Maggots: Have you taken a WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER course? Beta needed....

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Originally Posted by powder_prophet

This sounds like the same format as the one I'm shooting for. 2 weeks of classroom work, then 10 days out. Gonna be through Desert Mountain Medicine in Leadville. With whom did you take yours?

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Originally Posted by shredgnar

Yep, that's it. I took mine in breck at the CMC there. Teachers were Nadia Kimmel

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Nadia Kimmel taught my WEMT years ago.

The DMM compact format (ours was 5 weeks)... If you intend to do the compact format, make sure that is how you learn. Make sure you continue to study and practice your skills after the course or they will leave you even faster than an extended course. It depends on the person. I learn well in that compressed format.

Their WEMT course was AWESOME *except* if you intend to use it on an ambulance. There was almost no emphasis on practical aspects of urban operations.

Sign up for as many clinicals as you possibly can, and with the busiest services you can sign off for even if it means going to Denver. Don't just do the minimum.

Definitely go work at denver general! I got to do some shit down there that would I would never have gotten the chance to do if I had gone to the summit ER.

I second everything else that summit said too. Camping really makes you focus on learning the info because you have nothing else to do but study and swat mosquitos.

I liked the compressed format a lot but like summit said, if you aren't using it you will lose it faster than if you learn it over a long period.

Summit, where did you guys do the camping portion?

The current CMC Breck EMS program is very good.

Shredgnar, We didn't go anywhere exciting... just the middle fork of the swan. Our final scenario was awesome though. They got us all up at night and said "a plane has crashed on that ridge" gesturing over at a ridge a mile away. "Patients unknown. Here is your equipment. Rendevous with RP at X. That's all. Go now." We assembled and went out, met the RP who said "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK" and died without telling us how to get to the crash site. It got better from there (4pts 2 carryouts, they all spoke only Ukranian) it was very fun.

^^^Sounds insane!!! Nadia did my WFR as well, and we did a similar night scenerio. Obviously not spur of the moment, middle of the night, but still exciting. Lake County SAR showed up and treated it as a full-on training as well. Like yours, simulated plane crash, patients unknown. My patient was fairly straight forward treatment-wise (L ankle fracture, open R femur fracture), just lots of screaming, bleeding, spitting, and vomitting, oh my!!!

Thanks for the tips guys!!! I think I can handle the compact format. I seem to pick shit up pretty well with that style. I helped Nadia with her EMT-B final in Dec, and I realized that I still knew my shit better then the kids nervously trying to pass the test after a semester of EMT-B training!! I can handle the all-day, everyday thing because I'm interestred enough in the topic and really want to do it. If it was extended, I think I would get distracted and worry about other things. Can't wait to do the bc outing. I know last summer she took her group into the Collegiate's, but I'm gonna try talking her into something a little more obsure. Zierkel's maybe?

CMC in Breck offers the WEMT upgrade as well if you already have your EMT. Good stuff. My buddies teach that.

...so what would you guys recommend for someone with little previous medical training...other than CPR/First Aid?? Is there a WFR course or similar geared at the intro level??

This stuff has always interested me...but since my occupation never led me down that road, I've always wondered the best way to get started.

^WFR will take you from nothing to WFR. :)

There is no prereq. WFR is *the* course to take unless you are planning on vocational use.

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Originally Posted by Summit

^WFR will take you from nothing to WFR. :)

There is no prereq. WFR is *the* course to take unless you are planning on vocational use.

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nice. thanks Summit.

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Originally Posted by GoldenBear

WFR should be essential if traveling in the backcountry. I came upon a guy this last summer in New Zealand with a broken back. The training instantly came back to me. I was more than happy to had spent that money. Make yourself get involved because that is how you will learn the most. Enjoy the practicals and take them very seriously. If they are done well your adrenalin will be pumping and it will come to you.

REMEMBER YOUR ABC's

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Golden Bear - so what happened with the NZ guy with the broken back? First Aid is all about - don't move the victim. My EMT class was all about - stabilize the victim and transport via ambulance.

This is why WFR is high on my list of education- did you create a backboard and hike him out? Did you stabilize him and run for help? Did you summons a helicopter? How far away were you from help?

2/14 update~
half way through.....

This class is most excellent! Very intense, but not overwhelming. The material is very interesting and will hold your attention. The scenarios are very realistic and challenge you mentally and physicaly, with lots of things designed to throw you off .

Deb is a FANTASTIC teacher and presents all the information in a way that makes it really easy to take in.

There is a wide range of diverse people in the course, some young , some older, one guy has skied 115mph .

I would STRONGLY recomend this class or its equivalant to any of you maggots that venture out into the backcountry at any time of year. You will never regret the skils and confidence you will gain and it will highten your ability to assess risk.
It also makes you see just how lucky most of us have been at one time or another with near misses, accidents in the backcountry.

The material is real world applications and is not watered down with legal mumbo like urban emt material, so it has been very insightful over my ETT cert. I think i am going to try to finish my ETT to EMT1 bridge course asap, though, as the WFR is very similar to EMT1 ,and I could nail it while it is all still fresh.



Now hopefully i'll pass! heh

ski safe

YKB