Wilderness First Aid Course
The WFA is the perfect introduction to wilderness medicine. You will spend 2-days immersed - practicing skills, protocols, and decision-making key to an emergency in the backcountry. Most of the skills you learn can be applied anywhere, anytime, while a few will be applicable only to a wilderness context.
Who is it for?
The WFA course is for anyone who wants to be better equipped for an emergency, especially one that occurs far from a hospital. This course is for everyone from raft guides to stay at home dads. Everyone can benefit from knowing what to do when things go wrong.
Past students have included:
Outdoor educators, Forest Service and National Parks employees, commercial guides, summer camp employees, college outdoor programs leaders, and people like you.
What is the format?
This course is taught over 2 full days, generally over a weekend. The course is fast-paced and very hands-on, so we won't be sitting down much. We will trade off being patients and rescuers, and will create realistic scenarios for immersive practical training.
What will I learn?
This course is packed with practical information that will aid in an emergency at home and in the wilderness.
A short list of covered topics includes: CPR, rescue breathing, choking protocol, spine protocol, stopping severe bleeding, managing head injuries, managing a range of unstable traumatic injuries, managing severe allergies including administration of epinephrine, treatment of wounds and burns, evacuation considerations, detailed patient assessment procedures, and much more.
What's the price?
We are a mission-driven organization. Part of that mission is to create more access to this essential training.
The standard price for a WFA is $325.
At the moment we can offer a subsidy to active search and rescue volunteers in Colorado. That being said, if the cost of the course is your primary barrier please reach out directly.