Wilderness First Aid

Course Length: 16 hours (if taken without CPR)

Certifications Received and Certification Duration:
Wilderness First Aid – 2 years
University of Montana – Health and Human Performance Department, ECP 120, 1 credit

Course Description
Wilderness First Aid is Aerie’s premier introduction to wilderness medicine. This 16-hour course is designed for students who have little or no experience in first aid or wilderness medicine. It is well suited for individuals who are responsible for friends and family while in the backcountry as well as professional guides.
The course is designed with scenarios at the heart of the learning experience. We emphasize hands-on practice of skills and assessments of patients.

The course covers basic emergency medicine topics such as airway management, breathing emergencies, circulatory problems, and environmental concerns. We include common medical emergencies such as diabetes, seizures, asthma, and anaphylaxis. We emphasize trauma with in-depth discussions and hands-on training with splinting, bleeding control, and wound management. We also discuss legalities within wilderness medicine and SOAP note documentation.
Along with basic medical and trauma concerns, we discuss how these emergencies can be addressed in a wilderness environment. This includes topics such as evacuation, litter construction, backcountry communications, and decision-making.
A Wilderness First Aid certification is valid for 2 years. After your certification expires, you simply need to retake the class to renew.