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Wilderness
and Backcountry Medical Care and Training
(Click
HERE for STS Training information)
(Updated
December 15, 2011)
Scheduled
Wilderness Medical classes:
Please
read the following information and links carefully!
Answers to almost every question we are commonly asked about the
Wilderness First Aid classes can be found on these pages.
The
Basic (and Advanced) Wilderness First Aid classes are designed
for anyone who recreates in the outdoors, with or without
any prior training. We have had snowshoers and snowmobilers,
ATV riders and MTB riders, hikers, skiers, dogsled
mushers and 4-wheelers. We've also had doctors, nurses,
lawyers, paramedics, preachers and teachers take the
classes. Anyone who wants to know what to do when things
go wrong an hour or more from ambulances, doctors and
hospitals is welcome and will benefit from the training.
The
Backcountry Trail Patrol Association and Emergicare Medical
Training will be holding 16-hour (each) Basic and
Advanced Wilderness First Aid
(WFA) Class with CPR certification, at the Gander Mountain Store in Blaine, MN.
Basic Wilderness First Aid; Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 9, 10 and 11,
2012 March
9, 6:00 - 9:00 PM March
10, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM March
11, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Advanced Wilderness First Aid and CPR; Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 23, 24 and 25,
2012, also at Gander Mountain in Blaine.
March
23, 6:00 - 9:00 PM (CPR)
March
24, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
March
25, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
At this time we are not
planning a Wilderness Medical Responder/First Responder) course this year.
Application
Deadline: March 2, 2012
We will no longer be able to
offer wilderness medical training at REI stores in the Twin
Cities. (Accordingly, we will no longer be offering a
discount to REI members.)
National
certification will be awarded through the AAOS -Emergency
Care and Safety Institute to those who successfully
complete the class and practical sessions, and pass the
written examination. We will be using the third edition of "Wilderness First Aid" by the
Wilderness Medical Society, as our textbook for this class,
with 2010 addenda issued by AAOS. The tuition cost includes the textbook, and class materials.
Directions to
the class location will sent sent with your confirmation
e-mail. Confirmation will only be sent out after
six registrations have been received.
Volunteer
Mountain Bike and Ski Patrollers e-mail
for discount information.
Progressive
Training: Wilderness
Medical Training with Emergicare Medical Training is done by progressive
instruction. There are
three certification levels: Basic Wilderness First Aid (WFA),
Advanced Wilderness First Aid (AWFA), and Wilderness First
Responder (WFR). The standards are built upon the premise that
each certification level is part of a sequence that culminates
in WFR certification. Each certification level is built upon
the knowledge, skills and competencies of the lower levels.
Thus, an AWFA must meet all of the competencies of WFA, as
well as those specific to the AWFA. Likewise, a WFR must meet
all of the competencies of WFA and AWFA, as well as those
specified for entry-level Wilderness First Responders. As
the national paradigm for Emergency Medical Services, (or what
we in the backcountry call "street EMS") moves into
the new National EMS Education Standards, the title we
know as "First Responder" is going to be changed to
"Emergency Medical Responder". Accordingly, we expect the
72-hour course now called "Wilderness
First Responder" will be changing to "Wilderness Medical
Responder" in the near future. Emergicare has begun
working on a textbook that will take this progression in
training from the WFA/AWFA level of our AAOS Wilderness
First Aid , 3rd Edition textbooks, to the Wilderness
Medical Responder level. You must have Basic WFA
certification to take Advanced WFA. *AAOS
- American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Emergency Care
and Safety Institute.
Course
pricing and other information can be found by clicking on the
links below.
Click here for
more information on our courses and training materials.
Click HERE
to download the application form, with
course pricing. (DOC Format)
(See
Registration and Refund policies below.
MN
DOT Required Special Transportation Service (STS) Training
This
section has moved to:
Emergicare
Medical Training, Inc.
www.emergicaretraining.org
E-mail
for more information.
Registration and
refund policies:
Please
read: Individual enrollment
in all Backcountry Trail Patrol Association/Emergicare Medical
Training, Inc. (Emergicare) courses is limited. To reserve a
space in an Emergicare course, please return your application
form and the appropriate tuition/deposit in check or money order
only (We do not accept credit cards at this time.) to Emergicare. Courses
under $200.00 require tuition payment in full at
the time of registration. (A non-refundable deposit of $100.00
is required for Wilderness First Responder-level courses, and
will be applied to the course cost.) Full,
non-refundable and non-transferable tuition is due 14 days prior to
the course. However, in the event of a student being unable to
attend a course they have registered for, their payment may be
applied to another Emergicare course at the same level, upon
approval by Emergicare Medical Training. Prior to 14 days before
the course date, tuition may be refunded, minus a 15% administrative fee to cover expenses.
