Wilderness First Aid is one of the few things I get on my soapbox about. Whether you are a weekend warrior, endurance athlete, casual hiker or camper, or you live and travel out of your van, taking a wilderness first aid class can make the difference between staying in the field or evacuation. It can be the difference between a really bad day and a minor inconvenience. Do yourself and friends a favor…get training.
I currently teach Wilderness Medicine for SOLO and CPR for the American Heart Association. SOLO (Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities) is based out of Conway NH. Wilderness First Aid (WFA) was offered in 1974 as the Mountain Rescue Seminar, it later became known as Backcountry Medicine, and eventually Wilderness First Aid.
SOLO Wilderness First Aid is the most popular course I teach. It is a full weekend and will prepare you for whatever emergencies you are likely to encounter. I have also created full day scenario classes that are designated for folks who currently have a first aid certification but are looking to practice skills. There are many opportunities available for first aid training through North Star Adventures. Check out the list below and then go to our website for the current schedule.
First Aid courses available through North Star Adventures:
SOLO Wilderness First Aid (WFA):
The quintessential first aid course for trip leaders, guides, and outdoor enthusiasts. WFA creates a solid foundation in the basics of backcountry medical care. It is 16 hours long (two days), and focuses on the basic skills of: Response and Assessment, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Environmental Emergencies, Survival Skills, Soft Tissue Injuries, Medical Emergencies, long term patient care and evacuation procedures.
This is an incredible course! There will be a mix of classroom sessions, practice sessions and outdoor scenarios. Check out some of the program reviews!
SOLO Wilderness First Responder (WFR):
SOLO’s Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course is the recognized industry standard for those who work as backcountry trip leaders, camp counselors, mountain guides, river guides, and ski patrollers. It is the perfect course for anyone working in a position of leadership in an outdoor setting or for individuals who want a high level of wilderness medical training for extended personal backcountry trips or expeditions. WFR is 72+ hours long (8 to 10 days), and is a comprehensive and in-depth look at the standards and skills of dealing with: Response and Assessment, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Environmental Emergencies and Survival Skills, Soft Tissue Injuries, and Medical Emergencies. Although these appear to be the same basic topics covered in our two-day WFA course, they are covered far more extensively, and there is much more hands-on practice.
On Water or Backcountry Scenarios:
Strengthen those skills you learned in the classroom setting: treating soft tissue and musculoskeletal injuries, and managing medical and environmental emergencies. Each person will take a leadership role in managing a scenario. You will be making decisions based on weather, patient condition, location resources, time of day, and condition of the group. Designed for folks who have WFA, WFR, WEMT or other medical certification.
Urban First Aid:
SOLO’s Urban First Aid provides students with the concept of prevention from common first aid problems to the skills to safely assess an emergent scene, as well as, how to protect oneself when dealing with a patient, narrowing down the possible problem, and providing temporary treatment until EMS arrives. This is the perfect class for folks who do not want to venture into the backcountry but want to have the confidence and skills to help manage a scene prior to EMS arrival.
Full day first aid:
Is your group looking for some basic first aid knowledge without the need for certification. This full day course will give you the information you need to recognize and treat some of the most common conditions: managing cuts, bumps and bruises, managing sprains, strains and basic fracture care, patient assessment, and cold and heat related injuries.
Half-Day first aid:
In this four hour course we will focus on basic patient assessment, bleeding control, and evacuation procedures.
AHA Heartsaver CPR & First Aid:
You can do a straight CPR course or CPR & First Aid.
Check out this link for a full schedule of current offerings. If you don’t see something that fits your schedule contact me and we can set something up
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Instructor Nancy Zane has over 25 years of working, teaching, and playing in remote environments. In addition to teaching emergency medicine for SOLO she is the founder of North Star Adventures! Please contact Nancy at northstaradventures1@gmail.com or 207-692-3138 for more information.
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