Tag Archives: WFA

Wilderness First Responder

This spring we have been busy with our wilderness first responder courses. Beginning this past January we have taught 6 full first responders and 4 WFR re-certs. Most recently we hosted a Wilderness First Responder in Coloma, Ca. Consistent with most of our wilderness medicine classes, the WFR was a fast paced, hands-on action-packed 10-day study of back country medicine.

Students hailed from a variety of California locales with a few joining from out of state. As an instructor it is really rewarding to watch the training unfold and to see the students’ progression. We strive to make the scenarios realistic and relevant to the places that the students spend time. In this past class we had a burning man collapse, an avalanche multi- victim burial, and an icefall incident, to name a few. Navigating the patient assessment system, and jumping into responder mode isn’t necessarily an easy transition, but with time and practice, theses guys made good progress.

Another highlight of the WFR is the night search operation. Usually this drill takes a few hours and lets students navigate the difficulties of working at night. Bottom line is that communication and lighting are huge impediments to working at night. hazards are heightened, and even simple things become difficult. If you spend time working or recreating in the wilderness, the WFR certification is for you. It has become the gold standard industry-wide. Come train and practice your backcountry first aid skills, sharpen your patient assessment technique, and and hone to stabilize and improvise. We’ve got several courses coming up this spring and several more this fall. Check out our website, www.sierrarescue.com, for schedule and upcoming courses.

Zach’s EMT Course. Front-Country vs. Backcountry Medicine

This past fall, I took my first EMT course. It was a fast-paced intensive class that took place in Fremont, California and was offered through Unitek College. I loved it. I found that my background and experience as an instructor of wilderness medicine with Sierra Rescue gave me an upper hand in some of the BLS and patient assessment aspects of the course. Other arenas I was pushed to the max to find space to cram lots of new information.

My favorite part of the entire 3-week course was ‘trauma Sundays.’ On these 3 days, we ran mass casualty incident (MCI) scenarios all day long –12 hours worth. The instructors brought on additional proctors and lots of volunteer patients. It was an exhausting marathon of triage, treatment, and transport.

Staged and ready for Trauma Sunday. EMT training

One of the Trauma Sundays featured a crane moving cars for motor vehicle accident (MVA) scenarios, ALS and BLS ambulances arriving on scene for transport, and a surprise arrival of Stanford’s Helicopter. I haven’t spent much time operating with helicopters and it was impressive to see how chaotic the scene can become when the ALS ship arrived.

staging the first scene of Trauma Sunday. Unitek Education EMT course

Throughout the course I kept trying to draw ties to the ‘wilderness’ component which pertains more to my life and the courses that I teach. It was interesting to see firsthand how much front-country medicine relies on two things: diesel and oxygen. If it’s serious you ‘load and go,’ and you almost always give oxygen. These two mainstays of front country medicine are almost never available to us in the wilderness. Transport is hardly ever “rapid” and the best “oxygen supply” we typically carry is in the air we breathe. Given these parameters, when faced with a serious incident in the backcountry. the importance of getting the help you need early in the is paramount, as is the ability to provide treatment and keep your patient as stable as possible.

Overall, it was an awesome course. It gave me some good perspective, provided me with some additional teaching tools, and allowed for my first experiences as a ride-along on the ambulance. It peaked my interest in continuing down a medical path and the possibility of paramedic school. I’m looking forward to teaching my next Wilderness First Responder course this fall.

Post by: Zach Byars, Instructor

WAFA with HRR: Springtime in the Grand Canyon –

WAFA- Wilderness Advanced First Aid with the HRR – Hualapai River Runners in Peach Springs, AZ

Abi and I drove the Sierra Rescue rig down through Nevada across the Colorado River at Hoover Dam and into Peach Springs, AZ for two weeks of wilderness advanced first aid (WAFA) and swiftwater rescue training with the Hualapai River Runners. We’ve been running trainings for the Hualapai for quite some time now, and its always good to get back to the big ditch.

The group showing off their hypo wraps

The group inside the warehouse, after arts and crafts with splints

All bundled up and warm in the hypo-wrap

That’s one way i wouldn’t advise reducing a shoulder

It was a great four days of WAFA (Wilderness Advanced First Aid Training). On the fourth day we finished the class with a big mass causality incident involving a simulated train vs buss collision. Trauma! Moulage! Fun! Students had to triage and figure out some difficult extractions from the broken down bus where we staged the scenario. Weather was great, a gave us the first taste of spring. Julie and Zach swapped places and Julie will join Abi along with a few flagstaff locals for the swiftwater rescue portion of the course which will involve 2 days of on-site training and a downriver overnight from Diamond Creek to Pierce Ferry. Load up those big blue pontoons and have a some fun!

Sierra Rescue Courses