Our Instructors

We are proud to feature Wilderness Medical Associates Instructors on our courses- WMA standards for their instructors are the highest in the wilderness medicine training industry, and require extensive medical experience, combined with professional and personal outdoor backgrounds.

Here are some of the WMA Instructors that teach Adventure Risk Management wilderness medicine courses:

Primary Instructor

John Jacobs, WEMT

Mountain adventure sports have been a central part of John’s entire life. He is well-versed in all disciplines of climbing including mountaineering, traditional & sport climbing, ice climbing, bouldering in locations across Western North America including Alaska, Coast Range, Cascades, Sierra Nevada, Southern California, and Mexico.

In addition to his climbing interests, he has done extensive long-distance hiking, and backcountry skiing. View Professional Resume

NREMT-P, WEMT

Bill ‘Jobi’ Hanson

Bill ‘Jobi’ Hanson has been an EMT since 1989, and a Paramedic since 2000. He began his career in pre-hospital medicine as a combat medic for the US Army. Since then he has worked urban EMS in Boston and rural EMS in Vermont, Oregon, and Colorado as well as on a professional ski patrol, on a critical-care transport service, and as a Flight Paramedic on the Navajo reservation in Arizona.

Jobi also worked for several years as a wilderness educator, rock-climbing guide, and program director for Outward Bound and similar organizations with groups ranging from juvenile offenders to corporate executives. Currently he works as a Helicopter Rescue Specialist and Crew Chief for Travis County STAR Flight in Austin, Tx. In his spare time he rock-climbs, paddles, scuba dives, and trains for triathlons.

PROGRAM CONSULTANT, ADVENTURE RISK MANAGEMENT

Deb Ajango

Deb brings over thirteen years of outdoor and adventure education instructional and administrative experience, and is one of the foremost specialists in the area of administrative risk management practices.

Deb has instructed for Wilderness Medical Associates International for more than a dozen years. She lives in Alaska and has traveled the state extensively. Besides teaching classes for WMA, she owns and operates a business in outdoor safety.

Deb’s claim to fame is that she and her husband have actually been attacked (and husband mauled) by a grizzly bear.

WEMT

Ben Dowdy

Ben Dowdy has been involved with the outdoors since childhood, and in EMS since 2003. He has worked in eastern Kentucky as a paramedic, tactical medic, and EMS educator. In 2012, he worked in Yellowstone National Park as a paramedic.

In addition to teaching all around the US for WMA, Ben is involved with Eastern Kentucky University’s paramedic program and performs SAR and technical rescue in the Red River Gorge area.

When not working for SOMEBODY, he racks up plenty of trail and rock time in the southeastern US.