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Hybrid Wilderness First Responder Course


Dates
- 2024: November 17-21
- 2025: April 8-12
Our Hybrid Wilderness First Responder (WFR) includes an online component in addition to the traditional scenarios and skills. The Wilderness First Responder course is essential if you work or recreate in the outdoors or in other austere environments where access to medical care is delayed or communication is unreliable. It is the industry standard for professional guides, trip leaders, search and rescue team members, outdoor enthusiasts, and international travelers. Upon completion, you will be able to conduct a thorough physical exam, obtain a patient history, assess vital signs, provide emergency care in the wilderness, and make crucial evacuation decisions. NOLS Wilderness Medicine’s nationally recognized curriculum encompasses a wide range of topics including long-term patient care, wound management, selective spine immobilization, reducing dislocations, litter packaging, and epinephrine administration.
Successful course completion will earn the following NOLS Wilderness Medicine certifications:
- Wilderness First Responder
- Adult, Child, and Infant CPR & Airway Management
- Epinephrine Auto-injector
Class Format
The course will begin with three modules of online training and conclude with 5 days of in-person training.
The online component will open 3 weeks before the in-person section and involves readings, videos, and quizzes. Each module has self-paced required assignments that will need to be completed before the next section opens. You should plan to spend 10 to 15 hours on the platform for each module. The online section will be monitored by an instructor to provide curricular and technical support. There is also a discussion forum that students and instructors can use to ask and answer questions.
Check-in for the first day of the in-person component is between 7:30 am and 7:45 am. On subsequent days, please plan on arriving by 7:45 AM. In-person course days run from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM with an hour-long break for lunch from 12:30-1:30 PM, There is one additional evening session on day 3 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.
The in-person component involves lectures integrated with practical scenarios, case studies, and skills practice sessions. Attendance is required at all classes. Scenarios and practice sessions will take place both inside and outside. Bring outdoor clothing appropriate for lying on the potentially wet, snowy, or cold ground while playing the role of both rescuer and patient. Stage (moulage) blood and make-up are used to enhance the realism of a scenario. The classroom environment generally lends itself to a pair of indoor comfy shoes.
Location
This course is held at the Bernasconi Adventure Center in Big Pine. Lodging is not available onsite. We recommend you stay at a hotel in Big Pine. Camping or sleeping in vehicles on the property is not permitted. Dogs are also not permitted onsite.
Testing
Along with continuous evaluation and feedback from your instructors throughout the course, each student will be required to pass both a written and practical exam on the last day of the course. The practical exam will require students to demonstrate the skills they have learned throughout the course and the written exam will be multiple choice. Your instructors can provide more info on testing procedures on the first day of your course if needed.
Curriculum
Our curriculum has been developed and has evolved over decades by medical professionals and experts in outdoor education. Our instructors are expert educators with years of medical and wilderness leadership experience. Please see the Hybrid WFR Course Outline for an overview and schedule of topics covered during your course. You can read more about our curriculum on the NOLS website as well as view other curriculum resources here.
Reviews
Kaz, Winter Mountaineering Skills
“The four-day winter mountaineering course was everything I hoped it would be and more. I nabbed a spot just a week before the trip and Emma, the office manager, was super helpful in coordinating logistics and rental gear for me on short notice. Our first day was spent rock climbing in mountain boots; the second day was spent ice climbing; and the third and fourth days were spent backcountry camping and making a successful winter ascent of Crystal Crag. There were so many memorable moments throughout those four days that is hard to lick just a few to share but I’ll never forget snowshoeing across a frozen lake and climbing 4th class terrain in wind and snow. Our guides—Paloma, Dakota, and Tyler—were incredible throughout the trip and I’d gladly follow any one of them up a mountain again. They provided us with quality instruction in the field and good times back at camp. The guide team also did a great job adjusting the course to suit people of various ages, skill levels, and interests. In short, I had a lot of fun, learned a lot along the way, and believe the course was worth every penny. Thanks, SMC!”
More Reviews
Michael, AIARE II
“Hey all! I recently took AIARE 2 with SP Parker and I have to admit it was fantastic! He showed so much passion for his craft and “patience” with us. It truly showed in the 3 days we spent together that he cares about what he does. He is so knowledgeable about snow science and in particular Eastern Sierra snow that I highly recommend participating in his course if you’re a frequenter of this magical mountain range. Can’t thank you enough and will most surely use the lessons learned in this course to be a more safe and conscious backcountry traveler.”
Jason, Palisade Traverse
“What a fantastic trip put together for us by the Sierra Mountain Center. From the start Emma was fantastic and professional in the coordination efforts for our Palisade Traverse trip. My son and I had a 1:1 guide ratio and the guides, Dave Stimson and Tyler Logan, were exceptional. Exceptional in their knowledge of the route, their efficiency with rope craft and their trailside manner – despite the exhausting climb we had such a fun time. We are already planning next year’s outing with SMC.”
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Length
Registration Details
Registration and all customer service for this course is handled by NOLS Wilderness Medicine.
Phone: (866) 831-9001
Email: wilderness_medicine@nols.edu