If a program is
cancelled by Emergicare due to low enrollment, the full
deposit/tuition will be refunded.
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Cold Weather
Medical Problems
Hypothermia
When
your body loses heat faster than it can produce it, a situation
may occur where all of your body's energy is used up trying to
produce heat. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body
temperature.
Victims
of hypothermia are most often elderly people with inadequate
food, clothing, or heating; babies sleeping in cold bedrooms;
and people who remain outdoors for long periods -- the homeless,
hikers, hunters, etc.
Each
person is affected differently by the cold. Wet and cold can
bring hypothermia on rapidly, or long exposure to the cold,
rain, and wind can bring the symptoms of hypothermia on slowly.
Mild
hypothermia occurs when the core body temperature is between
98.6° and 96°F. The core temperature for moderate hypothermia
is 95° to 93°F. If your core temperature reaches 92° or
below, you are in a life-threatening situation. This condition
will affect your heart rate, blood flow, and ability to think
clearly. Immediate attention is necessary.
Signs
and Symptoms of hypothermia:
In
Adults
·
shivering/exhaustion
·
confusion/memory
loss
·
drowsiness
·
slurred
speech
In
Infants
·
bright
red, cold skin
·
very
low energy
If
you believe you or someone else is suffering from hypothermia,
it is imperative to get to a warm room or shelter and call for
help. While you wait for help to arrive, remove any wet clothing
and warm the center of the victim's body first. An electric
blanket works well if one is available. Skin-to-skin contact
under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels, or sheets
may also be effective. Drinking warm beverages -- NOT ALCOHOL --
will also help increase the body temperature. Once the body
temperature has increased, keep the victim dry and wrapped in a
warm blanket including the head and neck until help arrives.
If
the victim is suffering from severe hypothermia, he or she may
be unconscious and may not seem to have a pulse or appear to be
breathing. In this case, you need to handle the victim gently,
and get emergency assistance immediately.
Frostbite
Frostbite
is an injury to the skin and sometimes the deeper tissues of the
body due to freezing or formation of ice crystals in the tissue
cells. Frostbite usually develops when the air temperature is
below -12°C (10°F), but may occur at a temperature
nearer the freezing point (0°C/32°F) when other elements, such
as high winds, dampness, or general chilling of the body, are
present. Hands, feet, noses, and ears are the most likely body
parts to be affected. Most often, the condition may be painful,
but is not usually serious. However, severe untreated frostbite
may result in gangrene.
You
can avoid frostbite by staying out of the extreme cold. If you
do have to go out, wear clothing to protect your face, nose,
ears, fingers, and toes. Also, wiggling your fingers and toes
frequently will help keep the blood flowing to these areas of
your body. If you begin to loose feeling in your fingers and
toes, or they begin to tingle, or feel painful, go inside and
warm up.Signs and symptoms of frostbite include:
- A
"pins and needles" sensation, followed by numbness
- Hard,
pale, cold skin
How
to treat frostbite:
If
you suspect you have frostbite, it is important to get indoors
or to a warm shelter as soon as possible. Take off any
constricting jewelry or wet clothing. Immerse the affected area
of your body in warm -- NOT HOT -- water, or apply warm cloths
to affected areas of your ears, nose, or cheeks for 20-30
minutes. When your tissue has been thoroughly warmed, the skin
will be soft and sensation will return. You should not use a
heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat from a stove, fireplace, or
radiator to warm yourself. Because you do not have any sensation
in these areas of your body, they may burn easily and you would
not feel it. Try to move the area of your body that is affected
as little as possible. This helps decrease the damage to the
affected area.
For further
information, contact:
Emergicare
Medical Training
About Emergicare
Medical Training:
Emergicare and Wilderness Rescue Associates, have been providing
training in EMS and backcountry rescue since 1978. They were
merged together to form Emergicare Medical Training, Inc., a
non-profit, educational organization. New quality control
programs were instituted to better respond to the suggestions
and needs of trainees, and new, custom training materials are
continually under development. Emergicare Medical Training
specializes in wilderness first aid and medical care, and
Minnesota DOT special-needs transportation (STS) driver training
at reasonable tuition rates. Our primary operating philosophy is
that you are more likely to take specialized training if it is
informative, enjoyable and affordable. Emergicare Medical
Training, Inc. is a non-profit, educational program of the
Backcountry Trail Patrol Association, Inc. For further
information on Emergicare Medical Training programs, please
Click
to send us e-mail
Special Notice to Missionary Organizations, Summer Camps, Guide
Services and Outdoor Groups:
Emergicare can conduct wilderness and backcountry and missions
medical training programs at your location, and customized to
meet your needs. E-mail
for more information.
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