Wilderness First Responder (WFR)

The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course is the standard level of medical training for professional outdoor recreation industry field staff that work multi-day, overnight trips in remote environments, military, technical rescue personnel, and those working in disaster relief. Our comprehensive, contextual and practical curriculum has gained popularity among outdoor enthusiasts, endurance athletes, and adventure travelers who push their boundaries in remote areas with limited resources, unreliable communication, and the potential for delayed or self rescue. 

Course participants will develop strong patient assessment skills, adopt treatment tools to stabilize life-threatening conditions, and learn how to provide extended patient care in austere environments. Most importantly, this training will prepare individuals to prevent many environmental illnesses and proactively manage pre-existing conditions in the field. Individuals will also develop the confidence to professionally call in a rescue in the event of a backcountry emergency and manage the evacuation of a medical or trauma patient.

Our 80-hour course curriculum is robust and comprehensive encompassing all Core topics and several Elective topics set forth by the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative‘s (WMEC) Scope of Practice (SOP) document for the Wilderness First Responder.  We offer our Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course in two different formats; Standard 8-Day and Hybrid 5-Day courses. Our Hybrid WFR format meets the WMEC’s minimum requirement of 45 hours delivered in person and devoted to hands-on, practical skills and simulations. The learning outcomes of both WFR curriculum delivery methods are the same.