Wilderness EMT Upgrade

Prerequisites

Current EMT license / RN / NP / PA

Location

Various locations in Utah County

Cost

$300 (launch class only)

(Discount for military, students and First Responders on future classes)

Dates

Friday 23rd June 0900

to Monday 26th June 1700



Topics Covered


Wilderness EMT Upgrade

**Please note, this also serves as an accelerated WFR program for those with current medical qualifications such as RN, PA, NP etc.**

This exciting, fast-paced program prepares EMTs, RNs, NPs and PAs to transplant their existing medical knowledge and clinical skills to an austere environment. 

"Wilderness" in a medical setting is any situation where you are more than one hour away from definitive medical care. More often than not, this brings with it limited resources and inclement weather, which increase the need for prolonged care and makeshift treatment solutions. Whilst always focusing on what is the gold standard treatment for a given patient condition, wilderness medicine requires an A-Team like approach when it comes to creative thinking and improvisation. If it works, it's not stupid!

We cover mountain, water, heat and cold emergencies, as well as how to give high quality medical care in austere environments. Camp hygiene is a boring but crucial part of any trip, and our classes prepare students to plan, execute and evaluate a wide range of wilderness-based activities and expeditions. 

Disaster medicine is introduced, including the nuts and bolts of Search and Rescue operations. WFRs and WEMTs can easily find themselves operating in any terrain, at any time of year, for prolonged periods, so by necessity, our curriculum is broad, with the emphasis being on adding in specific blocks of knowledge based on the exact flora, fauna and terrain of your proposed trip when the time comes. 

We utilize a wide range of teaching and experiential learning techniques, so our classes are perfect for people with ADHD, who would rather be up and doing than staring at PowerPoints all day. You won't be a certified Mountain Guide at the end of this class, but you'll definitely be armed with a lot of outdoor skills, critical-thinking, problem-solving, planning and researching skills, as well as some new medical knowledge for a few specific outdoor environments. 

The course is taught outdoors, and we will camp onsite in between. Your camping skills are an important part of this, so there will be no sneaking off to a hotel at night... Students also complete a few tasks online at home before the course begins. This is an essential part of the program and must be completed! 

Examination is a combination of ongoing practical skills assessment, and by written test at the end of the program. Certification is issued by the awarding body NASAR, the National Association for Search and Rescue, and is valid for two years. 

Everybody gets rusty when they don't use skills often, that's why we offer all of our alumni the opportunity to attend another WEMT class a year later at a drastically reduced rate. Our mission is to produce the best WEMTs and WFRs out there, so we give them every chance we can to achieve, to learn and grow and to keep their skills fresh and usable. 

Important Documents:






Certifications:









Frequently Asked Questions:

Medical form

Personal Kit List (WFR)

Full curriculum


Wilderness EMT or Wilderness First Responder (valid for 2 years)

Stop the Bleed Certificate

Swiftwater Awareness Certificate

Psychological First Aid Certificate


"How do I pay for the class?"

By sending $300 to our Venmo (@wasatch_mountain_medicine) or by clicking on this PayPal link. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=57KT86A99JHY6 Please choose the gift option to avoid any of us paying fees :D


"Are there any hidden extras?"

Nope. The class price includes your food, camping fees, badges, textbooks etc. The only other thing you need to pay for is your transport to and from the class. And then bribes and gifts for the instructors... ;) (I'm totally kidding!)


"How does this all work?"

Once we've received your payment, we'll send you Joining Instructions on where to find us and when, what gear to bring etc. You'll need to submit a medical clearance form, which includes things like dietary requirements and allergies. We'll also send you links to the pre-class online modules which you MUST complete before the class itself. Material from this online work will be discussed during the class and if you haven't done it, you're going to look pretty silly...


"Is this going to be yet another "Death by PowerPoint" class?"

A really big, juicy nope! Our Chief Instructor Rich has the attention span of a squirrel with an espresso IV running, so you can be sure that this program will be full of varied teaching methods, as much hands-on as possible, real-life scenarios, group work, solo work, guest speakers, moving around, changes in learning environment and pace, moulage, fake blood, bad acting, group discussions, quizzes, private study time, brain-teasers, problem-solving activities, time to sit quietly and watch the sun set together etc. You get the idea. 


"So we're eating bugs for four days, right...?"

Absolutely not! The class will be fully catered. More exact details will follow in the joining Instructions, but we're strong believers in the adage that 'an army marches on its stomach', so don't you worry - the food will be good and there will be plenty of it!


"How long are the days? I'm worried that I won't get time for a nap"

A very legitimate concern! You can't learn if you're tired, so rest breaks will be provided throughout the day. The learning is broken up into many different activities and sessions, including a few study breaks where you'll use our field library to research a topic. As long as you come back with some good material, you'll totally have time for a nap! That said, the days will be long, and there will be a couple of night exercises too. If we keep you up at night, we'll let you rest a bit during the day, but overall you can expect to be thinking and doing in some form or another for 10-12 hours every day. 


"How physically demanding is this course?"

We'll be operating in a variety of terrains, in whatever temperatures and weathers the Gods throw at us. Appropriate clothing and footwear is a must, as is an attitude of making the best of it. We'll provide shelters and covered training areas for some of the activities, but inevitably you're going to be cold, wet and miserable at least once during the program. To get the most of out this class, you need to be able to hike one mile on mountainous terrain, in normal outdoor clothing and footwear. You will be required to participate in the carrying of medical and rescue equipment - and occasionally people - over said terrain. While your physical ability to operate in this environment is not on test here, if you are not able to do the physical aspects of the class, we can't pass you. You'll still learn a lot, we just can't award you the big, shiny badge at the end. So in summary, hike a mile on crappy terrain, scramble over rocks, saw and chop wood, carry a backpack at all times and an evacuation device with a patient on it sometimes. And if you have any questions about the physical aspects of the course, don't give up - just drop us an email and we'll see what we can figure out. 


"I'm scared of heights - am I still welcome?"

HELL yes!!! Our class is designed to push, stress and stretch everybody a little bit, and get everyone out of their comfort zones. Facing fears and the stress of new activities now allows you to handle questionable situations more effectively later. So we'll be rappelling with no safety rope, for example. Get that adrenaline going. Remind you that you're alive! That kind of thing. Everything is done in the safest possible way though. Nothing about this is reckless. And if you find that you absolutely can't face the rappel? Not a big deal. Rich will go back to his tent and cry, but it's absolutely not a pass / fail part of the course. 


"Why is this so cheap? Every other WEMT class I see advertised is three times this much!"

Mates Rates. That's why. This is the first class of this kind, that we've offered in this format, so it's an experiment. A magnificent, tasty, life-affirming, brain-stretching, body-pushing experiment. And we think you'll love it. But this is the only one we're going to run at that price, so enjoy the hefty discount while you can!


"I'm not  a climber - is this going to be boring...?"

Firstly, it will be with that attitude... YOU decide if it's going to be boring or not, and no instructor can ever change that. Secondly, no. You absolutely won't get the chance to be bored. This isn't a climbing medicine course, it's a wilderness medicine course. Wherever you recreate and however you do it, the principles and skills developed in this class will be of benefit to you. Plus you'll be armed with some seriously badass survival knowledge when the apocalypse comes... 


"This is all well and good, but does it count towards my re-cert?"

Yes it does! Basic EMTs can count the full 48 hours towards their NREMT recertification. Advanced EMTs and Medics can count it towards their State and Individual requirements only.





For more information, please email us at:  wasatchmm@gmail.com

Our WFA, WFR and WEMT programs are accredited by NASAR