Wilderness & Remote First Aid Course for Paddlers

Intended for individuals who participate in life outside the immediate access of EMS, the Wilderness & Remote First Aid program of the Canadian Red Cross is an enhancement of Standard First Aid concepts to meet the demands of remote environments. Through reality-based scenarios, participants experience how and why WRFA applies a higher level of care. Beyond understanding the differences in practice between WRFA and traditional first aid, participants explore remote first aid realities and learn essential leadership, application of principled approaches, and management of environmental threats. Emphasis is on practical skills, decision making, and dealing with the outdoors.

Traditional first aid is founded on the assumption that you have easy access to emergency services and will be managing illness and injury only in the short-term. The ramifications of time and distance on the outcome of a situation in the backcountry necessitate that the responsible wilderness provider understands the differences inherent in managing care.

This course is paddling focused put on in conjunction with the ECO sea kayak guide training program. All paddlers and non-paddlers are welcome. The overnight portion of this course will be an ocean paddling trip to an island close by. All watercraft are welcome.

Re-certs welcome.