Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) to
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Bridge Course
December 2-5, 2009
Enterprise, OR
Are you prepared to respond to a medical emergency in the “wilderness” —be it the backcountry, an urban area in crisis, or an airplane? Wallowa Resources-Wallowa Mountain Institute is sponsoring this 4-day wilderness medical training course through Wilderness Medical Associates® (WMA). This course, taught by lead WMA instructor Dr. Kaare Tingelstad, is a comprehensive medical training class designed for outdoor enthusiasts or wilderness professionals who venture into moderately remote and challenging environments. This class is open to students with a current Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) certification or higher.
Register Now! Deadline to register is October 29, 2009. Class size is limited to 13 participants, with the option of expanding the class size if demand warrants it.
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Graduates will receive Wilderness First Responder certification by Wilderness Medical Associates®, valid for three years, as well as anaphylaxis certification. This course is also a recertification course for Wilderness First Responders and Wilderness EMT's.
Wilderness medicine training enables course participants to deal with emergencies when dialing 911 is not an option. Traditional first aid training assumes that an ambulance will arrive on scene very quickly, with highly trained personnel and their equipment. But in the “wilderness”, your own actions may be the only medical care the patient receives for several hours or longer. Knowing what to do, and how to improvise with the items you have at hand is critical.
Wilderness Medical Associates® has long been recognized as one of the leading providers of wilderness medical training worldwide. Dr. Kaare Tingelstad, the lead WMA professional instructor for this course, will address these issues and more. Dr. Tingelstad, a practicing emergency room physician, and his co-instructor are practicing medical professionals with substantial backcountry resumes.
Classes are experiential-based with an emphasis on practical skills. A mixture of classroom presentation and outside patient simulations provide direct, user-friendly and fun learning. Graduates from this course will have the knowledge and skills to understand what to do in a medical emergency and the confidence to do it.
To sign-up, download the registration form and release form and return to Wallowa Resources - Wallowa Mountain Institute. Deadline to register is October 29, 2009.
Class Format
This course is presented in 36 hours over four days. Mornings are
devoted to lectures and exams. Afternoons are devoted to practical
hands-on sessions and rescue simulations. Expect two or three rescue
simulations with made-up victims and stage blood that will be
videotaped for enhanced learning. Evenings are reserved for study and
assignments. All classes will be held at the Forest Service
Visitor’s Center Classroom and outdoors.
Bridge Course Schedule
Day 1: 9 hours Registration/Introduction; Review Pre-course Study Packet; Patient Assessment System; Circulatory/Respiratory Systems; PAS Drills; Basic Life Support (Healthcare Provider-level CPR)
Day 2: 9 hours Quiz/Case Studies Review; Nervous System; Spine Management; Musculoskeletal; PAS Drill; Dislocations; Patient Immobilization; Litter Carries and Belays; PAS Drills
Day 3: 9 hours Quiz/Case Studies Review; Emergency Childbirth; Allergy & Anaphylaxis; Altitude or Diving; Frostbite; Near Drowning; Search and Rescue; Traction Splints; Improvised Litters; Simulation and Debrief
Day 4: 9 hours Case Study Review; Backcountry Medicine; Toxins; Medical Kits; PAS Drills; Written Test; Skills Testing; Conclusion
Prerequisites
1. Current WMA Wilderness Advanced First Aid certification within three years of the Bridge course (proof of certification required) or a WFR or WEMT recertifying within three years.
2. Upon receipt of a course roster from the sponsor, pre-course Study Guides will be mailed to students two to four weeks prior to the first day of their course. Students should complete the Study Guide in preparation for the course. It was designed to familiarize students with the essential points in the curriculum. Instructors will collect it at the beginning of the course but it will not be figured into the final grade.
3. Students must be at least sixteen years old to participate in this course. Those under eighteen years of age will require the written consent of a parent or guardian.consent of a parent or guardian.
Cost & Registration
The cost of the course is $375. To register, contact Penny Arentsen at
Wallowa Resources (541-426-8053 x24) or Penny@wallowaresources.org.
Limited space available (24 students maximum).
Lead Instructor- Dr. Kaare Tingelstad: Dr. Tingelstad is currently an emergency room physician for Black River Memorial Hospital in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and is credentialed in Advanced Trauma Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Wilderness Advanced Life Support. Previous positions were in family practice and emergency medicine in Enterprise, Oregon and California. When living in Oregon, Dr. Tingelstad was the medical director for Ferguson Ridge Ski Patrol. Currently, Dr. Tingelstad, his wife Kimberly and 2 daughters live in Black River Falls, WI. When time permits, he enjoys biking, rock climbing, skiing, kayaking, and woodworking.
Textbooks
All teaching materials are provided by Wilderness Medical
Associates® at no additional cost. This includes a book of lecture
handouts, SOAP Notes, Wilderness and Rescue Medicine, and The
Wilderness Medical Associates Field Guide.
Completion and grades
Grades are based on attendance, course participation, and performance
on both written and practical final exams. To pass, students must have
a cumulative average of 80% or better on the exams and 100% attendance.
Due to our rigorous standards, not everyone passes this course.
Certifications Available
All eligible students who successfully complete the WAFA to WFR Bridge course will receive Wilderness Medical Associates’ Wilderness First Responder, Anaphylaxis, and BLS/Healthcare Provider-level CPR certification. These certifications remain valid for three years. This certification can be used to challenge the DOT First Responder Exam, which is at the discretion of the local or state EMS authorities.
Standards
WAFA graduates are eligible to upgrade to a WFR by taking the
WAFA-to-WFR-Bridge course within three years of receiving their WAFA
certificate.
Recertification
Within three years, graduates may recertify by way of a 16-hour
Recertification course. For more information, see WMA’s website.
To sign up, download the registration form and release form and
return to Wallowa Resources.