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Home » Classes » CMC Classes and Schools » Wilderness First Aid


The CMC State Office offers WFA & WFR classes in partnership with Backcountry Pulse!

 

Do you know what to do if your hiking partner gets hurt? Whether you spend most of your time on frontcountry trails or many miles from the nearest road, a wilderness medicine course prepares you for the possibility of a backcountry emergency and is your first step toward becoming more self-sufficient on the trail. You’ll learn how to assess patients, provide effective treatment for common outdoor illnesses and injuries, and make evacuation decisions.
 
A bit about our partner, Backcountry Pulse: Their courses are engaging, hands-on, and instructed to the latest evidence-based practices in wilderness medicine. Instructors are wilderness medicine professionals and skilled outdoor educators with years of experience working remote, complex rescues and guiding groups in dynamic environments. All courses are nationally recognized and have reciprocity among other wilderness medicine education companies. Programs are continually updated to reflect the latest evidence-based practices. Students must complete all 16 hours of WFA or 72-80 hours of WFR and testing in order to receive their certificate. The CMC and Backcountry Pulse follow the Wilderness Medical Soceity standards for WFA and WFR certifications. 

Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

 

Course Overview: 

This WFA course teaches students the skills to anticipate risks and hazards, identify medical, traumatic, environmental problems, recognize life-threatening issues, initiate basic care and deliver a cohesive report. The curriculum forces students to think creatively, adapt to ever changing situations, and learn valuable leadership, decision making, and communication skills. 
This course will focus on:  
- Prevention of potential problems
- Rescuer, patient and bystander safety
- Performing a basic physical exam, identifying abnormalities and life-threatening problems, obtaining vital signs, patient history, and writing and verbalizing a report for a walk-out evacuation or hand-off
- Treatment and stabilization of emergencies, improvising splints, bleeding and wound control, management of heat and cold illnesses, hydration problems, drownings, lighting injuries, spinal cord protection, basic patient lifts and transfers
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and special considerations for the wilderness, Epinephrine administration, and first aid kit planning for specific activities and needs

 

Format: 

Students can choose between two formats. 

- 2 days of 8 hour in-person training

- Hybrid: 8 hours of self-paced online learning followed by an 8 hour in-person training

* The 2 day in-person course is recommended for first time Wilderness First Aid students. 

 

WFA Pricing: 

- Free for leaders/instructors who apply for and receive the Leadership Scholarship

- $200 for leaders/instructors who do not receive the Leadership Scholarship

- $225 for CMC members

- $245 for non-CMC members 

*Non-members consider the benefits of joining the CMC: individual-$75/year, family-$115/year, under 30-$39/year. Use the $20 savings from the member discount towards the cost of your membership and take advantage of more CMC trips and classes. 

 

Wilderness Medicine Textbook: 

The cost of your book has been covered by the Colorado Mountain Club. You will receive a discount code to order your book directly through NOLS. You will be given enough time to order the book before your class. The book will be shipped directly to you; you are asked to cover the cost of shipping. 

 

Certification: 

- Wilderness First Aid

- Epinephrine Auto-injector Training

 

Recertification: 

- All certifications listed above are valid for two years with no grace period. 

- Wilderness First Aid can be kept current by taking a 16 hour WFA class within the two year period. 

 
*Important note about emails: The email address you use when registering will be the email used for all course related resources. You will receive a reminder about your class, access to Google classroom (for hybrid), and your final exam link. Sometimes these emails are sent to your junk/spam folder, please check there before reaching out to our staff.
 
COVID Policy:
Masks are recommended in the building. Social distancing is not possible during practice scenarios.
 
REGISTER NOW
 
Date Location Time Class Type Registration Link Registration Link for Leaders/Instructors

Saturday, July 23

Golden 9:00am-6:00pm Hybrid Click here to register Click here for free tuition

Sat & Sun, Aug 27-28

Golden 9:00am-6:00pm 2-day In Person Click here to register Click here for free tuition

Transfers, Refunds, & Cancellation Policy: 

  • More than 1 week before scheduled class: You are able to transfer or cancel and get a refund less a $35 processing fee.
  • 1 week before scheduled class: There will be a $25 administrative fee to transfer and NO refund for cancellations.
 
