Code One is a family-owned business borne out of a dorm room at the University of Connecticut in 2007. Our founder Richard Shok was a junior undergraduate nursing student who had a background as a volunteer firefighter and EMT in his hometown of Hebron, CT. Rich already had his CPR instructor certification and realized there was a struggle for his classmates and other students at the university to obtain CPR certification. Rich knew first-hand as an emergency responder the impact high-quality CPR and early defibrillation could make in a cardiac arrest and was passionate about providing quality training. His girlfriend Allison thought he was a little nuts, but supported him through the process of accrediting the business and holding CPR courses on campus during their undergrad.

Fast forward to the present! While things are no longer run out of a dorm room, providing accessible and quality training is still our #1 priority at Code One. Rich and his now-wife/business partner Allison both graduated from UConn Nursing and have over 50 training locations providing innovative American Heart Association certification, EMT training in select CT locations and AED sales nationwide through our sister business AED Team. Code One has grown to encompass an incredible group of passionate employees across the nation who support the mission of high-quality emergency training. Many of our staff have been on the team for years and are an integral part of our company family.

Allison still thinks Rich is a little bit nuts, and they now live in Virginia with their two children and spend their (rare) free time exploring hiking trails, spending time with friends and family and disagreeing on what to stream after their kids’ bedtime.

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