Wilderness First Responder Refresher (WFR-R)

Course Length: 16 hours (two days; Heartsaver CPR offered the evening before)

Certifications Received and Certification Duration:
Wilderness First Responder – 2 years
Heartsaver CPR – 2 years (optional; must be current for WFR renewal)

Course Description
Aerie’s 16-hour Wilderness First Responder Refresher is an intensive, scenario-driven update for current WFRs and Wilderness EMTs. Over two fast-paced days, instructors revisit patient assessment, trauma, medical, and environmental emergencies while threading in the latest evidence, protocol changes, and case studies. Complex moulage scenarios demand gear improvisation, extended-care decision-making, and leadership under stress—mirroring real back-country missions. Successful completion renews the WFR credential for another two years. A valid CPR card (or the evening-before session) is required for certification.

In class, teams manage a multi-system trauma patient through scenarios including, severe weather, and limited communications, practicing ongoing wound care, nutrition/hydration planning, and psychological first aid. Updated wilderness guidelines—such as tourniquet conversion timing, spinal motion restriction without C-collars, treatment options for anaphylaxis in remote settings, and the hypothermia algorithm—are woven into scenarios, ensuring graduates leave current with the Wilderness Medical Education Collaborative (WMEC) standard of practice.