Wilderness medicine courses

Saint Joseph’s College is hosting a Wilderness First Responder Course (WFR) and A Wilderness EMT Course (WEMT) at the campus in Standish from mid-May to early June. The WFR is the standard for designed the outdoor adventurer, educator, guide…anyone who wants to go a little farther, to more remote places, and know what to do when something goes wrong. The 75+ hour course is open to anyone 16 years of age or older. There are no previous training requirements. The WEMT is the complete course on both wild and urban emergency medicine…care for a person in a remote setting, rescue them, and then know how to take care of them in the back of the ambulance. Students in both courses will be taught how to assess people who are injured or sick far from 911. They learn to resuscitate patients, stop bleeding, clean and dress wounds, prevent and handle infections, sprains, fractures, injuries of cold and heat, altitude, animal bites, water emergencies, CPR, camp hygiene, medical emergencies, backcountry rescue, litter building and much more. 

These programs stress experiential learning, skills, and focuses not on just what to do, but how to do, with improvised equipment, far from help. The WFR is the medical training level that is favored by organizations like Outward Bound, NOLS, camps, guide services, college, and search and rescue teams…the WEMT qualifies them to do all the WFR can do, as well as work in the urban EMS system.

These courses will be taught by The Kane Schools, who have been teaching wild and rescue medicine for over 40 years. All courses are taught under the National Education Standards for EMS and follow the National Scope of Practice and Wilderness Medical Society guidelines. The WEMT earns the student 5.5 credits from Eastern Maine Community College. For information contact thekaneschools@gmail.com or 207 935 2608.