Wilderness First Responder

This course is ideal for guides, instructors, ski patrol staff, outdoor group leaders, medical professionals, teachers, park rangers, firefighter, forest service, military and search and rescue personnel, along with anyone with a passion for wilderness travel and first aid.

The course reviews the fundamentals of risk management, personal preparation and operational planning, along with a review of specific illnesses and injuries often seen in remote and austere environments.

Key topics:

The course includes the following topics through a pre-course distance review of the didactic material, onsite lectures, table top exercises, and real-world scenarios in context, whilst travelling around Guatemala in 4 x 4 vehicles, on foot, in rafts and helicopters:

• Roles & responsibilities
• Patient assessment
• Water treatment
• Documentation
• Risk Management
• Helicopter safety
• Communications & telemedicine
• Equipment selection
• Safety & security
• Search & rescue operations
• Infectious disease
• Altitude illness, bites and stings, cold injury, bleeding control, heat illness
• CPR, immersion, fractures, burns, head injuries, tick-borne diseases
• Chest injuries, infectious disease, allergic reactions, shock, lightning
• Moving and handling, improvisation
• Spinal injury management
• Crush injury, suspension syndrome
  

   

   

Location: Guatemala

Duration: 10 days

Dates: June 2022

COMPLETING THIS COURSE YOU WILL:

• Gain industry standard certifications
• Learn the latest practical hands-on wilderness medical skills for patient assessment, stabilization and evacuation.
• Learn the essential preparatory and safety information to integrate into and operate with a rescue, expedition or disaster response team
• Practice your skills in live scenarios
• Earn a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, accredited by National Association for Search & Rescue (NASAR)

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Flipped-classroom approach with group scenario-based exercises
• Skills stations
• Jungle survival camp
• Whitewater raft down the Cahbon river through jungle clad canyons
• Climb a high-altitude volcano to 3,976m (13,044 ft)
• Participate in a search and rescue operation on the flanks of a volcano
• Experience live venomous and non-venomous snake demonstration from local herpetologist and tropical medicine doctor
• Enjoy an energetic and experienced team with additional discussions on altitude medicine and jungle medicine.

INCLUDES:

• WFR certification (NASAR)
  
• CPR/BLS certification (ECSI)
• EpiPen® Auto Injector certification (SOS)
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits
• NASAR WFR uniform patch
• NASAR WFR Manual
• ECSI CPR/BLS Manual
• Airport transfers
• 10 nights lodging, guiding, meals, manual, rafting (as indicated on the itinerary)

Excluded: All Flights to Guatemala, airport taxes, travel insurance, gratuities, alcoholic beverages. Also, does not include additional days of travel or global rescue insurance.

COST:

Trip Cost: US $2,300

Accommodation & Additional single supplement costs:

Throughout the course, the allocated accommodation will be shared. This is not only due to limited hotel space in the remote areas we will visit but also to enhance the group atmosphere and dynamics, meet new people and share the experience. If you wish to have a single room for the duration of the trip, please notify us and we will attempt to facilitate this. The additional charge for single supplement is: $250                                                                                             

HEALTH/VACCINATIONS

See CDC vaccination guidelines for Guatemala: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/guatemala.htm ) and consider Malaria prophylaxis. 

INSURANCE:

All participants must have medical and evacuation insurance covering all activities for the full duration of the course. We recommend Global Rescue.

Delegates should be aware this is intended to be a wilderness course in every sense of the word. The team in some parts of Guatemala will be self sufficient. This is not a package holiday and the RED team cannot control mother nature. Should our plans be affected by floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions and the like, we will continue with alternate plans in true expedition spirit, affecting self rescues and problem solving along the way.