Wilderness First Responder vs Wilderness First Aid
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Tapawingo wrote: and administer epinephrine, right? (Not that you really need a wfr to know how to do this, I feel like I remember that the WFR legally allows one to do so. I may be mistaken though.WFR does not give you legal right to administer epi. It only certifies that you received training to administer. Epi laws are different state to state. |
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mountainhick wrote: WFR does not give you legal right to administer epi. It only certifies that you received training to administer. Epi laws are different state to state.Cool, thanks for clearing that up. |
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Spidey Rocks wrote: I have the time right now...$775/10 day investment...I'm about 3-4 hours from Yosemite, the Sierras and even farther from the desert...At least with technical rescue skills like escaping the belay, hauling people/gear, etc, I get to see it on climbs and practice it every so often, especially once I get more into trad climbing and multi pitch at Yosemite...I do not intend to work for a guiding company...even if I don't need it for a job, I should go through it?I’ll offer an opposing view: skip the WFA/WFR training for now. Many have pointed out that a WFR is very valuable training. This may be true. But I will wager that at this stage in your climbing career, there are more valuable ways to spend 2 weeks and $775. Notably, by developing actual climbing skills. Spend as much money as you can on quality climbing gear, then spend whatever you have left on some food and a bus ticket to Yosemite, and use that 2 weeks learning, practicing, and using real climbing skills. As you observe, first aid training may or may not turn out to be useful for saving someone else’s bacon many years from now. Putting in the time learning trad skills will have guaranteed payoff for saving your own bacon on a regular basis year after year. |
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Ryanb. wrote:Question for mountainhick or others with experience: I am looking at Advanced Wilderness Life Support classes and I am wondering how this training/experience compares to WFR training? Intended goal is to be able to apply a knowledge from a hospital setting more effectively in the wilderness.If your knowledge from the hospital setting is substantial and hands-on (MD/DO, NP, PA, RN, or RT), the AWLS course is likely a good choice for you. It's designed for health care professionals to extend their skills into the "austere environment", i.e., where we don't have the resources we're used to. It pretty much presumes that you deal with arterial bleeders or compromised airways in real life already, just takes you to how to do it at altitude and with whatever you have around. |
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Lee Green wrote: If your knowledge from the hospital setting is substantial and hands-on (MD/DO, NP, PA, RN, or RT), the AWLS course is likely a good choice for you. It's designed for health care professionals to extend their skills into the "austere environment", i.e., where we don't have the resources we're used to. It pretty much presumes that you deal with arterial bleeders or compromised airways in real life already, just takes you to how to do it at altitude and with whatever you have around.Excellent, that sounds like what I am looking for, thanks for the input |
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I volunteered on Teton County SAR for twelve years and was WFR certified. I was certified in Wyoming as an ALS EMT and volunteered as an EMT for Teton County. |
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Thanks, Ario for your feedback. |
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Good Samaritan laws should protect you as long as you operate within the scope of your training. For example, if you have current CPR training, and you break someone's rib performing CPR as trained, you're protected. If you have only basic CPR training, and you try to perform a tracheotomy, you can be held liable. Your WFR class will have a section covering legal issues such as consent, negligence, and scope of practice. |
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The medical knowledge you gain from a WFR class is always useful, even in front country settings. Many people think it's only about serious injuries but the course I took had good training about things you are likely to encounter such as blisters. |
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Why doesn't the 4 day WAFA get any love on mountain project? Having taken the WAFA twice and the WAFA to WFR bridge class, the 36 hour WAFA is probably perfect for most people. It's a lot of content. Unless it's changed, it includes spinal assessment, most the WFRs dislocation treatments, evacuations, and epi that the WFR has. It's really solid on patient assessment without being overwhelming. Since I'm not in a outdoor program the WFR was overkill for me. |
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I'm a front country EMT, and I found that with my level of training, the WAFA was the right fit for me. I think I would've gotten WEMT, if I had taken the course through a different agency that offered that program. Judge based on your front country medical or first aid knowledge and expertise and adjust from there. Just my $0.10. If I had no front country medical training I'd go WFR if I could. |
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Off topic but what is an ALS EMT??? |
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Advanced Life Support - allowed to administer drugs, IVs, endotracial intubation, cardiac monitoring, etc. |
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Hello MP I'm looking for a WFR re-cert or WFA that is NOT on Friday-Sunday. I am located in Western CO and am hoping to find something under 500 miles away. |
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Chris Schmidt wrote:Hello MP I'm looking for a WFR re-cert or WFA that is NOT on Friday-Sunday. I am located in Western CO and am hoping to find something under 500 miles away. I have looked through WMA, WMI, and Desert Mountain and have only found 1 course that I can possibly attend and am just wondering what other providers I should look into. These 3 also cost an arm and a leg so if there is something more affordable that would be wonderful...One possibility is that if you can get enough people together you could contact the provider directly and set up a private class. |
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Chris Schmidt wrote:Hello MP I'm looking for a WFR re-cert or WFA that is NOT on Friday-Sunday. I am located in Western CO and am hoping to find something under 500 miles away. I have looked through WMA, WMI, and Desert Mountain and have only found 1 course that I can possibly attend and am just wondering what other providers I should look into. These 3 also cost an arm and a leg so if there is something more affordable that would be wonderful...Flagstaff Field Institute offers WFR recerts during the week and also on Saturdays though Mondays as well as the typical Friday through Sunday courses. flagstafffieldinstitute.com… |
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Hi DesertRat, |
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dp- wrote:Why doesn't the 4 day WAFA get any love on mountain project? Having taken the WAFA twice and the WAFA to WFR bridge class, the 36 hour WAFA is probably perfect for most people. It's a lot of content. Unless it's changed, it includes spinal assessment, most the WFRs dislocation treatments, evacuations, and epi that the WFR has. It's really solid on patient assessment without being overwhelming. Since I'm not in a outdoor program the WFR was overkill for me. I had a really good WAFA where a SAR team was recerting and didn't pick up a ton more from the bridge class other than a couple of extra simulations. Spidey, you're in SF right? So nothing super local but Santa Barbra, Mt Shasta, and Idyllwild wouldn't be too far. I'm seeing classes in mid March, mid-April and late April. Or use it for an excuse to road trip to WA or UT.Hi DP, Thanks for the info. I was mainly looking at WFR because SPI kind of needs it. Honestly, I think all of these are very helpful. |