Return to Crested Butte Outdoors Home Page

 

Recertification Course Syllabus | Recertification Eligibility Statement (Please Read)

 

Recertification Course for:

Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness EMT, and Wilderness Advanced First Aid

(2-3 Days)

 

Registration should be secured at least three weeks in advance to allow for mailing and completion of the required re-registration package and pre-test.

 

This two-day course updates Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness EMT, and Wilderness Advanced First Aid certificates from Wilderness Medical Associates.   Graduates of other programs, and students with expired certification, should contact us directly via e-mail or phone to determine eligibility. All students should be prepared to submit evidence of previous training and certification.

 You should plan to be active, and outdoors for this course. Minimal time is spent in lecture. We favor scenario-based re-certification training, which we feel is more productive, and a lot more fun. Please come rested, and prepared for the weather. It is also a good idea to thoroughly review your course materials before arrival. Full attendance is required, as is a passing grade on the final exam and skills assessment. For successful candidates, certification will be granted by Wilderness Medical Associates, Inc. at the WAFA, WEMT, or WFR level.  

Any questions? Please call:   970-596-2999

 

PREREQUISITE
To be eligible for renewal of certification students must have completed a Wilderness Medical Associates' Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness EMT, Wilderness Advanced First Aid, or Recertification course within 3 years of the start date of the Recertification course. We recommend that students take a full length course at least every six years. Take a look at our Recertification Eligibility Statement for more detailed information on eligibility.

In addition, students must be at least 16 years of age to participate in this course, (16 and 17 year olds must have proof of parental consent).

CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE
All students who successfully complete the Recertification course are certified by Wilderness Medical Associates. Certification remains valid for three years.

The Wilderness Medical Associates Recertification course qualifies for Continuing Education credit for EMTs in many states, but it is up to each student to submit appropriate paperwork to his/her State or Regional EMS office for approval.

 

CREDENTIALS
Wilderness Medical Associates' courses are widely considered the most complete medical training for outdoor professionals. Our courses are preferred by such organizations as Outward Bound, The National Park Service, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, many colleges and universities, and the FBI. As Canoe Magazine stated, "Wilderness Medical Associates has become the de facto standard in wilderness medical training."

 

CLASS FORMAT
16 hours, over 2 days in Crested Butte, Colorado. It is also possible to recertify by attending a four day Wilderness Advanced First Aid course.

 

CONTENT
Topics include patient assessment, body systems, equipment improvisation, trauma, environmental medicine, toxins, backcountry medicine, and wilderness rescue.

BRING
Appropriate clothing for the location and time of year. Remember that, rain or shine, much of our time is spent outside. You will also need a sleeping bag, pens, and a notebook.

GRADES
Grades are based on attendance (100% required), and performance on both written and practical final exams. Not everyone passes this course.

Course Syllabus

 

Day 1......... 8.0 hours

  • 0.5 hours........... A: Registration

  • 0.5 hours........... B: Introduction

  • 0.5 hours........... C: General Concepts & Introduction to Critical Body Systems

  • 2.0 hours........... D: Patient Assessment System (PAS)

  • 1.0 hours........... E: Critical Body Systems

  • 0.5 hours........... F: Stable/Unstable Injuries

  • 1.5 hours........... G: Extremity Splints

  • 1.5 hours........... H: Small Group Rescue Simulation

 

Day 2......... 9.0 hours

  • 1.0 hours........... A: Hypo and Hyperthermia

  • 0.5 hours........... B: Near Drowning, Frostbite, and Cold Injury

  • 1.0 hours........... C: Moving Patients

  • 0.5 hours........... D: Lightning and Electrical Injuries

  • 1.0 hours........... E: Allergy and Anaphylaxis

  • 1.0 hours........... F: Litter Packaging

  • 0.5 hours........... G: Improvised Litters

  • 1.0 hours........... H: Small Group Simulation

  • 1.5 hours........... I: Large Group Simulation

  • Recertification Eligibility Statement

     

    Knowledge and skills gained during any course of instruction will dwindle over time. This is particularly true of medical training programs. With this in mind, Wilderness Medical Associates has set minimum standards for renewal of certifications. We recommend more frequent recertification for individuals who rarely use their medical skills. We strongly urge graduates to take a full WFR or WEMT at least once every six years.

     

    1. How long do Wilderness Medical Associates certifications last?
      Certificates issued prior to April 30, 1993 are valid for two years. Certificates issued after April 30, 1993 are valid for three years.

    2. When should I begin to look for a recertification course?
      We recommend beginning to look for recertification options not less than one year prior to your expiration date. One pitfall is that a small but significant portion of courses cancel so you need to have a back-up option in mind in case your first choice drops out. Two thirds of our courses are run between January and June so avoid getting stuck needing a course in the summer or fall.

    3. Who is eligible to recertify?
      Those holding a Wilderness Medical Associates' certification card for a Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness EMT, or Wilderness Advanced First Aid course completed not longer than three years prior to the review course are eligible for recertification. Those holding an unexpired, Wilderness Medical Associates' recertification card are also eligible for recertification.

       

      WFR Recertification students must also have proof of current BLS-CPR (including two-rescuer CPR) certification on the first day of class. WFR recertification students who do not have current BLS-CPR may take the Recertification course but their WFR recertification will be withheld until their CPR certification is renewed. Those wishing to recertify their WEMT must be current EMTs. WEMTs whose EMT certification has lapsed may take the course and receive a WFR recertification provided they meet all other eligibility requirements. Certifications for courses of less than 32 hours are not renewable.

