If someone is choking right now, call your local emergency number immediately — then see our response steps.
Resources

Resources & Getting Certified

Reading this site is a great start, but hands-on practice is what builds real confidence. Here's how to go further.

Get hands-on training

These organizations offer accredited in-person and online-blended first aid, CPR, and choking response courses. Search for local classes near you:

American Red Cross

First Aid/CPR/AED courses for adults, children, and infants, offered nationwide in the US.

American Heart Association

Heartsaver and BLS courses covering CPR and choking response, taught through local training centers.

St John Ambulance / national Red Cross societies

Outside the US, your national Red Cross/Red Crescent society or equivalent (e.g., St John Ambulance in the UK) offers comparable certified courses.

Where this guidance comes from

The steps on ChokeOn.com reflect widely taught first aid and choking-response protocols used in accredited courses, including guidance consistent with the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, and international resuscitation councils. Protocols are periodically updated by these organizations — always defer to your most recent certified training and local emergency dispatcher instructions in a real event.

Disclaimer

ChokeOn.com provides general educational information only and is not medical advice. The content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical training, accredited first aid/CPR certification, or emergency medical services.

In any real choking emergency, call your local emergency number immediately (911 in the US, 999 in the UK, 112 in the EU, or your country's equivalent). Techniques described here can cause injury if performed incorrectly or on someone who does not need them — they should only be used when a genuine full airway blockage is suspected.

ChokeOn.com, its owners, and contributors are not liable for outcomes resulting from the use or misuse of information on this site. Always seek hands-on certified training and follow the guidance of qualified medical professionals and emergency responders.

Review the essentials

Recognize the signs, know the steps, and prevent choking before it starts.