Our Instructors
Our instructors are the best of the best. Many of them have over 10 years of professional and teaching experience. They are affiliated with the American Heart Association (AHA), American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI), Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECSI), and/or American Red Cross (ARC) as either Instructors, Instructor Trainers, Training Center Faculties, Regional Faculty, or National Faculty. Our instructors have gained their hands on experience either as Hospital Corpsmen, Army Medics, Nurses, EMT's, or Emergency Physicians which provides real life experience to what they are teaching. Many of our instructors/educators have worked for or as independent contractors for CardiacScience, RescueOne, Health Safety Institute National Training Solution, Amerimed, American Environment Health Safety, Lifework, Inc., Life Safety and many others.
Francisco Cano
Owner, Health Safety Consultant
Mr. Cano graduated in 1994 from Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. In 2004, Mr. Cano received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in Workforce Education Development where he Graduated with Honors. In July 2020, Mr. Cano graduated from Liberty University with his Master of Education in Higher Learning Instructional Design and Technology. In October 2023, Mr. Cano completed his Executive Certification in Instructional Design and Technology from Liberty University. Mr. Cano is currently serving as the BLS Program Director and Mock Code Blue Program Director in the Department of Education and Training at one of the local hospitals.
In 1994 shortly after graduating from Bishop O'Connell, Mr. Cano decided that he wanted to do something for his country and joined the United States Navy. Mr. Cano while serving in the United States Navy, as a Dental Technician became specialized as a Field Medic and an Oral Maxillofacial Surgical Technician.
Mr. Cano obtained his National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician Basic certification while he was on Active Duty in 1997. Mr. Cano for over 3 years ran the Emergency Vehicle Operators Course at Former National Naval Medical Center Bethesda overseeing and conducting the training of new Ambulance Emergency Vehicle Operators. While Mr. Cano was on his last active duty tour at the National Naval Dental Center (NNDC), Mr. Cano was the Basic Life Support Assistant Program Manager and the Basic Life Support Program Administrator under the Military Training Network for the entire National Naval Dental Command. He separated from Active Duty in January 2004. Mr. Cano decided to continue serving in the military, he joined the US Naval Reserves and served as a Surgical Technician until January 2006.
In 2010, Mr. Cano decided that he wanted to serve our county and he rejoined our fine military and enlisted in the Army Reserves where he became a CBRN Specialist becoming certified with the ProBoard and DOD Fire as a Hazardous Material Technician, Hazardous Material Technical Escort and as a Combat Medic. On October 2018, Mr. Cano retired from the Army Reserves after serving our country for 20 years cumulative service in both the Navy and the Army.
While stationed in Johnstown, PA, on December 2015, Mr. Cano became a Volunteer Fire Fighter with Lower Yoder Volunteer Fire Department where he made it up the ranks from Fire Fighter to Lieutenant to Fire Chief. He later joined West Hills Regional Fire Department where is still an active member as a Fire Fighter. Some of other accolades of Mr. Cano while being a volunteer fire fighter, have included becoming annually completing his recertification in Hazmat Awareness, Hazmat Operations, Hazmat Technician, and obtaining his Fire Fighter 1 certification through PA Fire Commission.
Mr. Cano is certified through the American Heart Association as a Basic Life Support Training Center Faculty since 2000 and an Advance Life Cardiac Support Instructor Trainer since 2019 under Lifework, Inc. Since 2004, Mr. Cano is also an Instructor Trainer and has a Training Center with American Safety and Health Institute. Mr. Cano since 2019 is also certified with the American Red Cross as a Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor Trainer, Advance Life Support (ALS) Instructor Trainer, and a Pediatric Life Support (PALS) Instructor. Mr. Cano has over 23 years of civilian and military teaching experience.
Mr. Cano is fluent in Spanish which allows him to reach out to the local Hispanic community. In 2001, Mr. Cano developed a Spanish Curriculum for students and an Instructor Manual while he did his internship with A-B-CPR. Since he had developed the curriculum using American Heart Association Guidelines prior to them developing a program in 2006, in 2002, he was given special permission by the American Heart Association to not only conduct classes in Spanish but also be able to certify students. In 2002, Safety First CPR & First Aid training was the first non-American Red Cross Company not only able to teach but also able to certify students in CPR and First Aid in Spanish for Home Day Care Providers to maintain their certification with the county and/or state. Safety First CPR & First Aid Training still continue serving the Spanish-speaking community of Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland.
Some of Mr. Cano's client's with Safety First CPR & First Aid Training and some of the affiliate companies he has taught with have included referrals from Fairfax County Office for Children since 2002, the National Park Service, Fox News Channel, Amtrak, FBI, MHP, Dr. Bonacci, Dr. Whittington, Northern Virginia Oral Maxillofacial and Implant Surgery, Dr. Ahrabi, Fairfax Oral Surgery Clinic, Pediatric Associates of Alexandria, Virginia Department of Education, word of mouth referrals from our previous clients, and many others.
Why does Mr. Cano continue teaching?
Mr. Cano loves serving his community. Mr. Cano loves to teach and also loves to talk about the importance of the role of the First Responder in helping those injured individuals until care can be transferred to the next level of care. His passion has made him able to establish a more personal approach to his lessons and to his students.
Late July 2020, Mr. Cano himself was greatful for a group of 4 Good Samaritans that stopped to check on him after having a bad crash on his way to work on his motorcycle. He suffered 5 broken ribs on his left side (ribs 5-9 fractured with 3 of them dislocated), minor pneumothorax, and right broken Scaphoid. Mr. Cano was thankful for them stopping to check on him and keep him safe while EMS showed up on scene. He was also very thankful to have been given another chance of life.