Wilderness First Aid: How to Save Lives When Urgent Care Isn't Available.

If you saw the movie 127 Hours released in 2011, then you've witnessed the devastation nature can inflict upon those who traverse outside civilization. Pinned beneath a boulder, if Aron Ralston hadn't utilized his first aid knowledge and severed his own arm, then he never would have survived the next five harrowing days of his life. Accidents such as this occur all the time well outside the reach of urgent care facilities. Therefore, it is extremely important that hikers, backpackers, trip leaders, and camp staffers have thorough knowledge of first aid and rescue procedures.

There are a variety of courses and certifications to enroll in to become truly prepared for accidents in the wilderness. It's best to start wilderness education at a young age by enrolling youth in programs such as the Boy Scouts of America. In programs such as these youth can learn how to enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and swimming while absorbing the most basic survival skills.

For the sixteen years and older crowd, hands-on three day training courses combined with classroom learning sessions teach adventurers how to make the right decisions when disaster strikes. Getting a WFA (Wilderness First Aid) certification is good for two years, and is acknowledged by institutions such as Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico as well as the ACA (American Camp Association). Courses often encourage participants to bring along whatever gear they usually travel with; they expect unique survival strategies to emerge when their students are posed with hypothetical disasters.

For those with an appetite for adventure, a WFR (Wilderness First Responder) certification could prove quite useful. This seventy to eighty hour course prepares wilderness lovers to respond to victims of sudden illness, symptoms of shock, soft tissue injuries, heat and altitude illness, head and spinal injuries, dislocations, as well as bites and poisonings. Students are taught the basics of life support and are trained to work through a SOAP (Subjective Objective Assessment Plan) note in their heads while assessing situations. SOAP notes are a documentation method used by pre-hospital urgent care workers such as EMT's to classify victims injuries and describe their current condition. Courses also cover leadership and team-building exercises in harsh environments. The United States Coast Guard acknowledges WFR certification and some colleges even accept credit for the course.

For the best of the best, the WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician) certification is the second highest level of emergency training available in the United States. Students who already have an urban EMT-Basic certification can take this sixty hour course to apply their survival knowledge when in the wilderness. WEMT hopefuls study all the same subjects those getting a WFI undergo, but due to their EMT background they are able to perform more advanced procedures in appropriate situations such as applying medications like hydrocodone and oxycodone and stopping CPR. The focus on WEMT courses is providing extended care for injured patients when urgent care could be days away.