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Wilderness First Responder (WFR)

Wilderness First Aid students wrapping a bandage around patients eye.

Course Details

The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) program is the definitive medical training for leaders in remote areas including outdoor educators, guides, military, professional search and rescue teams, researchers, and those involved in disaster relief.

The curriculum is comprehensive and practical. It includes the essential principles and skills required to assess and manage medical problems in isolated and extreme environments for days and weeks if necessary.

This page describes three different courses, so we encourage you to read this page thoroughly before making a booking so that you sign up for the correct course.

This course is brought to you by Ridge Wilderness Adventures and hosted by Flexpeditions.

Price: $1599.95 + GST

Upcoming courses WFR (80 hours):  

 

October 12th – 20th
  • October 12-16: 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
  • October 17-18: 8:30 am – 6:30 pm
  • October 19-20: 9:30 am – 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm – 8:00 am
SIGN UP HERE

The course is held at Johnson Way, Based at the entrance to Johnson Heights, Revelstoke,

This course is brought to you by Ridge Wilderness Adventures and hosted by Flexpeditions.

 

*If you wish to take the WFR course in two 40 hrs sections, you can sign up for the Full WFR and add a note in the checkout process (under additional information, order notes) that you wish to complete the second half of the course later in the year. You save approximately $105 following this route, rather than signing up for a WFA followed by a WFR Bridge course. 
  • Ridge does not cover any materials from the WFA during the WFR bridge. They, therefore, recommend students following this route to come out for day 4 of the WFR course to refresh their memory on the materials from the WFA course, as the final 5 days of the WFR are heavy in content.
  • If you follow this route you have the option of paying a 75% deposit upfront, followed by paying the remaining by the last day before your WFR Bridge course starts. Please contact Ridge directly at info@exploreridge.com to set this up.

COVID-19 Protocols

Click here to read the COVID-19 protocols that students must follow. 

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.
  • Wilderness Protocols including wound cleaning and exploration, spine injury assessment, dislocation reduction, CPR in the remote setting, and anaphylaxis and asthma.
Book with our link in the course description!
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Brought to you by Ridge Wilderness Adventures

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Activity Season

All Year

Location

Revelstoke

Group Size

Varies

Duration

8 days (80hrs)

Frequently Asked Questions

Wilderness First Responder is $995 + 5% GST & online booking fee.

Wilderness First Responder Bridge/Recert is $595 + 5% GST & online booking fee.

Each day the course will run from 8:30am – 5:30pm. Amy Flexman and the Flexpeditions team will be your course sponsor/host, helping with the logistics of the course, bringing snacks and helping with admin, payments, logistics of the course questions.

You will receive all books on the first day of the class.

  • Please bring a water bottle and lunch each day
  • Notepad and pen
  • A watch with a second hand for taking vitals (recommended)
  • Please leave your brand new Gore-tex jackets at home! Wear comfortable clothing that you can get dirty and move around in.
  • The class is a little indoors and a lot outdoors, so prepare for the elements, which around Revelstoke can be sun, snow, rain, smoke, cloud, wet, dry, windy, cold, warm and everything else in between! In winter, bring warm gloves and a hat. In summer, sun block, hat, sunglasses etc.
  • Optional: bring something to sit on whilst doing outside simulations to keep you warm and dry, such as a sleeping mat.
  • Optional: if you have any items you would like to contribute to use in the simulations and scenarios, like old clothes, extra layers, blankets, thermarests, foam pads, extra padding, ropes, etc please put your name on it and label it and bring it along!

You can expect full, interesting, and intense days. The course is taught through interactive discussions, case studies, presentations, and real life, hands on drills to prepare you for the stress of emergencies you may face in the field.

Plan on arriving at the course well rested and prepared to focus completely on the material. The WAFA, WFR & WFR Recert/Bridge are levels of medical certification that carry substantial responsibility.

To fully prepare you, we use realistic simulations requiring patient examination and treatment employing simulated wounds and blood. While we recognize that this can be uncomfortable for some people, it is important to developing the confidence and competence that you would expect of a medical professional.

This course is challenge by choice, it’s YOUR course, so do what is comfortable for you. Please don’t push yourself too hard in simulations and please let the group or at least the instructors know if there is some pre-existing condition, situation, etc. that might not allow you to fully participate in the hands on portion so they can give alternative evaluation opportunities.

You can obtain a PDF of your Certificate on our website at https://wmacanada.com/reprint-your-certification/. Once you fill in the requested information a PDF Cert will be generated.

Please ensure that you have completed our online waiver before the course begins. Click here to complete the waiver.

All teaching materials will be at no additional cost. Students will receive the following books on this course:

  • The Field Guide of Wilderness Medicine & Rescue
  • SOAP Notebook
  • The Outward Bound Wilderness First-Aid Handbook
  • Wilderness Advanced First Aid Class Notes Description

Pre-reading is ONLY required for those registered on the Bridge/ Recert courses.

Successful completion with certification is based on 100% attendance, satisfactory performance on homework assignments and written quizzes, demonstrated proficiency with practical skills, and a successful grade on a final written exam.

Wilderness Medical Associates International is committed to making reasonable accommodation to any student with special needs.

Sign up link will be available shortly.

Please click here for our cancellation policy.

Accommodation is not provided, but please check out the SeeRevelstoke.com website for recommendations on where to stay.

Please bring a water bottle and lunch each day.

Please visit the Ridge First Aid page for full information. For general questions, please call Amy on +1 (866) 929-3539 or e-mail info@flexpeditions.com.

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