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Wilderness First Aid & Outdoor Safety: Southwest U.S.

COVERS: ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, TEXAS, OKLAHOMA

Know what to do when help is more than a phone call away.

$35

Open worldwide to all students of all ages

INCLUDES FREE OPTIONAL ENROLLMENT IN U OF UTAH'S ASSOCIATE IN WILDERNESS MEDICINE PROGRAM—ONLY THROUGH SURVIVAL MED
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WIDELY ACCEPTED BY FEDERAL & STATE AGENCIES, NON-PROFITS & EMPLOYERS INCLUDING THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, USDA FOREST SERVICE, NATIONAL ASSN FOR SEARCH & RESCUE, ACA/PADDLESPORTS (AMERICAN CANOE), THE MOUNTAINEERS, LOCAL SIERRA CLUBS, OSHA & MANY OTHERS

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What You'll Learn

Injury Assessment & Basic Life Support

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MARCH & SAMPLE patient assessment protocols; breathing, circulatory & nervous system assessment; spinal stabilization; simple CPR & Heimlich maneuver

Common Outdoor Medical Problems

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Muscle injuries, broken bones & wounds; impalements, finger amputations & dental injuries; life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)

Terrain, Temperature & Weather Hazards

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Dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat cramps & heat stroke; hypothermia, frostbite & non-freezing cold injuries; forest fires, lightning & burns; flash floods, riptides & drowning; avalanches & earthquakes; acute mountain & altitude sickness (AMS, HACE, HAPE)

Wildlife Attacks & Injuries

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Grizzlies, black bears & mountain lions; snakes & scorpions, venomous bites, stings & rabies prevention; communicable & waterborne diseases

Basic Survival Skills

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Trip-planning to reduce risk; avoiding getting lost & how to signal for rescue; finding and treating water for safe drinking

Taught by physicians, first responders, and search & rescue leaders

Includes 90 days of unlimited access to:

“As an EMT and Search and Rescue Member, I wasn’t sure how useful the Basic Wilderness Survival class would be, especially online. But I was humbled. I learned so much practical information in just a few hours and realized there are many areas that I was weak in. The interactive scenarios were incredible and I felt like I was right there. I cannot recommend this course enough to anyone who spends time in the outdoors.”
~J. Rodriguez, 2022

With a special emphasis on the Southwestern U.S. Region

  • Common rescue calls and injuries in the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, White Sands National Park, Big Bend, Lake Travis, Guadalupe Mountains, and more
  • Regional wildlife including black bears; coyotes & mountain lions; Bark Scorpions, Gila Monster, and desert animals; Mojave, Western Diamondback, Copperhead, Pygmy, Water Moccasin, and Coral Snakes; Sharks, Sting Rays, and jellyfish on the Texas Gulf
  • Environmental hazards including flash floods, forest fires, heat stroke, hypothermia, getting lost in the desert, and finding water
  • Southwestern U.S. communicable & waterborne diseases including Vibrio flesh-eating bacteria, giardia, amoebas, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Chagas Disease, and more

Next interactive webinar with live Q&A:

Wed., Mar. 29, 2023: 7-9 PM ET

Can’t make it? Watch the video class!

Already enrolled? Log in and you’ll find the webinar link in your General Wilderness First Aid lesson.

Hands-on Skills Practice

Basic life support & patient assessment
Dressing a wound
Using pressure to control bleeding
Tying a tourniquet
CPR & the Heimlich maneuver
Improvising a neck brace
Improvising a splint
Improvising a hypothermia wrap

…using your own everyday items as you watch the Practical Skills videos.

Wilderness First Aid Certificate Requirements

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Certification requirements

Be ready when family & friends need aid

“I was on a hike with my five-year-old cousin when he was stung by a bee and had an anaphylactic reaction. I am so glad I took your WFA course. I was able to help him take both doses of his epi pen, something I learned from you guys. You helped me save his life..”
~M. Hein

Refresh or recertify first aid & SARTECH Level 2

“I’ve been in the military for 30 years, so I didn’t think there was much I would get out of a class like this. My wife made me sit and watch with her. I have to say, I was pretty humbled. I got most of the scenarios wrong. She thought it was funny. Thank you for making such an affordable option.”
~John B.

Expand medical & first-responder know-how

“I’ve been an RN for 33 years in critical care, ICU, and emergency. This course provided so much valuable information. Medicine in the wilderness is just not the same as saving a life in the hospital. I highly recommend it whether you have decades of medical experience or none at all.”
~Tania R.

