOV 19
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-11//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS//N06220//
ACN 138/19
SUBJ:  EXCEPTION TO POLICY REGARDING APPROVED ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT (ALS) CERTIFICATION SOURCES
A. Coast Guard Medical Manual, COMDTINST M6000.1F
1. This ACN announces an exception to policy in REF (A).
2. REF (A) states that approved training sources for ALS for CG medical personnel are the
American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI). Since the
publication of the current version of REF (A), the Department of Defense (DOD) has switched to
the American Red Cross (ARC) as their approved ALS training source. Since many CG medical
personnel obtain ALS training and certification from DOD sources at no cost, and since ARC is
recognized by the Military Health System (MHS) as a legitimate source for such training, an
exception to policy in REF (A) will now allow CG medical personnel to obtain and maintain ALS
certification from ARC sources. 
3. There will be no hardcopy distribution of this change. An electronic version is located on
the CGPortal at: https://cgportal.uscg.mil/library/directives/SitePages/Home.aspx and on the
Internet at: http://www.dcms.uscg.mil/directives/.
4. REF (A) will be updated to reflect these changes, which will be released in the next year.
5. POC: CAPT Shane C. Steiner, Shane.C.Steiner@uscg.mil or (202) 475-5211.
6. Released by RADM Dana L. Thomas, Director of Health, Safety, and Work-Life.
7. Internet release is authorized.