April 16, 2023
April 2023
Earlier this year, I launched Tern Strategies, LLC. But before immersing myself in my new business venture, I followed through on a personal goal: becoming a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR). Once upon a time, I thought I might go into medicine. Instead, I’ve worked in and around healthcare systems at various points in my career. My intention in January was to gain knowledge and skills to help keep myself and others safe on adventures in the woods. I was also curious to see how stepping outside my comfort zone could be a catalyst for ideas as I established a new brand and work approach with Tern.
What is a WFR?
A WFR (or “woofer”) is an individual trained to provide emergency care in remote or wilderness settings—an hour or more away from traditional medical care. Comprehensive training programs equip WFRs with knowledge and skills to assess and respond to people requiring assistance. A typical WFR certification program requires 72-80 hours of classroom and practice training, and a written and practical exam. Although all certified individuals are called WFRs, the actual certification is controlled and tracked by the organization providing the training. In my case, that’s the SOLO Schools in Conway, NH, founded in the 1970s as the first wilderness medical school in the U.S.
The course went well beyond first aid to focus on basic anatomy and physiology, the Patient Assessment System, identification and care of injuries and illnesses, communication and evacuation. We learned how to survey a scene and get consent; how and when to take vitals, perform CPR, administer naloxone and use an Epi-pen; how to stop bleeding, prevent infection, reset bones, splint and bandage, take notes; what to carry in the wilderness and how to build a shelter. Essentially, the course covered the range of medical and health events we might encounter, and what to do about them, including when to call for search and rescue, and how to get people out of the woods.
To put this training into context, my WFR instructors made it clear that it was a good thing if we came back to get recertified without having had to respond to an emergency beyond the reach of a 911 call. That would mean that people around us were being safe and prepared.
Here are some takeaways:
- Effective leadership, delegation and team-building was a constant work in progress, especially during mock scenarios. No surprise: good communication is an imperative.
- In an emergency, it can feel counterproductive to step back, gather information, assess, listen and observe. But overlooking valuable input can have severe consequences.
- A limited amount of research conducted into the matter advises that WFRs begin to lose their skills pretty soon after certification.[1] I can confirm that I’ve already had to look up a number of things up to jog my memory. If the training manual isn’t handy (and I don’t plan on carrying it around most of the time) having and following an assessment protocol helps connect the dots between what’s happening and the right next steps to take.
Most of my awesome classmates stayed at SOLO for another two weeks to earn their Wilderness EMT licenses. They’ve gone on work on ambulances, lead expeditions, teach wilderness skills, and prepare for medical and paramedic degree programs. I’ll be looking for ways to keep up with my training and recertification, and add lessons learned into future projects, collaborations and client engagements.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29361386/