Wilderness First Aid, Level 1

Wilderness First Aid, Level 1

This 2-day, 16-hour course gives you the core skills to manage medical emergencies in remote environments. You will learn to assess injured and ill patients, control life-threatening bleeding, manage airways, handle fractures and dislocations, and decide when and how to evacuate. The course is hands-on throughout — expect patient assessment drills, scenario-based practice, and a mass casualty simulation on day two.

WFA Level 1 is the right starting point for hikers, hunters, guides, ranchers, and anyone who spends time in remote environments. Upon completion you receive a Waypoint Training WFA Level 1 certification.

What You'll Learn

• Patient assessment system (primary and secondary survey)
• Scene safety and mechanism of injury
• Critical System Assessment: hemorrhage control (MARCH), airway, and breathing
• Tourniquet application and wound packing
• Fracture and dislocation management; improvised splinting
• Head and spine injuries in the backcountry
• Hypothermia and hyperthermia recognition and treatment
• Anaphylaxis: recognition and epinephrine administration
• Evacuation decision-making
• Healthcare Provider-level CPR

Course Format

Two days, 16 hours total. Mornings focus on lecture and discussion. Afternoons are devoted to practical skills and patient assessment drills. Day two includes a mass casualty simulation — you will manage multiple patients simultaneously in a realistic, high-stress scenario.

Who Should Take This Course

Hikers, hunters, guides, ranchers, search and rescue volunteers, outdoor educators, and anyone who works or recreates more than an hour from emergency services. No prior medical training required.