    4. Are graduates of other wilderness medicine programs eligible to recertify?
      Graduates of SOLO, WMI and NOLS programs may recertify provided they meet the other requirements of #2 above and provided they bring proof of current certification to their Recertification course. Graduates of NASAR Wilderness medicine programs held prior to July 1, 1994 (NASAR courses held after this date will not be honored) may recertify. No other programs have been approved.

      Graduates of unapproved programs have three options. They may recertify with their original program if that program still exists; they may take a full-length WFR, WEMT or WAFA course with Wilderness Medical Associates; or, with prior approval, they may take a Recertification course and receive a 16-hour Wilderness First Aid certification.

    5. Which courses serve as recertification courses?
      Two day Recertification courses and four day Wilderness Advanced First Aid courses recertify WFR, WEMT(wilderness portion only), and WAFA graduates.

      Graduates may also recertify by way of a Wilderness First Aid course of at least 16-hours provided that they complete a pre-course assignment, pass an essay exam at the beginning of the WFA course, and pass the course itself. It is up to the student to ensure that the WFA course is at least two full days (16 hours) in length. Students must purchase a $39.50 recertification authorization from Wilderness Medical Associates (mail a check for $39.50 to 189 Dudley Road, Bryant Pond, ME 04219; or for credit card orders call 207/665-2707). We must receive the order not less than two weeks prior to the course. There will be an additional fee for the WFA course itself. Only students recertifying by way of a WFA course need to purchase an authorization.

    6. Do Recertification courses recertify state and national EMT certifications?
      Each state (and often each region within each state) has its own unique requirements for EMT recertification. In most cases Wilderness Medical Associates courses may be applied toward the continuing education requirements of a state certification, but there will be additional requirements not covered in our courses. Some WEMTs choose to downgrade to WFR during their recertification course in order to avoid the EMT recertification process. This is irrelevant for most of our WFR and WAFA grads who never obtain a state certification.

       

    Instruction Sheet for Students Wishing to Recertify by Way of a Two Day Wilderness First Aid Course

    See Above for Other Recertification Options

     

    This recertification option was designed to provide Wilderness Medical Associates' graduates with more opportunities to recertify. This option is more difficult than other options because it requires a great deal of pre-course work. This extra work is required because the WFA course by itself does not impart enough information to adequately recertify graduates of higher level courses. To recertify you must complete all of the following steps:

     

    1. Carefully read the "Recertification Answer Sheet." Many students show up at our Recertification Courses only to find out that they are ineligible for recertification either because too much time has elapsed since their last course or because they were trained by an unrecognized organization. A refund will not be issued if you later find that you are ineligible to recertify.

    2. Enroll in a Wilderness Medical Associates Wilderness First Aid course that is not less than 16 hours in length. If you are unsure of the length of a particular course you may call the Wilderness Medical Associates office at 207/665-2707. It is your responsibility to ensure that the course you sign up for is at least 16 hours. It is also a good idea to have an alternate plan in case your course cancels.

    3. Purchase a non-transferrable recertification authorization certificate from Wilderness Medical Associates. The cost is $39.50. Call 207/665-2707. Note that this fee is in addition to the cost of tuition for the WFA course itself. We recommend placing your order at least two full weeks in advance of your course so that you have time to complete the pre-course study and written assignments.

    4. Read the documents: The Patient Assessment System and Spine Management, and the one page sheet called "Wilderness Protocols, Is There a Risk to the Trained Provider?" These documents will be included with the recertification authorization.

    5. WFR and WAFA recertification students must read The Outward Bound Wilderness First Aid Handbook. You may skip chapter 1 and pages 118-121 since this information is out of date and is covered in the above mentioned handouts. If you lost or never had a copy of this textbook, you may purchase one from Wilderness Medical Associates for $13.95 plus shipping.

    6. Those students recertifying a WEMT must read the Wilderness Medical Associates WEMT Course Textbook. You may skip the Patient Assessment System chapter and the section on spine management since this information is out of date and is covered in the above mentioned handouts. If you lost or never had a copy of this textbook, you may purchase one from Wilderness Medical Associates for $19.95 plus shipping.

    7. Complete the 3 PAS drill exercises included in your recertification authorization packet, and bring them with you to the recertification WFA course. You will be expected to hand in these completed exercises on morning one of the course.

    8. Meet with the Instructor of the WFA course before class gets underway. Give him or her this checklist and your three completed PAS drills.

    9. You will miss the first hour and a half of class because you will be taking a pre-course exam to test your understanding of the pre-course reading assignment. The format of the exam will be determined by the Instructor. It may be a three to four question essay exam, a twenty-five question multiple choice exam, or an exam of another format of the Instructor's choosing. Passing is 80% for WFRs and WEMTs and 70% for WAFAs. You will also be required to complete a written PAS drill. If you fail the pre-course exam, you may take the WFA course anyway but you will receive a WFA certification rather than a WFR, WAFA, or WEMT recertification.

    10. Participate in and successfully complete the WFA course.

    11. Have your Instructor sign the recertification authorization.

    12. Return the recertification authorization to our office. Your certificate will be mailed to you.

       

      Send mail to webmaster@cboutdoors.com with questions or comments about this web site.
      Copyright © 2000 Crested Butte Outdoors, LLC
      Last modified: June 04, 2009

  •  

  •