Frequently Asked Questions

Both online and in-person wilderness first aid courses all use the established “Wilderness First Aid Scope of Practice.”  Participants say that they choose our courses because:

1. Affordability & schedule flexibility

In-person courses typically require a 3-4 day travel commitment and cost $250 to $1500+ plus travel costs.

2. Learning at your own pace

You can easily review sections or go deeper on topics related to your specific outdoor interests.  Many students have commented that the online format makes it easier to remember what they’ve learned.  They’ve also told us that in-person classes sometimes try to cover too much in too short a time.

3. Interactive scenarios

Our course includes realistic interactive scenarios that develop your understanding and judgment, just like an in-person class.

4. At-home hands-on skills practice

In-person classes often involve standing and watching while selected students perform techniques. In-person time is limited, so even if you want to practice a particular skill longer, you can’t.

Our format means everyone practices hands-on skills for as long as they wish, to develop muscle memory for emergency situations.

No. You can watch the live Zoom class or the self-paced video class without having the Zoom app or  a Zoom account.

You don’t need a webcam.  If you have one, you can turn it off or leave it on, whatever you prefer. 

You also don’t need a microphone, and we never put people on the spot by asking them to answer questions during the class.

No. All ages are welcome.

The course totals four hours of instruction:

2-hour Wilderness First Aid core course via live Zoom or self-paced video format. Either format qualifies you to take the certification exam.

2-hour region-specific self-paced video class. You’ll choose your state when you register.

1-hour At-Home Practical Skills self-paced video class.

Your registration also includes:

Wilderness First Aid certification exam (takes most people an hour to complete)

Lifetime access to 50+ hours of advanced wilderness medicine podcasts

No. You only need to attend one live Zoom Wilderness First Aid class OR complete the self-paced video course. 

No problem! Choose your regional module based on the weather, terrain and wildlife in the area where you live or hope to visit. 

Yes. In fact, we’ve had participants from all seven continents!

Survival Med’s Wilderness First Aid certification is accepted by the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the American Canoe Association, many expedition and guide companies, and numerous other national and international organizations, governmental entities and employers. 

Participants have received tuition reimbursement from National Park Service branches, state government organizations, guide companies, and others.

Click here to download the detailed course curriculum for your manager or HR department’s review.

Just contact us if you’d like us to discuss the course with your employer.  We are happy to provide free access to the course for any employer who would like to gage whether it fits their organization’s needs.

Yes. You must complete either the live Zoom OR the self-paced video format of the Wilderness First Aid core class in order to take the certification exam.

Yes, both our Wilderness First Aid & our online Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course qualify for SARTECH Level 2 with the National Association for Search and Rescue.

Yes. Many organizations use our course to certify their employees and volunteers. However, individual organizations have varying requirements for first aid and wilderness training, so we advise you to check with your organization to confirm that this course will meet their requirements. 

Please contact us if you have any questions or have particular requirements for a WFA class. We can adapt the Wilderness First Aid class to fit your organization’s needs for the content, length, and depth of training provided.

No. The Boy Scouts of America and American Camp Association both require a 16-hour in-person class.

However, we’re working to provide the Wilderness Survival Merit badge to scouts. Stay tuned!

Yes, once you complete this course we can help you arrange the OSHA-required 90-minute CPR certification, face-to-face or over Zoom, supervised by an instructor. 

Survival Med Faculty

Dr. Natalie Bonthius

  • Founder of Survival Med
  • Emergency Medicine Physician, UHS-Southern California
  • Certified Advanced Wilderness & Expedition Provider
  • Advanced Wilderness Life Support Instructor
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)

Kevin Grange

  • Firefighter & Paramedic, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS & Grand Teton National Park
  • Graduate of famed UCLA Daniel Freeman Paramedic Program
  • Award-winning author of Wild RescuesLights and Sirens, & Beneath Blossom Rain

Dr. Carson Harper

  • Emergency Medicine Physician, UHS-Southern California
  • Class Five Whitewater Rafting Guide
  • Mountain Bike Medic
  • Swift Water Rescue
  • Wilderness First Aid instructor
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)

Dr. Richard Ingebretsen

  • Emergency Room Physician
  • Clinical Instructor, Univ of Utah School of Medicine
  • Program Director, Univ of Utah “WildMed U”
  • Former Associate Dean, University of Utah School of Medicine
  • Medical Director, Salt Lake City UT Sheriff’s Search & Rescue

Dr. Robert Scanlon

  • Board-Certified Physician in Critical Care, Internal Medicine & Pulmonary Medicine
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)