Course Descriptions & Syllabi

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Wilderness First Aid

The best and most comprehensive course of its kind to offer relevant and realistic first-aid training for seasonal outdoor activities or short term wilderness endeavors and pursuits.

Wilderness First Aid is a two-day introduction to general medical concepts and basic life support skills. It is targeted to the outdoor enthusiast on day trips or short adventures. The course is taught by professional instructors with significant patient care and backcountry experience.

Wilderness Advanced First Aid

An entry-level course designed for professionals working in significantly remote settings for days or weeks. 

Wilderness Advanced First Aid is comprehensive medical training designed for remote professionals or wilderness leaders who venture into remote and challenging environments. Wilderness Medicine differs significantly from standard first aid courses and other training that are oriented toward urban environments. This course teaches how to manage medical emergencies when hospitals and rescue services may not be available for an extensive time period. We prepare students for emergency situations that involve prolonged patient care, severe environments, and improvised equipment.

Wilderness First Responder

The definitive wilderness course in medical training, leadership, and critical thinking for outdoor, low-resource, and remote professionals and leaders.

The Wilderness First Responder program is the ideal 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.

5-Day Wilderness First Responder

Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is the definitive course in medical training for outdoor educators, guides, SAR team members, and others who work or play in remote areas. The curriculum is comprehensive and practical, including all of the essential principles and skills required to assess and manage medical problems in isolated and extreme environments. The 5-day format is for individuals and sponsors with less time available for on-site training and requires 25 hours of pre-course preparation.

Students must register at least 2 weeks before the course date. All students must complete all pre-course work prior to arrival on course.

Bridge (WAFA to WFR)

The WAFA to WFR Bridge course upgrades the Wilderness Advanced First Aid to a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) in 4 days. This course must be taken within 3 years of receiving the WMA International WAFA certification or an equivalent from another provider. The WFR is the definitive medical training course for all outdoor professionals and enthusiasts. This course may be used as a recertification for those holding a current WFR certification or equivalent from another provider whose original WFR training was at least 64 hours in length. Current WMA International Wilderness EMTs may also use this course to recertify the wilderness portion of their certification.

Wilderness EMT Upgrade

Training for medical personnel who would like to enhance their skills and experience for use in the rural, wilderness, and technical rescue setting. This course is popular with all levels of medical professionals but primarily geared toward pre-hospital EMS providers.

The WEMT curriculum builds on EMS training and expertise to meet the special challenges of the remote and unconventional environment. It is designed for medical personnel working in rural EMS, search and rescue, law enforcement, disaster response, and on wilderness expeditions. Like all WMA International training, it represents the best application of the available science balanced by considerable clinical experience and the reality of providing medical care in difficult and dangerous places.

Recertification Courses

Open Recertification

The Open Recertification course is open to graduates of all wilderness medical training courses of 64 hours or longer with a current Wilderness First Responder certification. Successful graduates of this course will receive Wilderness Medical Associates’ Wilderness First Responder, Anaphylaxis, and BLS/Healthcare Provider-level CPR certifications. WMA WEMT graduates with a current EMT-B or Paramedic certificate may also recertify the wilderness portion of their WEMT with this course.

The WAFA-WFR Bridge course may also be used to recertify WFR certifications- see above description.

Registration, Cancellation and Transfer Policy


Registration, Cancellation and Transfer Policy
Read this Policy carefully- regardless of the nature of your cancellation or transfer request (illness, injury, family emergency, work responsibility, etc.) the terms of this policy will apply to your Registration! The Adventure Risk Management Registration, Cancellation and Transfer Policy is based upon our goal to deliver quality, well-planned courses for our clients. Late cancellations and transfers place courses at risk of cancellation, creating hardship and frustration for other registered clients. Further, once a client is confirmed on a course, Adventure Risk Management incurs multiple expenses that cannot be recovered after a cancellation.

Registration
All courses require full payment to reserve a space. All registered participants must be 18 years of age to participate in a course, or the parent or legal guardian must be present throughout the course. Registration Requests received within 14 days of Day 1 are subject to a $30 Late Registration fee. Adventure Risk Management reserves the right to decline any Registration Request.

Transfer or Cancellation (5 Day WFR only):

 Transfer or Cancellation (Courses other than 5 Day WFR):

Course Textbook costs
If you cancel your registration, the cost of any course textbook (plus shipping fees) that you may have received pre-course will be in addition to any cancellation processing fees. In the event that your course cancels for any reason, you will be responsible for the cost of any textbook(s) that were mailed to you prior to your course. To avoid these costs, any textbook must be returned to us within one week of a cancellation notification, and must be in absolutely new, re-usable condition. (As of December 2015, ‘Wilderness and Rescue Medicine’ cost is $45. ‘Outward Bound Wilderness First Aid Handbook’ is $15.95)

Eligibility, Course Participation, Certification
You are responsible to ensure your own eligibility for any course (i.e. Recertification or Bridge courses) prior to your arrival. No refunds or credits will be issued for any of the following circumstances:

Course Policies
In the interest of a healthy, conducive learning environment, all students are expected to adhere to the following Course Policies:

Adventure Risk Management reserves the right to dismiss any student from a course due to violation of any course policy or disruptive behaviors, with no refund or transfer credit.

Course Cancellation
Though uncommon, Courses or Events may be cancelled for reasons outside of the control of Adventure Risk Management (i.e. low enrollment, weather, etc.). In the event of such cancellation, you will receive a full refund, or you may transfer to another Course with no additional fee. Adventure Risk Management will not be financially responsible for any client travel or lodging expenses, or for any other client preparations made for a Course or Event. ©2018 Adventure Risk Management

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Wilderness Medicine Course Tuitions

Wilderness Medicine courses

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Verification of Accuracy and Full Disclosure Statement

I understand and acknowledge that Adventure Risk Management is not making a determination of my fitness for a course, training or event; rather, I represent to Adventure Risk Management and verify that I am physically fit and ready for the course, training or event.

I understand and acknowledge that my failure to disclose relevant information may result in harm to myself and others during a course, training or event. I agree to indemnify and hold harmless Apogee Endeavors, LLC dba Adventure Risk Management (hereafter referred to as ‘Adventure Risk Management’) and its affiliates, members, officers, employees, independent contractors and other agents from any claims I may make for personal injuries or death to myself and from the claims of third parties whose injury or death I may have contributed to or caused as a result of my failure to disclose any such information.

   I represent and warrant that I have provided all material and important information to Adventure Risk Management pertaining to my medical, mental, and physical condition, in view of my participation on a course or training. I agree to notify the Lead Instructor if there is any change in my physical, mental, or medical condition prior to my scheduled course or training. I further represent and warrant that this information is complete and accurate.

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Parent or legal guardian is required to be present at all courses.

Due to insurance regulations and the policies of facilities where our courses are provided, all minor students (less than 18 years of age at the time of the course) must have their parent or legal guardian present, attending as a fully-registered student.

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John Jacobs Background

20070118_WMA_0003_lowres_cropWilderness Medicine Instructional Experience

 

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Outdoor Education Industry Experience

Rescue & Emergency Medicine Experience

Other Outdoor Industry Experience

IMG16_CropOutdoor Recreation Interests & Experience

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. A few of his notable achievements include:

Climbing

Hiking

Backcountry Skiing

 

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Bill 'Jobi' Hanson Background

JobiHanson1Bill ‘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. 

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Deb Ajango Background

DebAjangoDeb Ajango 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.

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Ben Dowdy Background

BenDowdyBen 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.

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