Wilderness First Responder

Important: this class begins the Friday before first session. 

Do you spend time in the outdoors? Are you ever in the backcountry, more than 1 hour from definitive medical care? Have you ever wondered what you should do in a medical emergency in the backcountry? This intensive course will give you the knowledge and skills to deal with many wilderness medical emergencies.

This Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is designed specifically to meet the needs of wilderness guides, trip leaders, and outdoor enthusiasts. This class emphasizes a variety of problems that might be encountered in a wilderness setting and how to effectively treat them with limited supplies. While the focus remains on expedition medicine, the information and skills learned in the WFR can be directly applied to other emergency medical situations where ambulances and advanced medical care are not available, such as disaster relief and international travel. The Wilderness First Responder is an internationally recognized wilderness medicine certification. It is the industry standard for guides and trips leaders.

This nine-day intensive class (80 hr) is a hands-on class that uses both the classroom and outdoors to teach effective patient care. At least 50% of the class will take place outside in a variety of environmental conditions, so students should be able to walk for 1/2 hour with a backpack and lift 50 lbs. Students who successfully complete the class will receive nationally recognized WFR and CPR certification from the Wilderness Medicine Training Center. This is the outdoor industry standard for guides that take people into the backcountry.

We will hold class from 8 AM- 5 PM every day, beginning Friday, June 21 and ending Saturday June 29. Students will comply with all the campus safety protocols effective at that time. Further details will be furnished to registered students. 

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

4 - Wilderness medicine