December 4th & 5th Tall Man Outfitters hosted a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course in Gambier, Ohio. This 2-day (16 hour) course is a comprehensive introduction to wilderness and rescue medicine. Topics include: patient assessment system, critical body systems, environmental injuries/conditions, anaphylaxis, lifting/moving/extrication, patient carries, backcountry medicine, and CPR. This is a good course for outdoor enthusiasts and is the minimum standard for backcountry guides and professional rescuers.
Left: Students practice their patient assessment skills in the wilderness context. Right: A simulated victim with a bleeding head wound.Eighteen students attended the course including foresters from the USDA Forest Service, a professional fly fishing guide, a naturalist for the Columbus Metro Parks and a couple of amateur adventurers.The course was taught by Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) instructor, Darren Stokes. Based in central, Colorado, Darren has been an EMT since 1990 and holds a Masters Degree in Outdoor Recreation. He has been a professional Outdoor Guide and Instructor since 1989 and is the Operations Manager at Four Corners Expeditions just outside Buena Vista, Colorado. He is also a volunteer member of Chaffee County Search and Rescue.For more information about wilderness first aid or to enroll in future courses Click Here to go to the Tall Man Outfitters Wilderness First Aid page.
