You are a days hike from the road and disaster strikes. What is the proper response to a medical or traumatic emergency? When do you make a decision to evac? How do organize a team of emergency responders? These questions and much more are covered in this 10 day intensive course.

Cultivate Wilderness Skills On this course you will go beyond learning anatomy, physiology, and protocols. We also emphasize other skills that are useful in a backcountry emergency: building a fire in the rain, how to camp safely in bear country, basic knots and rope-craft, building improvised litters, backountry nutrition and more.

Professional Development  WFR is the gold standard certification for guides and other backcountry professionals. Achieving your WFR is a key step to developing a career in the guiding and remote industries.

Confidence If you spend much time in the worlds remote and austere environments engaging in activities like: climbing, ocean voyaging, whitewater rafting, backountry skiing, or backpacking a WFR goes a long way to feeling competent in the face of emergency. This course will empower you to take charge if disaster strikes- you could make the right decisions to ensure the best possible outcome.

Haines, AK Haines, Alaska is the starting/finishing place for this trip. Haines is a small community located along the fjords at the top of the Inside Passage. The natural beauty and wilderness access found here are responsible for its reputation as a center for wilderness adventure in Alaska.

The IWLS Difference  IWLS draws upon many decades of experience amongst our staff. From rescue missions on Denali to treating blisters on Kilimanjaro to warming a client on a rainy sea kayaking trip our instructors and curriculum are informed by time tested methods. IWLS is accredited by The Association of Experiential Education (AEE). They audit our programs regularly and ensure that our practices are at the state of the art. It also ensures that your WFR certification is widely accepted.

Wilderness First Responder From basic life support to back-boarding to stopping a major bleed- our experienced experts will imbue upon you the knowledge and skill to become a pro. This challenging curriculum will prepare you to achieve your Wilderness First Responder Certification: recognized globally as the standard for wilderness care.

Our Instructors IWLS instructors and guides are highly-trained professionals recognized as some of the best in their field. They have a wealth of experience from guiding throughout Alaska, Canada, and the world. They genuinely enjoy sharing their knowledge of the outdoors in the wild places that they love. Their experiences and leadership help our students to have the best possible experience during their course. Students' safety, education, and enjoyment are their primary goals. The International Wilderness Leadership Schools’ educational model nurtures leadership development and creates an awareness of the guiding mentality that is essential for leading safe, fun adventures in the mountains. The combination of technical skills training, experiential education and practical leadership experience make the IWLS curriculum world-class.

Experience Level No previous experience required.

Certifications Upon completion of the course, participants may qualify for the following certifications:

Wilderness First Responder

Course Itinerary (printable PDF)

Day 1: Meet in the Town of Haines AK. Learn the legal and ethical considerations of a first responder.

Day 2: Class will go from 8:00am to 5:00pm daily. Introduction/Registration; Infection control, Ethical/Legal Considerations; Case studies.

Day 3-6: A Blend of classroom learning and hands on scenarios and practice be the focus for this portion. We will build up your knowledge and secure it with practice.

Day 7-10: In the latter half of the course applying your new knowledge is the focus. This culminates with a overnight backpacking trip into the wilderness of southeastern Alaska. Night time scenarios, backcountry scenarios, and emergency management. Take your written and practical tests on day 10.

The IWLS General Curriculum outlines the essential components for effective outdoor leadership. Here are a few points that your course will focus on:

• Leadership: We not only exemplify leadership – we teach it and implement it. Students will have opportunities to lead the group through a variety of activities, objectives, and responsibilities.
• Safety and Risk Management: Safety is always our #1 consideration. As the course progresses, students will develop an awareness to appropriately assess risk and make safe decisions in and out of the field.
• Expedition Behavior and Group Dynamics: Because this course is a true wilderness expedition, interactions between group members need to be supportive and contribute to the efficacy of the group. The daily dynamics of the group, combined with guided instruction, will teach students not only how to be a member of a cohesive team, but how to influence and lead an expedition.
• Environmental Ethics: As adventurers in some of the most pristine environments on the planet, it is our duty to respect the natural world. All of our courses practice and teach Leave No Trace® principles.
• Communication Skills: Speaking in public, managing a personal conflict, or leading a group in the wilderness - all of these situations require effective communication. Students will gain confidence in their communication abilities while developing personal leadership styles during this course.

The IWLS Wilderness First Responder Curriculum is built from decades of emergency response experience in Alaska and around the world. You’ll learn how to be a competent and proficient responder in a variety of different environments. Below are some topics we’ll cover:

• Anatomy & physiology: The how and why the body works
• Major/ Minor Trauma: Head and Spinal Injuries, strains sprains and breaks, dislocations, chest and abdominal trauma
• BLS: Basic Life Support — CPR, AED, Major Bleeding, and Airway Obstruction
• Environmental Pathologies: Hypo/ Hyperthermia, Envenomation, Toxins, Altitude, Dive/Barotrauma
• Medical Emergencies: Allergies/ Anaphylaxis, Respiratory Issues, Abdominal Medical, Cardiogenic Pathologies
• Backboards, Litters, and Patient Movement: Improvised Litters, Carrying Techniques, Backboarding
• Communications: Satellite phones, marine radios, comms protocols, and more.

Course Documents:

• Course Overview- Printable detailed course overview & itinerary.
• Equipment List - Overview of personal clothing and equipment that you'll need for this course.
• Rental Gear List - List items available for rent.
• Registration Form - One required per participant.
• Health Form - This form enables our guides to have accurate health information in the event of an emergency.
• Land Based Activity Waiver - One required per participant. Guests under the age of 18 may go on one form.
• Travel Info - How best to travel to/from Haines, Alaska.

What is included in the course price:

• Professional instruction - Our instructors have extensive medical/rescue experience and a passion for teaching wilderness medicine.
• Transportation - During course to scenario and camping locations.
• Food and some equipment during overnight field portion - Food, tents, cooking equipment are provided. Some camping gear available for rent.
• Medical equipment, moulage supplies, and other materials for practicing

 
Students are responsible for the following:

• Personal clothing & equipment
• Food & lodging during the course - Students are responsible for food and lodging during the course. Haines has many options that work with different budgets and needs.
• Travel insurance - We highly recommend travel insurance for all of our programs.
• Airfare
• Reviewing course policies - Please reference our policies page for policies regarding payment, cancellations, refunds and student responsibilities.

 
To Book your adventure, follow the steps below:

• Please call to confirm availability at 1-800-766-3396 or fill out an online form to request more information: Request More Info
• Place a deposit of $500 or 25% of trip cost (whichever is less) to reserve your spot: this can be place over the phone by credit card, check in the mail, or through our payment gateway.
• Once you've reserved your spot, you'll receive a welcome packet with all the necessary registration forms and trip information.
• Be sure to submit all trip registration documents at least 45 days prior to your course. This includes information on your arrival/departure, lodging, dietary, and medical information.

Feel free to call or email anytime if you have questions about your upcoming trip. Our team is excited to help you prepare for your adventure!