SOLO Wilderness First Aid Course

wilderness first aid course

SOLO Wilderness First Aid Course

When: January 27 – 28, 2024.  8:30am to 5:30pm

Location: Colby Sawyer College, New London, NH

The course will be held in Room 201 in the Curtis L. Ivey Science Center located on the East side of the Colby Sawyer College campus. This is a large lecture room – there will be two SOLO instructors and approximately 45 students.  Everyone should enter campus via the Hogan Sports Center entrance, go through the stop sign into the large parking lot and turn right to the end of the parking lot.  The Ivey Science Center is on the East side of this parking lot.  Parking would be best in the secondary parking lot just to the left of the Science center.  Here is a link to the campus map:  https://colby-sawyer.edu/pdf/ campus-map.pdf
Here is a link to Driving Directions to Colby Sawyer campus: https://colby-sawyer.edu/about/driving-directions.  Colby Sawyer address is 541 Main St, New London, NH 03257.

Equipment to bring:  You will need a notebook and pen or pencil. We will spend a significant amount of the class outdoors so please be prepared with winter clothing and a backpack. Be prepared for being in the snow with a waterproof jacket, pants, proper boots and hat, mittens.  Bring a water bottle. Other helpful items are a small groundcloth, sleeping pad and bandanas.  If you exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 please test yourself prior to attending. Masks may be worn at your own discretion.

WFA Course Description: 

The Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is the perfect course for the outdoor enthusiast or trip leader who wants a basic level of first aid training for short trips with family, friends, and outdoor groups. The WFA course is 16 hours long (two full days). This course is open to anyone over 16 years old.

The SRK Greenway is proud to bring this SOLO WFA course to the community. This 16-hour Wilderness First Aid course provides students with an introductory understanding to wilderness first aid. Hands-on course labs, scenarios and repetition ensure students are engaged and learning for the duration of the course. SOLO courses combine multiple styles of learning to help you learn and remember course information after the course is complete.

  • COVID Precautions: At this time mask use is recommended but not required. Gloves are required to be worn during examinations. We will limit the number of students in the classroom to ensure adequate spacing. Please note, some of this information may change as CDC guidelines are updated

SOLO WFA is a 2-year certification. This also counts as a refresher course and recertification for the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) level certification. Only students holding current SOLO WFR cards will be allowed to recertify in the 2-day Wilderness First Aid program.  In order to receive any certification the student will need to pass the ongoing evaluation of practical skills and written assessments throughout the course. This course does not include a CPR component.

Cost & Lodging
The tuition charge is $200. Includes lunch both days at Colby Sawyer. The cost does not cover lodging. 

Refund Policy: 80% of the original cost will be refunded until 1 week prior to the start of the course. After that time, no refund will be issued, regardless of circumstances.

Registration
Enrollment is now closed.

Course Itinerary

Started as the “Mountain/Woods First Aid” course in 1975, Wilderness First Aid was the first course of its kind in the United States. Today, it’s curriculum is what all other backcountry medicine courses are based upon.

Topics Addressed:

Introduction
Anatomy of a Wilderness Crisis
Anatomy of the Musculoskeletal System
Asthma
Backcountry Essentials
Cold-Related Injuries
Environmental Emergencies & Survival Skills (including lightning)
Heat-Related Injuries
Medical Emergencies & Critical Care
Orthopedics
Patient Assessment System
Patient Lifting & Moving
Principles of Fracture Care
Rescue Plan
Response & Assessment
Soft Tissue Injuries & Medical Emergencies
Spinal Cord Injury Management
Sprains & Strains
Techniques
The Human Animal
Trauma-Musculoskeletal Injuries
Trauma-Soft Tissue Injuries
Universal Precautions
Use of Epinephrine

There is no prerequisite for taking a WFA, so long as you are 16 or older and have physical abilities consistent with participating in kneeling to reach and assess patients, walking over uneven terrain with extra weight and the ability to assist in lifting patients.

This wilderness medical training consists of didactic and practical skills. During didactic lessons, students will be separated by 6ft in the classroom space. Group sizes are smaller to support this. However, where the appropriate assessment of patients requires physically touching a patient, there is always the potential of risk in doing so. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are requiring students to take additional precautions throughout the course. Students (patients and rescuers) MUST wear PPE during ANY hands-on work. With these additional requirements, we are working to reduce the risk that is present. In taking the training, you understand the associated risks are similar to coming across a patient in the backcountry.  

About SOLO

SOLO is the oldest continuously operating School of Wilderness Medicine in the World. Since 1976, with the opening of the SOLO campus in Conway, NH, a facility dedicated to providing wilderness medicine education at all levels, SOLO has been the undisputed leader in wilderness medicine. Still privately owned by the same people who conceived the idea, designed the courses, and built a campus, SOLO now offers courses across the country and around the world. For more information visit their website at www.soloschools.com