First Aid and Emergency Care Training Services
(A Licensed Training Provider of the American Red Cross)
Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED-BL (Blended Learning)
The American Red Cross Adult/Pediatric CPR/AED course equips students to recognize and care for a variety of breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children and infants. It is designed for students who need a certification that satisfies OSHA workplace or other regulatory requirements. This class is taught in a blended learning format and the online portion (accessed via mobile desktop or tablet) must be completed prior to attending the Instructor-led skills session.
In this course you will learn about cardiac emergencies for adults, children and infants and how to assist someone who may be experiencing a heart attack or is in cardiac arrest. You will also learn how to help an adult that is choking. We break down the steps from first recognizing there is an emergency all the way through performing care for the person. Topics that will be covered will include:
- Preparing for an emergency
- Understanding your role in the EMS system
- Obtaining consent to help
- The Emergency Action Steps
- Checking a responsive person and an unresponsive person
- Heart attack and Cardiac arrest
- Giving CPR and using and AED on an adult
- Working as a team
- Risk factors, signs and symptoms for choking
- First aid for an adult that is choking
Upon successful completion a valid 2 year digital certificate is issued from the American Red Cross.
Friday, 6/26, 6:00-8:30PM (2.5 hours)
Fee: $60
(Optional: Rent a campsite, cabin, yurt, Glamping tent, or tree house!)
Wilderness and Remote First Aid
Emergency Care in Remote Locations
Be Prepared to Explore the Wilderness with Confidence!
Do you know what to do when you, a friend or family member is injured in the backcountry? Will you be prepared with the proper knowledge and skills necessary to assist in saving a life due to a sudden illness or other medical issue?
This two-day (20 hour) class will teach you best practices when addressing injuries and illnesses until medical care is available and will make your experiences safer by teaching you how to respond to outdoor emergencies!
The Wilderness Institute’s Wilderness and Remote First Aid (WFA) Course is a hands-on training experience that equips you with the skills and knowledge to handle medical emergencies when 911 is out of reach and will teach you first aid principles and skills to be able to respond to emergencies and give care when immediate emergency medical services (EMS) response is not available. This includes wilderness and remote environments as well as urban disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
The course emphasizes experiential learning to teach you advanced first aid skills, leadership, and rescue decision-making focused on outdoor activities and emergencies. It offers enhanced practical content such as making improvised splints and rope litters. Students learn to manage prolonged patient care and make critical decisions.
Presented in an outdoor setting, this course is designed for campers, hikers, backpackers, professional guides, and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts and meets OSHA’s Best Practices for Workplace First Aid Training Programs.
Sat-Sun, 6/27-28
Fee: $350
(Optional: Rent a campsite, cabin, yurt, Glamping tent, or tree house!)
Schedule
Adult & Pediatric CPR\AED- BL (Blended Learning- On-line and 2.5 hours in person)
Friday 6-8:30PM
WFA Course
Saturday: 8:00AM-9:00PM
Sunday: 8:00AM-5:00PM
Prerequisites
- Be at least 14 years on the last day of the course
- Students under 18 years old must be accompanied by a registered adult
- CPR/AED is a prerequisite for WFA certification
(You may take the class at a discount if you do not need or desire certification!)
Why Take This Course?
When you’re deep in the wilderness, mountains, backcountry, or remote areas, emergency services may be hours—or even days—away. This course prepares you to think critically, act fast, and save lives in challenging outdoor conditions.
Who Should Take This Course?
- Campers & Backpackers – Gain lifesaving survival skills before your next trip.
- Outdoor Enthusiasts & Hikers- Be ready for unexpected injuries on the trail.
- Boaters, Canoeists and Kayakers – Swift Water safety considerations and emergency care
- Hiking Guides, Naturalists and Trail Builder Volunteers – Staying safe on the trail and group safety
- Hunting & Fishing Guides – Protect yourself and your clients in the wild.
- Park and Forest Rangers, Wildlife Officers and Law Enforcement, & Outdoor Workers – Stay prepared for on-the-job emergencies
- Disaster Response Team Members and Emergency Volunteers – Safety Skills and Self-Care.
- Search & Rescue Team Members – Enhance your rescue and medical response skills.
- Scout Leaders and older scouts – Ensure safe adventures for your group.
Any youth-serving organization members as well as adults who participate in outdoor recreational activities or who work in wilderness or remote settings where emergency medical services (EMS) response is more than 1 hour away.
And,
- Wilderness Institute Instructor Candidates.
- Students with an expiring WFA card.
- Anyone needing WFA for 2026 requirements.
- Individuals seeking wilderness medical skills for personal or family preparedness.
What You’ll Learn:
- Golden Hour – Why the first 60 minutes are critical in a wilderness emergency.
- Initial & Primary Surveys – Quickly assess life-threatening injuries and conditions.
- Secondary Surveys – Gather in-depth patient information for better decision-making.
- Documentation – Learn how to track symptoms and communicate with rescuers.
- Moving Patients – Safely transport injured individuals over rough terrain.
- Shock Management – Recognize and treat shock before it’s too late.
- Musculoskeletal & Soft Tissue Injuries – Treat fractures, sprains, wounds, and burns.
- Environmental Concerns – Handle heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hypothermia, and frostbite.
- Allergies, Breathing Issues, Bites & Stings – Manage severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), asthma attacks, and dangerous wildlife encounters.
- Diabetes– Know how to respond to low blood sugar episodes
- Lightning Strikes and electrical injuries.
Course Setting
- Convenient Wilderness Camp location with experienced instructors!
- Includes classroom and outdoor practical skills sessions
- Combines instructor-led lectures, demonstrations and guided hands-on practice sessions
- Includes realistic backcountry scenarios and First Aid applications with improvised gear
Course Requirements
Participants must:
- Attend the in-person skills session and actively participate in all course activities, including assuming various roles during skill practices and assessment scenarios.
- Demonstrate competency in all required skills.
- Successfully complete all assessment scenarios.
- Pass the final written exam with a minimum grade of 80% certification
Upon successful completion, participants will be issued a digital certificate by email from the American Red Cross that is valid for 2 years.
Instructor
Brad Childs, Executive Director (and founder) of The Wilderness Institute, Inc.
- American Red Cross CPR/AED & Wilderness and Remote First Aid Instructor
- Professional Wilderness Guide and Outdoor Instructor
- New Mexico Search and Rescue (SAR) Field Certification
- Mountain Rescue SAR Team member
- Former; National Park Ranger, Wildland Firefighter, and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Placer County Sheriffs Mountain Rescue Team member
- Red Cross Water Safety and Life Guard Instructor
- Red Cross Disaster Services Coordinator
- Colorado Hunter Safety Instructor