Are you a professional or leader that works in an outdoor or low-resource environment?  Are you more than two hours away from definitive medical care?  If so, the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Course is for you!

The Wilderness First Responder Course is medical training for anyone that works in remote areas (which includes Search and Rescue teams, Military, Disaster Relief Personnel, Outdoor Educators, Guides, Trip Leaders, and anyone that wants to be able to manage medical emergencies in an austere environment). While the course is focused on the practical application of skills, students will be introduced to detailed background knowledge and medical terminology.

The knowledge gained from this class will impart the student with the basic skills and background knowledge to be able to assess and manage medical issues in the backcountry (and many other limited resource environments).

The lead instructor has been presenting these courses in beautiful Taos New Mexico for 30 years.  The course will be conducted in a COVID safe manner with multiple, very experienced, instructors.

Course Content

The Wilderness First Responder curriculum is written in-house by a team of remote medical rescue researchers and professionals. Ongoing evidence based research and review contributes to a unique and innovative approach to patient care in backcountry and austere settings. The curriculum is comprehensive, complete, and kept current on an annual basis. This is the most current and cutting edge course of any first response medical training (urban or remote) in the world.

• The General Principles of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine with an emphasis on the prevention and identification of medical emergencies, appropriate technology, and risk management.
• Patient assessment and emergency care including CPR, basic Life support, and the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis and asthma.
• Environmental Medicine including altitude illness, hypothermia and heat illness, frostbite and cold injury, lightning, submersion, and environmental toxins.
• Backcountry Medicine including the assessment and treatment of common medical problems.
• Musculoskeletal Problems including unstable and stable injuries overuse syndromes, and dislocations.
• Wound management including open fractures, lacerations, burns and blisters.
• Practical skills including splinting, bandaging, litter packaging and medical kit preparation.
• WMA International Wilderness Protocols including wound cleaning and exploration, spine injury assessment, dislocation reduction, CPR in the remote setting, and anaphylaxis and asthma.

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Upcoming Courses