Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
Knowledge - Your Most Powerful Backcountry Tool
“I am utterly shocked by how much information I learned in just 2 days. I’m so grateful I took this course, and honestly can’t believe I used to bring crews into the backcountry without it. I’m going to make sure all of my crew members take it.”
-Kris, Prior WFA Student & Field Research Crew Lead
Wilderness First Aid Certification- 16 hrs
Format:
16 hours in person / 2 Days
Certifications Gained:
Wilderness First Aid (2 year certification)
Wilderness CPR (2 year certification)
Wilderness Anaphylaxis Training (2 year certification)
Continuing Education:
Graduating students will gain access to Desert Mountain Medicine’s online, continuing education portal so they are continually provided the most up-to date standards & protocols for wilderness medicine.
Students will also gain eligibility to attend in-person, scenario practice sessions hosted by Backcountry Ready, allowing them to keep their practical skills fresh throughout the duration of their certification.
Course Overview:
This course is the perfect introduction to Wilderness Medicine for any outdoor adventurer, government agency staff, field crew member, or casual hiker. Students will learn the basics of patient assessment, finding & stabilizing life-threatening conditions, Wilderness CPR, common environmental & medical backcountry problems, and how to call in a rescue.
This course consists of a minimum of 16 hours of hands-on skills practice, in accordance to WMEC’s Scope of Practice for WFA certifications. During class we put a heavy emphasis on practice scenarios to ensure our students not only memorize patient assessment, but it becomes reflexual with muscle memory too. This enables rescuers to remain calm and level-headed when it’s time to use their skills in a real backcountry scenario. Each student also takes home a small field manual full of easily-digestible notes so they always feel prepared in the field.
Continuing Education with Backcountry Ready
“If you don’t use it, you lose it”
Keep your skills sharp with our continuing education opportunities.
Your education shouldn’t stop at the end of your course.
That’s why Backcountry Ready & Desert Mountain Medicine provide 2 types of Continuing Education opportunities for our students.
Online:
All students who graduate with a WFR or WFA certification automatically gain access to Desert Mountain Medicine’s online continuing education dashboard.
This dashboard consists of case studies, curriculum updates, articles, videos, and even live webinars with outdoor professionals to ensure each student has access to the most up-to date wilderness medicine information out there.
In-Person:
In addition to online materials, all students with a valid certification through Desert Mountain Medicine (this includes affiliates such as Utah State University), are eligible to participate in scenario practice sessions hosted by Backcountry Ready. These sessions are comprised of environmental, medical, and trauma-related scenarios similar to the scenarios practiced during each course.
If you have a group of 6+ people, we can host a custom session with scenarios tailored to a specific season or activity of your choice. Your confidence in the backcountry is our top priority, and we’re here to support you anyway we can.
Email Becky for more information about custom scenario practice sessions- Becky@backcountryready.com
Our Philosophy
While there are certainly places to save time & money… your safety & education isn’t one of them.
At Backcountry Ready, we pride ourselves in providing the best outdoor education training possible. We strive to ensure each and every one of our students completes their course feeling proud and confident in their skills. This means providing hands-on practical training with instructors that have 30+ years of collective backcountry medical & rescue experience and a curriculum that’s constantly updated by Desert Mountain Medicine.
We’re all in the same backcountry community— it’s up to us to be ready for each other.