Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

Hi Folks,

We are offering our Wilderness First Responder Course (WFR) March 16-24 2013 at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville Arkansas. Ozarks Outdoors is our host and we will be using their excellent facility!
Due to their hosting, this is the least our program has ever been offered for. If you have ever thought you might be interested in the course but finances stood in the way, this the one to attend!

If you have never taken a "WFR" course, but are interested in more information, let us know. While many of our participants are guides, rangers or SAR personnel, we also have numerous individuals who are serious outdoor people who find themselves far from definitive medical care. With the remote nature of our state, even our more common paddling areas can be a monumental challenge for our professional rescuers to respond to, and being able to provide solid care till help arrives can change the outcome dramatically.

Because of our carefully developed curriculum there is no need for prior formal medical experience or training to participate. We start with core concepts and through our experiential learning process by the end of the program you will know numerous lifesaving techniques and extended care methods.

This program is compliant with the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) guidelines and will greatly enhance your ability to respond with decisive action in the event that your outdoor adventure takes an unexpected turn.. Each day is filled from early morning till late evening with a mix of classroom and outdoor practice. We use daily scenario work to help assure retention of key skills and to ensure that all participants have lots of hands on learning time.

The Course description can be found at http://outdoors.ozarks.edu/Events/tabid ... fault.aspx

For more information, reach me at SwiftwaterRescue@gmail.com

Best Regards,

Tom Burroughs
Ozark Safety and Rescue Educators

Is this similar to the Wilderness First Aid course offered in the Spring of 2011 at Camp Couchdale?

Hi Corey,

In response to your question, this program is actually far more involved that the Wilderness First Aid (WFA) program.
The WFA is about 20 hours of class, whereas the Wilderness First Responder "WFR" program is a 100 hour program. We get a lot deeper into the same topics we cover in WFA, as well as MANY additional ones. One of the big additions is additional training in longterm patient care and difficult evacuations.

The WFR course is targeted at people who are likely to find themselves far from outside help and for individuals who are responsible for the care of others (rangers,guides,tripleaders etc..).

I'd be glad to answer any specific questions, just shoot me an email at Swiftwaterrescue@gmail.com

I think I've posted a similar response to similar question in the past...

Although the WFR is 5 times longer, there is not 5 times as much information. What there is, though, is 5 times as many opportunities to practice, and 5 times as long to develop your confidence, patient care, and decision-making skills.

Not everyone can or needs to take the WFR course, but it is a great experience. I went cold-turkey into a WFR in 2005 and have never looked back.

Shep