Wilderness First Aid course taught by the Wilderness Medical Insititute. At the Sacramento REI. 16 hours of class on this Saturday and Sunday. Been meaning to take this class for a number of years; now I am! [Happy Birthday to me!]

Here are some links to organizations which teach these and other courses:

NOLS WMI

SOLO

NOLS teaches around the world, so if you keep looking you might find a course near you. For you Scouters, wilderness first aid is a qualification necessary for any type of adventure activity, one adult must be qualified. There are other organizations that teach it, and if you look around, you can find one within driving distance. Price for most of them is around $200 for a weekend class.

The American Red Cross also teaches a 2-day WFA, though they are a new entrant so I'm not sure of the quality from course to course (disclosure: I volunteer for ARC, but have always taken WFA from NOLS WMI). Our local NOLS instructors have been pretty good the past couple years. But maybe curriculum is curriculum.

One good thing about the BSA requirement for WFA for adventure activities, we trained up our Scoutmaster last year and he 'got it' - we now have regular first aid training and drills at Troop meetings where the Scouts learn something new about caring for each other in the wilderness, just in case. Last summer this Scoutmaster led the boys through Philmont, carried a PLB, and for the first time a truly adequate first aid kit. Nowadays when we head out on overnights, if I go that makes two of us WFA certified. The past few years we've also offered a scholarship for any Scout that wants to take WFA for free, although none have taken us up on that so far - at some point though we'll find a taker, possibly some budding young EMT. I think we'll get someone when we re-cert this year, our Scoutmaster should be able to talk one of the boys into it.

The Red Cross has been teaching WFA since around 2003. I took it, but it was not good at the time. The 20 something instructor kept telling us to call 911. People were pretty disappointed by the end of day 1. Hopefully it is better now.

Wilderness First Aid 2-day course this last weekend featured an escalating set of scenarios that featured the stress of trying to recall and perfectly apply half-learned protocols taught minutes before. Symptoms became less obvious, multiple, hidden, and patients became less reliable reporters, multiple, and eventually unconscious and unresponsive - until they were screamingly out of control and verbally combative.

I felt my alpha rise twice. Once triggered by a smirking, lying, patient who kept challenging and resisting me in various small ways until he got to me - I had to step away and get someone else to finish running the protocol. And once in a multiple patient scenario that began with screaming hysterics - where my instinct was to dominate the scene by any means necessary to control and calm, but my job was to care for only one and let my fellow students experience and deal with the situation as best they could. [They all did great.]

My lessons included the need to at least think through ways to deal with more scenarios and to look for opportunities to get suprised in simulations from time to time.

Edit: And of course, now I think all my FAKs are inadequate and will have to be changed.

Minor difference of opinion briefly cast a shadow during one first aid drill this last weekend. I was overruled by my group in suggesting we move the tongue of an unresponsive and unconscious patient to visualize the airway and check for actual and potential airway obstructions. I did not like it but let it go.

I checked and it turns out my CPR instruction was slightly more advanced than normal and, as included in the new Wilderness First Responder manual I got, the gloved-thumb-and-forefinger-grip to slightly and gently depress tongue and jaw as necessary for complete visualization is still recommended for the unconscious and unresponsive patient.

Do only as you are trained to do.

I took the WFA course from SOLO several years ago and it was a fantastic experience! Best course I ever took. The instructors were top notch.

One of the best parts was the diversity of the students. I was the only Scouter, but the other 14 attendees represented a broad range of outdoor enthusiasts. I took the courses because out Troop was starting more wilderness activities and I learned a lot from my fellow students.

SOLO has some travelling teachers at "other" locations as well. I was formerly a Wilderness EMT trained at one of their outreach locations U Maine Bitterford, then tested out at their home location in the Whites. One of my locals is a travelling teacher with them. Great courses, as well as Rocky Mountain (a school out West with a great rep), although I cant seem to find them one line, perhaps they merged with NOLS?

Ironwood

I highly recommend the NOLS courses. Especially the WFR course. You learn most of the EMT stuff (less in depth of course), with tons of outdoor practice. You may even convince your employer to cover some of the cost if it benefits insurance rates, etc.