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Wilderness First Aid Committee

Wilderness First Aid Training

The Wilderness First Aid Committee is responsible for the development and administration of a local first aid training process that has been very successful for the Chapter. By using Volunteer instructors, who have been professionally trained as Wilderness First Aid Instructors, and by using local facilities, we offer our members the highest quality wilderness first aid training available, at a reasonable cost and in formats convenient to their lifestyles. Our primary goal is to increase the number of people who have been trained in wilderness first aid, and who are therefore, better able to assist in emergency situations.

Our instructors have been certified as Wilderness First Aid Instructors by the Emergency Care and Safety Institute. The course is an official collaboration of the Wilderness Medical Society and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

What is Wilderness First Aid?

Standard first aid practices are generally based on the assumption that help will arrive shortly, and that the patient will be out of your hands and at the hospital in under an hour. Wilderness First Aid training intends to prepare you for the medical situation that arises where there is no ambulance, no roof or walls to provide shelter from the elements, your supplies are few, the wait for help is unknown and moving the patient a short distance might take hours. While teaching you how to deal with these situations, WFA also teaches how to avoid the problems that cause these situations through increased awareness.

What Wilderness First Aid is not.

Wilderness first aid is not a course in herbal or naturalistic remedies. It is not a course in wilderness survival or backcountry skills such as map reading and shelter building. The course is based on modern emergency medical care practices modified and expanded for backcountry environments and focuses on patient care and prevention.

We Are Looking for Volunteer WFA Instructors Now

We are looking for Volunteer WFA Instructors now. Follow this link for more information.

The WFA Course

The ESCI Wilderness First Aid course is an intense yet fun journey through the world of wilderness emergency care and is recommended for all outdoors people. It is a 2-day, 16 hour course (8 hours/day, generally 9 to 5).  It covers the full range of situations, from scrapes and blisters to life-threatening emergencies. In addition to wilderness medical care, it teaches accident scene management and how to communicate effectively with the outside world. (Or, how to give yourself the best odds that the rescue party turns up in the right place with the right equipment the first time.) There are no perquisites for this course. However, it is recommended that participants take a separate Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course. Contact your local chapter of the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, National Safety Council or your local hospital or first aid squad for more information.

WFA Certification

There is a 3 year Wilderness First Aid certification available to those who successfully complete this course.

Getting More Information

          If you would like more information, or if you are interested in volunteering to become a WFA Instructor, please contact one of the Co-Chairs of the Chapter Wilderness First Aid Committee.

Increase your Wilderness First Aid Knowledge

          You do not have to be an AMC member to take one of our wilderness first aid courses. BUT, to take a course at the member rate, you have to be an AMC member.

          You can request a regular AMC membership, and attend our course, by joining through the Chapter with a regular membership application. It will take several weeks for you to be officially recognized as a member and to receive your AMC Outdoors, but you will be able to take the course immediately.

• To join us, get a copy of our online AMC Membership Application.
• The application form includes all the information that you need, but you can also read about the membership options.