Wilderness First Aid
$35
A mission to promote safety and survival in the outdoors, from physician experts in wilderness medicine and Search and Rescue leaders
Taught over ZOOM, or watch a recording.
WFA course includes the live or recorded session, exam, 40+ hours of wilderness medicine podcasts, and three-year certification.

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Affiliate of the Wilderness Medical Society
Interactive Medical and Survival Scenarios:
Bears, Mountain Lions, Snakes, Scorpions, and animals specific to certain regions
Lightning and temperature extremes
Flash floods and canyoneering
Altitude illness, Frostbite, Trench Foot, and Environmental Medicine
Anaphylaxis and using an Epi Pen
Drowning rescues
Communicable diseases
Getting Lost and Rescue Signaling
Finding appropriate water and treating it
Medicolegal topics and liability
If you’d like to participate in the hands-on skills, have the following materials ready to use:
Water bottle ~ Tarp or Tent ~ Backpack ~ Sleeping Bag or Blanket ~ ACE bandage or cloth wrap ~ Tree Branch or Ski Pole ~ Jacket ~ Flexible Splint or rolled up magazine

To earn the Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification, you can take a short exam after the attending the course or watching a recording, included in the cost. No prior medical training is needed. It is valid for three years.
When you enroll you receive:
- 2 hour General Wilderness First Aid course: You can attend a live class to actively participate in the scenarios and ask questions, or watch the recording on your own time. This part of the course teaches about a wide variety of environments and conditions.
- 1 hour of additional state-specific information of your choosing. Pick one that you live in or visit, or one environment you’re interested in learning more about.
- 1 hour of additional practical skills instructional videos.
- 40+ hours of wilderness medicine podcasts
- Certification exam and WFA certificate, valid for 3 years
View State-Specific WFA Courses:
Upcoming Dates for Live General Course:
- Tuesday, August 9: 7-9 pm EDT
- Wednesday, August 17: 6:30-8:30 pm EDT
- Thursday, August 25: 7-9 pm EDT
Taught over Zoom. Also available as a self-paced recording.
Access to the live course options and all recordings is valid for 30 days beyond purchase. You can attend a live course or watch the recording at any point during that time. Recordings can be viewed multiple times. Access to the podcasts is permanent.
Frequently Asked Questions
This WFA certification is widely recognized by outdoor organizations, both nationally and internationally. It is accepted by the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), American Canoe Association (ACA), National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, and many more for the purpose of training their employees.
You do not need to live in any of the states listed in order to take this course. The topics in the class cover a variety of environments and are not limited to one area. The state-specific options are merely designed to offer you many terrains and environments to choose from for the supplemental hour of material.
No. You only need to attend one Wilderness First Aid class, or watch the recording if you can’t make it.
No. All ages are welcome.
No. You can watch the WFA course or the recording without having the Zoom app or account.
Yes. This course can be taken from anywhere in the world.
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 see if it will qualify for your purposes. You can reach out to us by email if you have any questions or if you 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.
Yes. This wilderness first aid course qualifies for SARTECH Level 3 with the National Association for Search and Rescue.
If you are interested in SARTECH Level 2, check out our Wilderness First Responder (WFR) online course.
We have had several NPS branches, state government organizations, guide companies, and more who have offered to cover the cost of this class for their employees. We’re happy to discuss the matter with your employer.
The General Wilderness First Aid class (over Zoom or recording) is 2 hours. The state-specific content is 1 hour. The supplemental practical skill videos are 1 hour. The certification exam is 1 hour, and the supplemental textbook and podcasts provide more than 40 hours of additional course content. Thus, the extent of your learning is entirely up to you.
We teach from the same established WFA Scope of Practice that all providers use. However, most in-person courses are very expensive and require a full weekend of travel and commitment. These are skills that everyone should have, but many people find the virtual offering to be much more accommodating for their schedules and budgets. This option provides the opportunity to learn the material at your own pace and in as much depth as you see fitting for what you do in the outdoors.
No. The BSA and American Camp Association both currently require a 16-hour, in-person class. If you need a WFA certificate for the Boy Scouts of America, this class will not count for that. However, we are working to provide the Survival Merit badge to scouts. This will be available soon.
We work with many different organizations to do this. OSHA typically requires a 90-minute CPR certification, face-to-face (or over Zoom) with an instructor. We can help you arrange this in conjunction with this Wilderness First Aid course.
Reviews
Course Contributors

Natalie Bonthius, MD
- Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) Certificate
- Advanced Wilderness and Expedition Provider (AWEP)
- Advanced Wilderness Life Support
- International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS) Board Member


Richard Ingebretsen, MD PhD
- University of Utah School of Medicine clinical instructor
- Program Director, University of Utah “Wild Med U” Program
- Medical Director, Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue
- Former Associate Dean of Students Affairs, University of Utah College of Science
- Founder of the Glen Canyon Institute
- Vice-Chair of Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
- Founder of Wilderness Medicine of Utah
- Owner of River Bound Adventures

Kevin Grange
- Firefighter/Paramedic, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS and Grand Teton National Park
- Award-winning author of Wild Rescues, Lights and Sirens, and Beneath Blossom Rain
- Graduate of UCLA’S renowned Daniel Freeman Paramedic Program

Robert Scanlon, MD
- Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)
- Owner – Somnopath, LLC-medical science consultant
- Owner – Medical Media Consulting
