Wilderness Emergency Training

Wilderness exploration is a way for modern, urbanized humans to get back in touch with nature and clear their minds. While these types of vacations are good for the mind and soul, there are many tragedies that can occur. Some people take wilderness emergency training classes to learn how and what they should do if trouble arises.

History

• According to one of the top wilderness training schools, First Lead, L.L.C., wilderness medicine training was created because more urban dwellers are venturing out in the wild. They define "wilderness" as any location that is more than an hour away from medical care, such as a doctor's office, clinic or hospital. In the typical urban environment, if someone gets hurt or injured, help (or an emergency responder) is usually just a phone call away. However, when you are out in the wild, you might not have mobile phone reception or anyone to turn to. You must be able to handle the emergency situation yourself.

Delayed-Help Situations

• There are many delayed-help situations that might result in long-term health issues or death. Some examples include inclement weather, natural disasters and getting lost out in the wilderness. If any of these situations occur, a person will be at risk whether or not he has an injury or health issue. Wilderness emergency training teaches people how to find or build shelter, how to pack for emergencies, how to find food and water and how to build a fire. Other training items include how to reach help, how to transport victims and how to respond to injuries.

Wilderness Injuries

• There are many things that can go wrong on a wilderness trip. Some injuries include snakebites, breaks and sprains, head and spinal injuries and sudden illnesses. Wilderness emergency training teaches people how to assess a situation, remedies for common problems and how to send out distress signals. Other items include how to control bleeding and how to make difficult decisions, such as when to stop CPR.

Wilderness Training Candidates

• Most people who spend time in the remote wilderness should complete some form of wilderness emergency training. This group of people includes hikers, mountain bikers, backpackers, campers, scouting leaders, utility workers in remote regions, older scouts, kayakers and people who canoe. Forest rangers, camp counselors, law enforcement personnel, rescue crew workers and disaster relief workers typically should complete more advanced courses of wilderness emergency training.

Types of Certifications

• There are four main types of wilderness emergency training certification courses. The Wilderness First Aid course covers a wide range of wilderness medicine topics and takes between 16 and 24 hours. The Wilderness Advanced First Aid course is a five-day course that teaches how to stabilize victims and how to evacuate people in backcountry environments. It also focuses on specific injury evaluation and long-term patient care. The Wilderness First Responder is an 80-hour course that teaches wound management, how to realign fractures, how to monitor patients and how to prevent injuries. The Wilderness EMT course is 180 hours and is the highest level of training available. It is for EMTs, ski patrols and medical students.