Bay Area First Aid Training Thread

[SchralphMacchio]

Okay folks, it's the time of year where everyone is talking about backcountry safety and gearing up. Part of that includes refreshing, or learning, basic first aid and emergency care training - after all, what good is a first aid kit that you haven't packed and inventoried yourself, and even worse if you don't know how to use it? I for one have not had first aid training in about 10 years.

Anyway I'm trying to put together a list of known places in the Bay Area to get training. I'd like to cover practical courses that will help people on this board should shit go wrong in the backcountry and even inbounds at resorts. I think a useful list would include 2-day or shorter courses covering things from basic first aid to wilderness-specific care. Not to say that I don't think things like Wilderness First Responder (10 days?) training are important and useful - this thread is just focused on basic stuff that is good for people getting started or refreshing what they have learned before.

I need the board's help putting this list together! Any reviews and recommendations are much appreciated. Once this thread is looking decent I'll probably cross-post to the front page reminding everyone to get their training done!

Okay, here is what I've found so far. I will EDIT this list as I get more info from mags and friends.

BASIC FIRST AID

Red Cross Bay Area
Standard First Aid, CPR, and AED - $65, 7 hours
Shorter courses (~3-4 hours) with CPR only or First Aid only are also offered.
Many offerings between now to the end of the year.
Locations in SF, Oakland, Alameda, Concord, Burlingame, San Rafael, Fairfield, Union City, and Livermore.
Course schedule through December, including website and phone number

First Response
First Aid, including child care - $63, 4 hours
Community CPR, including AED - $63, 4 hours ($3 less if you do both)
Located in downtown Berkeley near the BART.
Classes weekly.

Palo Alto Red Cross
First Aid Basics with CPR - $45, 4 hours
Class coming up 12/11.
Located in Palo Alto.

WILDERNESS FIRST AID

Bay Area Wilderness Training
Wilderness First Aid - $130 for non WLT members, 16 hours
Looks like Bobbie Foster is teaching a class on 3/8 and 3/9 somewhere in the Bay Area but BAWT hasn't updated their info yet.

Foster Calm
Classes throughout Northern California
Urban First Aid and CPR - $55, 8 hours
Wilderness First Aid - $90( + instructor transportation & lodging, usually a group will consign her and you pay with them), 16 hours
Calendar of classes
There is a wilderness first aid class coming up in Fairfax through the NorCal MTB league (WFR+MTB cert) geared toward MTB coaches on 12/8 & 12/9 for $185 + $25 for CPR that has some openings. Costs include beakfast, lunch, and camping. Register at http://www.norcalmtb.org/events/wfa/index.htm

Bobbie Foster is teaching a slew of wilderness first aid courses this season so just check her calendar.

Wilderness Medicine Institute
Wilderness First Aid, $175, 16 hours
2-day classes coming up in Chico (12/8), Santa Cruz(1/26, 3/1), Sausalito (2/9), Sonora (2/9), SLO (2/23). Many more throughout CA in the spring as well.

UC Davis Outdoor Adventures
Wilderness First Aid, $102 for general public, $93 for university affiliated and $77 for students
2-day class on 2/23 and 2/24

Advice, Recommendations, Reviews?

[The Dad]

Don't forget the Palo Alto Area Red Cross, www.paarc.org. One of their trainers, Joann Barnes, is a long-time patroller at Alpine.

Bill Person of Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol is teaching a two-week intensive OEC course in Truckee starting the Monday after Thanksgiving. Officially, registration is closed, but you may be able to get dispensation if you email him and ask nice. He's also running a one-weekend Outdoor First Care course on January 22-23. www.oectools.org

[sfotex]

Plenty of WMI classes in/around the bay area:
http://www.nols.edu/wmi/courses/sche...wfa_wfr_recert

If I had to recommend a class for someone that doesn't have alot of time I would pick wilderness first aid (WFA) + CPR. The WFA will do you fine in the backcountry, and CPR would cover the resort situation where you could make a difference before patrol gets there. (Yeah, yeah, I know most cases where you're doing full-blown CPR on the hill are going to end badly, but even knowing how to clear an airway might make a difference....)

[SchralphMacchio]

Thanks guys. Damn you're early risers ... well, I guess you guys both have excuses (kids, location? )

Bill Person of Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol is teaching a two-week intensive OEC course in Truckee starting the Monday after Thanksgiving. Officially, registration is closed, but you may be able to get dispensation if you email him and ask nice. He's also running a one-weekend Outdoor First Care course on January 22-23. www.oectools.org

Good to know, but the 2-week intensive class definitely qualifies itself off my list, purely for intensity and time considerations. Couldn't find info on the Jan 22-23 class on the site - looks like it hasn't been updated?

Plenty of WMI classes in/around the bay area:
http://www.nols.edu/wmi/courses/sche...wfa_wfr_recert

If I had to recommend a class for someone that doesn't have alot of time I would pick wilderness first aid (WFA) + CPR. The WFA will do you fine in the backcountry, and CPR would cover the resort situation where you could make a difference before patrol gets there. (Yeah, yeah, I know most cases where you're doing full-blown CPR on the hill are going to end badly, but even knowing how to clear an airway might make a difference....)

Looks great, thanks tex.

[crackboy]

So a bit of a drive, but UC Davis has a huge offering of first aid classes for rather cheap, and if you are a student at a UC you get it for even cheaper.

its through Outdoor Adventures

[SchralphMacchio]

So a bit of a drive, but UC Davis has a huge offering of first aid classes for rather cheap, and if you are a student at a UC you get it for even cheaper.

its through Outdoor Adventures

That will definitely work - though it looks like we just missed the fall series. I put the Feb class on the list. For wilderness first aid I've expanded beyond the local bay area to include other locations in NorCal. Thanks.

[SchralphMacchio]

bump ... any other advice from the local mags?

[SchralphMacchio]

bump ... get your first aid training in!