EMS Education: Wilderness First Aid

Introduction
The Canadian Institute of Safety, Search and Rescue (CISSR) is committed to developing programs that will make a significant difference in improving accident prevention, treatment of injuries and illnesses, and search and rescue techniques. It was established in 1982 and has been offering wilderness training throughout Canada ever since.

Aaron Paramedical Services has formed a partnership with the CISSR to provide wilderness training. Aaron chose CISSR because of its extensive background in pre-hospital care and wilderness first aid training. Aaron is proud to offer the same courses CISSR has been developing and providing wilderness first aid for over 20 years.

Outdoor First Aid (OFA)

The Outdoor First Aid (OFA) course is designed for participants with a recreational interest in the outdoors or those who will be backed up by people with more advanced training. It provides information and practice time on the types of problEMS common in an outdoor setting such as: patient assessment; wound care; musculo-skeletal injuries; environmental injuries; common medical problEMS and first aid equipment. Maximum time will be spent on practical skills and scenarios. This is a 25 hour course.

Wilderness Emergency Response (WER)

The Wilderness Emergency Response (WER) course is designed for anyone spending time in remote areas for professional or recreational reasons. It is intended to give the participant a basic understanding of accident prevention, wilderness (remote) first aid and an understanding of situations that may arise in such environments.

The course is a pre-requisite to the Advanced Wilderness Emergency Response program which is designed for professional health care providers, outdoor guides or outdoor enthusiasts who have an interest in developing their knowledge and skills further.

The Wilderness Emergency Response course includes classroom study and outdoor simulations of medical, trauma and environmental emergencies. The intent of the outdoor simulations is to create a learning environment in which the participant has the opportunity to practice the theory learned in class and take part in a positive educational experience. This is a 50 hour course.

Advanced Wilderness Emergency Response (AWER)

The Advanced Wilderness Emergency Response (AWER) program is designed to meet the needs of professional health care providers who expect to work in remote environments and the needs of outdoor enthusiasts who want to further develop their skills and knowledge.

The AWER course includes classroom study and outdoor simulations of medical, trauma and environmental emergencies. The intent of the outdoor simulations is to create a learning environment in which the participant has the opportunity to practice the theory learned in class and take part in a positive educational experience. This course is 98 hours in length.