Read this before you rely on anything here

Educational purpose only

Everything on SignsToSave is published for general education. It describes what emergencies commonly look like and what published lay-rescuer guidance says a bystander should do. It is written for the general public, not for clinicians, and it is not tailored to any individual, condition, medication, or situation.

Not medical advice, and no doctor-patient relationship

Reading this site, passing a quiz, or downloading a certificate does not create a doctor-patient, clinician-patient, or professional relationship of any kind. Nothing here is a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a recommendation about your care or anyone else's. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional with any question about a medical condition, and never disregard or delay professional advice because of something you read here.

In an emergency, call 911

If you think someone may be having a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. Do not spend time reading. Do not wait to be certain. Dispatchers are trained to decide what an emergency is — that is their job, not yours, and calling when it turns out to be nothing is a normal, expected part of how the system works.

Certificates are awareness certificates

SignsToSave certificates confirm that someone read a short course and passed a five-question quiz. That is all they claim. They are not:

• CPR, AED, or first-aid certification;
• accredited or licensed training of any kind;
• valid for any workplace, school, childcare, licensing, OSHA, or other compliance requirement;
• evidence of clinical competence.

For accredited, hands-on training, use the American Red Cross course finder or the American Heart Association course catalog. We recommend it without reservation — especially for CPR, choking, and bleeding control, where a skill you have practiced physically is worth far more than a page you have read.

Guidelines evolve

Course content follows published guidance from the organizations cited on each course. That guidance changes as evidence changes, and there is always a lag between a body updating its recommendations and this site catching up. Where guidance bodies disagree, we say so and teach the American Red Cross lay-rescuer approach. When this site and your doctor — or the 911 dispatcher on the phone with you — disagree, they win. Every time, without exception.

Good Samaritan laws

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have some form of Good Samaritan law, and they generally protect people who voluntarily give reasonable emergency help in good faith, without expectation of payment. That is the general shape of it. The details — who is covered, what counts as reasonable, whether there is a duty to act, how overdose-specific protections work — vary meaningfully from state to state. This paragraph is general information, not legal advice. If you need to know how the law works where you live, ask a lawyer licensed in your state.

No affiliation

SignsToSave is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the organizations whose published guidance it cites, including the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, CDC, SAMHSA, ACOG, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. We use their names to credit their published guidance and to point you to the original. We do not display their marks or logos and we do not issue anything on their behalf.

Limitation of liability, in plain English

This site is provided as-is and free of charge. We work hard to keep it accurate, but we cannot promise it is complete, current, or right for your situation, and we do not guarantee any particular outcome. To the fullest extent the law allows, SignsToSave and the people who make it are not liable for any loss, injury, or damage that follows from using this site or from anything you did or did not do because of it. Your judgment in an emergency, and the instructions of the professionals helping you, come first.