[Ansteorra-chirurgeon] Wilderness EMT course

[Richard Threlkeld]

I need to know very soon now who wants to take the EMT Wilderness Upgrade at
the end of April. This will be a complete course that will leave you
certified by the Wilderness Medical Association and ASHI both to be a
Wilderness EMT and to train all levels of Wilderness First Aid up to and
including EMT Wilderness Upgrade (assuming you are an ASHI instructor). But
the trainer segment is just a day added to the end of the base training. So
if you are interested, but don't want to teach, come join us.
 
The following is from an earlier posting. Please send me at least an
indication that you are seriously interested in the next few days so I can
confirm interest with Vern.
 
Caelin on Andrede
mka: Richard Threlkeld, EMT
 
I thought some of you might be interested. Please note this is not a
Chirurgeon course and does not imply any requirements changes for
Chirurgeons now or later. This is something that you may be able to use in
your work or play or just to satisfy your own drive for knowledge. It
teaches some things that would be within the scope of Chirurgeon work and
many things which would not. For those of you who take it, I'll be glad to
help draw that line during and after the course if you like.
 
I have located a Wilderness EMT Upgrade course that I intend to take. It is
taught by a really great instructor who also really knows Wilderness first
aid. The dates will be April 21-28. It will train you in Wilderness First
Aid at an EMT level. A Wilderness EMT has to know quite a bit more than a
normal EMT because s/he will be working in a primitive area and can expect
from 2 hours to several days of stabilization until the patient gets
definitive care. Those of you who are ASHI instructors will be, upon
completion, be certified to teach everything up to and including ASHI
Wilderness EMT Upgrade. This includes all the Wilderness FA, Wilderness
First Responder, etc. I believe it includes a WMS instructor rating also,
but I'm not yet sure of that. Red Cross or AHA instructors can probably be
handled also. If nothing else, you can be bridged to ASHI and then qualify
there, but he teaches ARC and AHA classes in other venues and may be able to
certify those also. If you need that, please contact me.
 
You must be an EMT-B or higher to take this course. Our Canadian friends
would need an equivalent training: St Johns Advanced First Aid is probably
the closest. St Johns is an ASHI Partner so it should cross over. 
 
You will be the equivalent of an EMT-I in everything except rotations when
you get through, though your state may not recognize this (mine does not).
Most of the training is about (1) medical/first aid treatment in a
wilderness environment and (2) increasing your assessment and treatment
skills to handle stabilizing patients for 2-3 days instead of 20-30 minutes
(the assumption in all EMS training).
 
This course consists of a *lot* of classroom and homework followed by
practicals doing rescues in the Rocky Mountain National Park. It currently
looks like Longs Peak. Even in April this is cold and may have snow.
 
You should assume about $800 for the class including room and board in Estes
Park (at the YMCA) plus $25 if you want the instructor rating. 
 
That is actually not a bad price for a week of "vacation" in the Rocky
Mountains. My wife is going with me and will be camping in the Rocky
Mountain National Park which is adjacent to Estes Park where we will be
training. She does not expect to see me until the class is done. 
 
Vern is the medical lead for the park (Medical Director I think, but he is
not an MD, so maybe not). He trains mountain climbing guides for Kilimanjaro
(sp) and other areas. He teaches dive expedition guides in dive medicine. He
teaches sports medicine to people running biking events and running events.
And he runs rescues for the Park and trains all the Rangers in wilderness
medicine. 
 
For those of you who are MDs, he also has an MD level course which is
shorter, then you manage the EMT teams doing the rescues. He may or may not
offer it depending on the demand. I would need a fairly quick response for
him to engage instructors for it.
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