Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

Wilderness First Aid  (WFA) provides and introduction to general medical concepts and basic life support skills. It is targeted to the outdoor enthusiast on day trips or short adventures.

The Mazamas Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course, provided in collaboration with Base Medical, will teach students critical skills for providing basic first aid in the backcountry. Students will learn the foundations of determining scene safety, patient assessment, and identifying common injuries and illness. The course will develop basic first aid knowledge and skills, with a focus on stabilizing and managing a patient in a wilderness setting, where higher levels of care are often hours away. 

The WFA is  presented as a hybrid model, combining self-paced online learning with an in-person skills day at the MMC. Registered students will be provided with access to online content 3 weeks prior to their skills day and are expected to complete this 48 hours before their practical date. This video based material will allow students to review content at home, where they are encouraged to practice techniques with friends or family. The skills day will allow students to demonstrate their skills learned at home through scenarios and hands on learning. A final online exam must be completed and passed with a score of 80% or higher within seven days of completing the in-person practical portion of the course.

Part One: Online Learning

An individual code will be sent to students to begin the online portion. Students have 7 days from receiving the link to create an account and sign in to Base Medical to stay enrolled in the class. All lectures are video-based and the course can be taken at your own pace as long as you finish 48 hours before your practical. Review as many times as necessary. Practice scenarios at home. When you are ready, take the initial online exam to prepare for the practical training.

Part Two: Practical Training

The in-person practical training focuses on demonstrating the hands-on skills you’ve learned through the online materials.

Part Three: Online Final Assessment

After completing the in-person practical, students will be sent a link to their final assessment test. This test must be passed with a score of 80% or higher within 7 days of completing the in-person practical. Upon successful completion of all sections of the course and the final assessment, students will be awarded a nationally recognized Wilderness First Aid certification.

Scope of Education 

Patient Assessment System

Scene & Management

• Scene Assessment
• Documentation
• Medical Legal
• Decision Making
• Basic Lifts / Moves

Trauma Emergencies

• Shock
• Trauma
• Wound Management
• Spinal

Medical Emergencies

• Respiratory
• Cardiac
• Allergies
• Diabetes
• Neurologic

Environmental Emergencies

• Hypothermia & Frostbite
• Heat illnesses
• High Altitude
• Hyponatremia
• Lightning

COVID

Mazama activity/event participants are required to sign a liability waiver along with a Covid-19 Acknowledgement of Risk. See Mazamas Covid-19 policy for more details.