Wilderness First Aid Basics

• What:

  Wilderness First Aid Basics is a 16 hour training course offered by the Mount Baker Council and certified by the American Red Cross

• Who:

  For BSA registered Adults and Youth, minimum age 15

• Why:

  To meet requirements mandated of units organizing a Philmont trek and/or to become a better prepared Scout. This course also fulfills the core first aid requirement for the Venturing Ranger Award.

• When and Where:

  
  

  Spring 2009 courses have been completed, check here soon for the next course dates and locations.

• Certification:

  Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Basics certification will be issued for successful completion

• Pre-requisites:

  None, though a current CPR/standard first aid certification is highly recommended. If CPR certification is not current please try and complete prior to class start.

• Volunteer:

  If you are already a certified Red Cross Instructor, have MOFA, Advanced Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or WEMT, and would like to help, we can really use your assistance. Please contact course director.

Upon enrolling please check the website for important updates and student announcements prior to class.

Course Director: Karl Kohagen karlkohagen@hotmail.com, 425-745-4127

Wilderness First Aid Curriculum

Overview:

This course is intended to serve as an educational resource for those involved in activities that take them beyond the scope of traditional urban emergency medical services. In these cases, emergency care is delayed until help can be notified and rescuers can reach the intended patient or the patient is evacuated to safety. This course helps provide the knowledge and skills neccessary to deal with these emergencies until more advanced care can be provided.

Course Objectives:

Identify how to respond to emergency situations in delayed emergency help situations

Identify causes of injuries and how injuries can be prevented in wilderness areas

Learn proper advanced preparations for journeys into the backcountry

Learn the Emergency Action Steps For First Aid Response to be employed when EMS is not readily available

Learn Basic and more advanced techniques to use when an injury occurs

Learn short distance transfer and evacuation techniques

Experience providing wilderness first aid through the means of scenarios and simulated rescues that test knowledge and skills

Certificates:

No prerequisites are required to take Wilderness First Aid, although a CPR course is highly recommended. CPR skills are not covered in the WFA course. Upon completion of the components of the Wilderness First Aid course participants will receive the Wilderness First Aid Red Cross certificate with a certification period of three years.

This course will be conducted both in a classroom setting and participation in outdoor practice scenarios. This will be a fast paced intense learning situation recommended for adults or mature youth at least 15 years old a week before the course. Minors needed to be accompanied by parent or guardian or their unit leader.