About Us

Real Experience. Real Training. Real Results.

We Are Your Neighbors. We Are Your Firefighters. We Are Your Instructors.

Compressions for Life LLC is an American Heart Association authorized CPR, First Aid, BLS, and ACLS training facility based in Downtown Bremerton, Washington. We have been serving Kitsap and Mason counties since 2011 — not as a corporate training center, but as the firefighters and paramedics who respond to emergencies on your streets every single shift.

Every class is taught by active professional first responders. We don’t teach from a manual. We teach from real calls. That’s the difference.

Why We Started

After years on the front lines, we realized that the best way to save lives wasn’t just responding to emergencies—it was empowering the community to intervene before we even arrive. We saw a need for CPR and First Aid training that was practical, stress-free, and taught by professionals who actually use these skills in the field.

Today, we are proud to be the premier training partner for:

  • Healthcare Providers: Nurses, EMTs, and Dental professionals in Bremerton and Silverdale.
  • Federal & Military Entities: Providing OSHA-compliant training for Naval Base Kitsap and local defense contractors.
  • The Kitsap Community: Parents, teachers, coaches, and local business owners who want the best for their families and staff.

Giving Back

We are committed to volunteering and actively helping our community become safer and stronger—this includes all our neighboring cities: Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Belfair, Port Orchard, Bainbridge, Kingston, and beyond.

Meet Kevin Bernt

Lead Instructor

Firefighter/Paramedic & Senior EMS Instructor

Kevin Bernt is an active firefighter paramedic serving Kitsap County and the founder of Compressions for Life LLC. With years of front-line emergency experience and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, Kevin brings a rare combination of academic rigor and real-world credibility to every class he teaches.

As a paramedic Kevin has responded to hundreds of cardiac emergencies throughout Kitsap and Mason counties. He started Compressions for Life because he saw firsthand what happens in those critical minutes before EMS arrives — and he wanted to change those outcomes by putting professional emergency skills into the hands of the neighbors he serves.

Kevin is the sole instructor (along with OBG) at Compressions for Life. When you take a class here you get Kevin — not a rotating roster of part-time instructors. Every student gets the same front-line expertise, every time.

Certifications & Credentials:

  • Active Firefighter Paramedic — Kitsap County
  • AHA BLS & ACLS Instructor
  • Heartsaver First Aid CPR/AED Instructor
  • Master of Science — Organizational Leadership
  • Washington State L&I Authorized Instructor
  • EMS Provider of the Year 2013
  • Firefighter Paramedic of the Year 2014
  • Veteran-Owned Small Business
  • Government Contractor — CAGE Code: 7ZKS7 | UEI: EKDACD88K5X5

Meet OBG — Original Baby Gangster

Every legend has an origin story.

OBG’s begins at a local Kitsap County fire station.

He was dropped off one quiet day — a small blue infant
manikin left at the station door, trusting that the
firefighters inside would know what to do with him.

They did.

Kevin Bernt — active firefighter paramedic and founder
of Compressions for Life — took one look at this little
blue warrior and knew he was something special. Kevin
adopted him, brought him home, and gave him a purpose.

That was 2011.

Since then OBG has not missed a single class.

Not one.

He has trained alongside hundreds of students — nurses,
paramedics, construction crews, dental offices, school
teachers, babysitters, and everyone in between. He has
been squeezed, tilted, back-slapped, and chest-thrust
more times than any manikin in Kitsap County history.

He wears it well.

OBG arrived wearing a “Little Hero” shirt — a fire truck
on the front, blue sleeves, the look of someone who
already knew his calling. He has been a hero every day
since.

His credentials are unmatched:
✅ Rescued from a fire station — 2011
✅ Adopted and raised by a firefighter paramedic
✅ Perfect attendance — 2011 to present
✅ Chief Infant Training Officer — CPR Kitsap
✅ Infant CPR & choking rescue specialist
✅ Back massage enthusiast
✅ One excused absence — sauna emergency, April 2026

When you take a class at CPR Kitsap you will meet OBG
in person. He will be wearing his finest attire. He will
expect a back massage during the choking demonstration.
And he will make sure you leave knowing exactly what to
do when an infant needs you most.

From the fire station door to the training floor —
OBG has always been exactly where he belongs.

Accolades & Affiliations

Awards and Leadership Recognition

We are proud to have been recognized by our peers and community for excellence in service and leadership:

  • Kitsap County’s 20 Under 40 Emerging Leaders
  • Kitsap County EMS Provider of the Year
  • Central Kitsap Firefighter of the Year
  • Central Kitsap EMS Provider of the Year
  • Kitsap Leadership Program
  • Graduate of the BEST Program
Local Partnerships and Memberships

We actively support the local business community and economic vitality of the region:

  • Better Business Bureau (BBB) Member
  • Bremerton Chamber of Commerce Member
  • Silverdale Chamber of Commerce Member
  • Downtown Bremerton Association Member
  • We are dedicated citizens of Kitsap County, committed to ensuring the health and safety of every neighbor we train.