Wilderness First Aid / Wilderness First Responder
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Evacuation of "patient" via helicopter
Assess and control bleeding, from minor scrapes to life threatening hemorrhage
Wound care and closure
Wound inspected, debrided, cleaned and closed!
Evacuation decision making and patient packaging using modern and improvised carries
Simulated injuries during a night scenario in the remote desert.
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Evidence Based Medicine in the Backcountry
Prevention, Assessment, Treatment and Evacution
You're three days into a seven day loop hike in the Bob Marshal Wilderness in Montana. Your son slips in a stream and bumps his head, loses consciousness, then regains consciousness but remains confused. The sun is setting.
What do you do?
You are splitting firewood with some friends at your cabin. One of your friends slips with the saw and scream in pain. The chainsaw is running, blood is everywhere, and the nearest ambulance is five hours away.
What is the first thing you should do?
In the wilderness the rule is "anything can happen to anyone at anytime"... in the next moment you may be faced with a life threatning injury or illness. Our flagship Wilderness First Responder (WFR, pronounced woof-er) course is designed for the outdoor professional or adventurer who spends extensive time in austere, remote environments. Our Wilderness FIrst Aid (WFA) course is a shorter course designed for every adventurer!
Our training is based on the concept that prevention is the best medicine, in the front country or back country. To this end we have meshed our "Survival 101:Learn to Return" course with all of our medical courses. With the proper planning, mentality and skills many common wilderness injuries can be mitigated or entirely prevented.
Our trauma training covers everything from large, life threatening bleeds to the common but disabling injuries like blisters. This training is cutting edge using the same assessment algorithms developed by the military over the past 20 years. Practical scenarios designed to replicate real life injuries, complete with moulage, allow students to learn through repetition and under simulated stress.
In addition to the various traumas that can occur there are myriad medical situations that can occur or be exacerbated by wilderness travel. From stomach aches to seizures we discuss the assessment, treatment and evacuation decision making process. Environmental concerns, such as contaminated water or bee stings, are also covered.
Upcoming Courses
Wilderness First Responder
Location: Salmon, Idaho
Dates May 14 - May 21
This course is hosted by Idaho Adventures in Salmon Idaho and will include three days of rafting on the Middle Salmon River. This adventure is not to be missed! The entire course will be conducted at a remote location with the final three days culminating on a professionally guided float trip down the Upper Main Salmon River! The snow pack this year is record breaking which means the rafting will be EPIC! Come join us for some experiential education!
Upcoming courses
WFR on the Water
Colorado has experienced EPIC snow fall this season and that means... epic canoeing and rafting this spring! Come join us and our friends at Centennlai Canoe Outfitters in beautiful Palisade, Colorado for a 9 day Wilderness First Responder course, including the Survival 101:Learn to Return course and a three day float/canoe down the Gunnison River. All of the gear you'll need is provided, including the meals on the float trip and everything you need for a comfortable educational experience!