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A specialized first aid course designed for those who work or play for extended periods in the wilderness.

Victoria Wilderness First Aid

Victoria Wilderness First Aid

A specialized first aid course designed for those who work or play for extended periods in the wilderness.

What happens if help is more than a day away? Wilderness and remote environments require specialized skills, equipment and training.

The Victoria Canadian Red Cross Wilderness First Aid (formerly Advanced Wilderness & Remote First Aid) is a 40-hour course designed for professional guides, parks officials and/or work in fields such as recreation and ecotourism. You will learn skills and strategies for providing extended care overnight to a few days through learning activities and scenarios with real-life situations specifically designed for wilderness and remote environments.

Key learning concepts include: Prevention, the health and wellness of the group, leadership skills, assessment, extended care and decision-making around additional supports required.

The majority of the course is taught outdoors, regardless of the weather, so please dress appropriately.

Full Course Length 40 hours - $590.00 Register Now
Recertification 25 hours - $315.00

Course Details

Topics Covered

Wilderness First Aid includes:

  • Preparation and Planning
  • Wound Care
  • Your Health
  • Cold- and Heat-Related Emergencies
  • What is the P.L.A.N.?
  • Environmental Emergencies
  • Bone, Muscle, and Joint Injuries
  • Tractions
  • Poisons
  • Breathing and Circulation Emergencies
  • Medical Emergencies
  • First Aid for Respiratory and Cardiac Arrest
  • Head and Spine Injuries
  • Extended Care and Patient Monitoring
  • Outdoor Food Safety

FAQs

What is remote first aid?

Remote First Aid is a course designed for people who live, work, or play in areas where Emergency Services might not be immediately available. This is a 20 hour course that will focus on learning how to assess situations, determine priorities, and devise care plans that utilize a basic first aid tool kit, and your ability to improvise. Typically these courses are offered over a weekend - Friday evenings will be spent in a traditional classroom environment where participants get oriented with concepts and practice basic skills. Saturday and Sunday will be spent practicing skills and simulated scenarios at an outdoor location where you will be encouraged to use what’s available to solve practical problems. Key learning concepts include: Planning, prevention, and situational awareness, wound care, and environmental emergencies.

What do you learn in wilderness first aid?

Wilderness First Aid is a course designed for people who lead work teams or recreational groups in overnight or multi-day wilderness settings where Emergency Services might not be immediately available. This is a 40 hour course that will focus on learning how to assess situations, determine priorities, and devise care plans that utilize a basic first aid tool kit, and your ability to improvise. Typically these courses are offered over two weekends - Friday evenings will be spent in a traditional classroom environment where participants get oriented with concepts and practice basic skills. Saturdays and Sundays will be spent practicing skills and simulated scenarios at an outdoor location where you will be encouraged to use what’s available to solve practical problems. Key learning concepts include: Prevention, the health and wellness of the group, leadership skills, assessment, extended care and decision-making around additional supports required.

Who can teach wilderness first aid?

To teach Red Cross Wilderness First Aid you must complete the Red Cross First Aid Instructor Development steps. Depending on whether you are already a Red Cross Instructor, or teach first aid courses for another agency, you may have some of these requirement steps completed already! Alert First Aid is a Red Cross Instructor Development Center so please give us a call and we can discuss these steps with you.

What is the difference between the wilderness first aid and wilderness first responder?

Wilderness First Aid is a 40 hour course designed for people who lead work teams or recreational groups in overnight or multi-day wilderness settings, so that they can be prepared to care for people until Professional Responders arrive. Meanwhile, the Wilderness First Responder course is an 80 hour course meant to prepare people to become the Professional Responders themselves. Wilderness First Responders will have a more advanced set of tools for assessment and treatment of injured people, and will also be trained to use professional packaging and transportation equipment for evacuating people.

Does Wilderness First Aid include CPR?

Yes Wilderness First Aid includes CPR C training.

Certification

Canadian Red Cross certificates are now virtual! You will receive a temporary certificate at the end of your course, and a permanent virtual certificate will be emailed to you after you've successfully completed the course. You will be able to view your manual and certification online at any time through your MyRedCross account. Certification is valid for 3 years.

Recertification

If you have a current and valid Wilderness First Aid (formerly Advanced Wilderness First Aid) certificate, you are eligible to take a shorter, faster-paced Wildernss First Aid recertification course. Please be prepared to show proof of certification. Please note that Remote First Aid certification (formerly Wilderness & Remote First Aid) does not make you eligible for recertification, only the 40-hour Wilderness First Aid (formerly Advanced Wilderness First Aid) will. 

There are no recertification classes at this time. Please check back.

Materials

Emergency First Aid & CPR Manual Victoria

The Wilderness First Aid course includes the following materials:

  • Canadian Red Cross Wilderness & Remote Field Guide (hard copy)
  • Canadian Red Cross Comprehensive Guide to First Aid (virtual)

Where to find us:

Visit our Victoria training courses here.

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3-Year Guarantee

Replacement certs

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Who should take this course?

  • Professional guides
  • parks officials
  • those who work in fields such as recreation and ecotourism
  • outdoor enthusiasts
  • assistant overnight outdoor guides or kayak instructors
  • Girl Guides
  • Scouts
  • mountain bikers
  • people who work and play in remote areas

Looking for a group class?

If you have a group of people and would like us to come to you to teach a
Wilderness First Aid course, we offer this course in the following locations:

Greater Victoria | Brentwood Bay | Central Saanich | Colwood | Esquimalt | Highlands | James Bay | Langford | Sidney | Sooke | Oak Bay | North Saanich | Metchosin | View Royal | Saanichton | Salt Spring Island | Gulf Islands

Give us a call at 1.866.282.5378, or send us an email at to arrange a group course.

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