Basic Wilderness Life Support: WFR

Wilderness Life Support (BWLS) is a wilderness first responder course designed to provide an individual with an in-depth knowledge
of wilderness medicine and the basic skills to treat the most common injuries and illnesses encountered in the wilderness. This program is appropriate for professional guides and other nonmedical people who want a deeper understanding of wilderness medicine.

Time Commitment:

This WFR Hybrid course requires approximately 35 - 40 hours of online course work that must be completed BEFORE the practical skills days. The practical skills days will consist of three 10 hour days mostly focused on discussions and scenario-based learning. After signing up for this course, you will be given a link to the online material about a month prior to the course start date. Students will be required to pass a written and practical exam during the practical skills day, which will be based on the entirety of the content in the textbook. If you have any questions about the course, please feel free to email us at [email protected]

SAMPLE WFR SYLLABUS:

Topics covered include, but are not limited to:

• Patient Assessment Scene Size-up, Primary Survey, Secondary Survey

• CPR/BLS

• Bleeding and Shock

• Wound and Burn Management (bandaging)

• Fractures & Dislocations, Improvised Splinting

• Chest Injuries

• Abdominal Injuries

• Head and Spine Injuries, Spinal Immobilization

• Near Drowning

• Lightning

• Heat-Related Illness

• Hypothermia & Cold-Related Illness/Injury (Frostbite, etc.)

• Gender-Specific Emergencies

• Obstetrical Emergencies

• Psychology in the Wilderness

• Neurologic Emergencies

• Diving Medicine (Intro)

• Altitude Illness

• Avalanche Medicine

• Law and the Wilderness

• Poisoning Emergencies

• Evacuation Guidelines

• Improvised Litters & Carries

• Skin, Wilderness Dentistry, Illness & Injury of the Eyes

Multiple practice workshops and scenarios are also included in the curriculum. These hands-on workshops are often done while on small hikes
as a class to get more realistic practice. Most of our practice scenarios are based on real-life incidents that our instructors have managed as professional rescuers or encountered in their own backcountry adventures.

CERTIFICATION TIME FRAME

Certifications will read "Wilderness Life Support (A wilderness first responder course)" and will be valid for 2 years.
Students must recertify within a year of expiration in order to be eligible for the recertification course and pricing.