For questions about wilderness medicine, please contact wildernessmedicine@cmc.org
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

Wilderness First Responder (WFR)

 

Course Overview: 

Up-level your outdoor education and medical training with Wilderness First Responder! WFR is intended for outdoor professionals who volunteer or work multi-day trips in a backcountry setting. The curriculum forces students to think creatively, adapt to ever changing situations, and learn valuable leadership, decision making, and communication skills. 

This course will focus on: 

- Rescuer, patient, bystander wellbeing and protection

- Risk mitigation for the environment and activity

- Ongoing management for environmental threats

- Spinal stabilization and patient packaging

- Patient physical exam and patient history

- Recognition of life threats and stabilization of emergencies

- Signs/symptoms of medical, traumatic, environmental illnesses and injuries

- Initiation of appropriate treatments based on assessment

- Patient monitoring and vital sign patterns

- Clear/concise verbal report and written documentation

- Planning, appropriate evacuation methods and patient handoffs

*Backcountry Pulse's WFR training does not include wound closing with sutures or staples, needle decompression for tension pneumothorax, invasive/mechanical airway adjuncts, the use of commercial backboards for immobilization (we use vacuum splints), or improvised/commercial traction splints.

 

Format: 

The CMC is offering a hybrid WFR course that combines self-paced online learning, live Zoom sessions, and hands-on in-person training. 

Zoom sessions will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm-9pm the week before field days. 

Field days will take place over two weekends from Friday - Sunday. Fridays will be half days from 5-9pm. The second Saturday will be from 12pm-9pm for nighttime practice.

 

WFR Pricing: 

- $500 for advanced leaders/instructors who apply for and receive the Leadership Scholarship

- $650 for CMC members

- $700 for non-CMC members

*Non-members consider the benefits of joining the CMC: individual-$75/year, family-$115/year, under 30-$39/year. Use the $50 savings from the member discount towards the cost of your membership and take advantage of more CMC trips and classes. 

 

Wilderness Medicine Textbook: 

The cost of your book has been covered by the Colorado Mountain Club. You will receive a discount code to order your book directly through NOLS. You will be given enough time to order the book before your class. The book will be shipped directly to you; you are asked to cover the cost of shipping. 

 

Certification: 

- Wilderness First Responder

- Epinephrine Auto-injector training

- Adult/child CPR & AED

 

Recertification: 

- All certifications listed above are valid for three years with no grace period. 

- WFR can be kept current by taking a Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness First Responder Recertification (WFR-R) within the three years. 

 

*Important note about emails: The email address you use when registering will be the email used for all course related resources. You will receive a reminder about your class, access to Google classroom (for hybrid), and your final exam link. Sometimes these emails are sent to your junk/spam folder, please check there before reaching out to our staff.

COVID Policy:
WFR participants are required to be fully vaccinated. You will be asked to upload a copy of your vaccination card. Masks are recommended in the building. Social distancing is not possible during practice scenarios.

REGISTER NOW

Date Location Time Class Type Registration Link Registration Link for leaders/instructors

Fri, Sat, Sun, Aug 5 - 7

Fri, Sat, Sun, Aug 12 - 14

AMC Golden &

Betasso Preserve Boulder

Friday 5pm - 9pm

Sat & Sun 9:00am-6:00pm

WFR Click here to register Click here for discounted tuition

 

Learn more about WFR

Transfers, Refunds, & Cancellation Policy: 

  • More than 1 week before scheduled class: You are able to transfer or cancel and get a refund less a $35 processing fee.
  • 1 week before scheduled class: There will be a $25 administrative fee to transfer and NO refund for cancellations.

For questions about wilderness medicine, please contact wildernessmedicine@cmc.org


Leadership Scholarship

 

In order to receive free WFA or discounted WFR registration, please submit an online applicationThe CMC State Office will review applications on a rolling basis. Once your application is approved, the CMC State Office will contact you to get you registered for an upcoming course. WFA/WFR scholarships only apply to courses offered by the CMC State Office.

 

Learn more about the Leadership Scholarship