Is anyone here a Wilderness First Responder?

BLOOD SWEAT STEEL · 02-01-2008, 09:38 PM

I'm just wondering what you can tell me about the coursework and intensity. I think I'm going to take it in March. Is there a different class/sanctioning body I should be looking to for instruction instead?

http://www.wildmed.com/Courses/WFR_8day_syllabus.htm

**LocoDuk** · 02-01-2008, 10:55 PM

I can tell you this... The WMA WFR (cool huh?) course I took in Banff a couple years ago was one of the best investments I have made towards my life in the outdoors. It was worth every $$ and every hour I put into it. The course I took was a full week, full on, every day from 8 to 7ish I believe. Be prepared to do your homework, and devote the whole time of the course to to subject matter. Enjoy!

**sfotex** · 02-01-2008, 11:11 PM

WFR is a good course. For ease of recerts, take the class thru WMA, NOLS/WMI, or SOLO. If you're half way intelligent you won't have any problems with it if you put the effort in.

**Rubicon** · 02-01-2008, 11:29 PM

Search function JONG!

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ness+Responder

**Kevo** · 02-02-2008, 02:16 AM

Currently WMI WFA here. The WMI instructors I had were awesome. They actually had some people lay down in a creek in a snowstorm for the hypothermia scenario- that was intense.

I actually used the knowledge I gained for two very real emergencies- one when a friend severely broke his ankle when he took a bad lead fall climbing- all we had was a tiny bit of climbing tape and a bandanna, which I tore up into strips and tied together to make stirrups and 8s to stabilize his ankle. My roommate and I had to carry him over a mile and across a creek that was belly button deep. I'm sure that my training and education saved Rocky Mountain Rescue from being called in. My friend ended up needing to have surgery and some screws to repair his ankle but now is back to climbing just fine.

The other emergency was when a guy on a road bike endoed and landed right on his mouth, knocking out several teeth and giving him a bad concussion that resulted in a loss of consciousness. A friend (also a wilderness instructor with med training) and I saw it happen and when we got to the guy he was lying face down in a pool of blood gargling as he was trying to breath. Big time MOI for spinal but we had to make sure he had an airway so we rolled him onto his back, supporting his spine the whole way. He was bleeding so bad from his nose and mouth that his eye sockets filled up with blood. We took vitals and maintained his airway (not too easy) for 10-15 minutes until paramedics arrived. We were able to give vitals/continually update condition the whole time on the phone with 911 which truly helps in a situation like that.

It is really hard to know how you will react in situations like that but having some education empowers you to know what to do and gives you a solid foundation to act on.

I'd highly recommend WMI.

**harpo-the-skier** · 02-03-2008, 10:43 PM

I have taken WFR once with SOLO in New Hampshire, and twice with Lake Tahoe Community College, along with two recerts from LTCC. SOLO was marginaly more thorough (more detailed on specific splinting senarios and hypothermia), but the LTCC course covered other stuff in more detail. LTCC was about 10 times cheaper.

**summit** · 02-03-2008, 10:45 PM

I wish all my ski partners were WFRs

**DropCliffsNotBombs** · 02-03-2008, 10:52 PM

I am a "woofer."

**RedWolf** · 02-03-2008, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by BLOOD SWEAT STEEL

I'm just wondering what you can tell me about the coursework and intensity.

I think someone else said it in the other thread, but its worth repeating: The more you put into the course, the more you'll get out...

**strum** · 02-03-2008, 11:07 PM

WFR, OEC, EMT...

In all honesty the WFR is the most useful course I've taken, not just for skiing, but for life in general. But if you are thinking skiiing and don't plan to work patrol, get a WFR, and keep it up, it is good enough for most guide jobs and great for backcountry. FYI if your get your WFR from SOLO you can challenge NSP's OEC course. There is only one other company that you can challenge with (each company has its own standards), but I don't remember who...

BLOOD SWEAT STEEL · 02-04-2008, 10:38 AM

Good stuff. I registered for the LTCC class. Looking forward to it.

**harpo-the-skier** · 02-04-2008, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by BLOOD SWEAT STEEL

Good stuff. I registered for the LTCC class. Looking forward to it.

BSS, you should consider what you are taking the WFR for, and which LTCC WFR course you are registered for. LTCC offers two different WFR certificates from two different classes, one an LTCC backed certificate, and the other from one of the major wilderness medicine accrediting organizations (I can't remember if it is SOLO, WMA, etc.) The LTCC accredited one is the least expensive, the other one is more expensive but less than you would pay for a similar course elsewhere.

The LTCC accreditaiton is good for personal knowledge and some professional guiding organizations, mostly in the Tahoe area. However, I think I know of one heli guide in Alaska who used the LTCC accreditation. The other SOLO or WMA accredited certificate is reccongnized by everyone who recongnizes WFR certificates. If you want to use your WFR for work, you should contact your employer to see which certificate they want. You could also contact Rosie Hackett, head of the Wilderness Studies Dept. at LTCC, for the latest accreditation info.

BLOOD SWEAT STEEL · 02-04-2008, 11:14 AM

It's the WMA coursework. The other is just the basic outdoor first aid type stuff. At this point I'm really only taking it for personal knowledge. I'm pretty sure Brett instructs this one, I'll have to give him a ring and make sure. I don't really plan on guiding or patrolling etc in the near future, but wanted to make sure I would still keep that window open as a possibility if I decide to pursue something in that arena (and provided I keep up with the recerts.) After I complete EMT in the fall, I may look into the WEMT bridge course. That's a ways off though.

**doublediamond223** · 02-04-2008, 05:46 PM

I'm in an EMT class right now, and lots of my friends have woofers. They have a little more training in actually getting people out of backcountry situations, whereas I have more BLS (basic life support) training. They balance out I guess...both are good to have.

**birdboatboy** · 02-05-2008, 08:25 AM

I'm a volunteer EMT-B here and have taken both the EMT-B coursework, an EMT-B refresher, and the Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) course from NOLS. Like any instruction, the organization providing the training makes a huge difference. Content per minute, the NOLS WAFA class was clearly the top, followed by my originial EMT-B course at a local Level 1 Trauma Center, followed by my refresher course taught within my mostly volunteer service.

After three doses of this material in the last two years and experience using my knowledge with our BLS service, it still amazes me how much one patient contact can teach you versus 8 hours in a classroom. Get out there and get experience and you will be much better off.