Wilderness First Aid Training with Laura Hand, Isabel Chavez and Matthew Angus – G26030411
Please note: this course requires 8 hours of on-line, self-paced training which must be completed before the in-person training. An on-line exam is given AFTER both parts of the course are completed. Links will be sent upon registration.
A Wilderness First Aid or WFA certification is an introductory course to wilderness medicine. This 16-hour course is designed for interested people who have little or no experience in first aid or wilderness medicine. It is recommended for individuals who enjoy the backcountry, are responsible for others while in the backcountry, professional guides, etc. The course provides scenarios in basic outdoor emergency medicine practices such as environmental concerns (heat, sun, cold, insects), airway management, breathing emergencies, and circulatory problems. Included are common medical emergencies such as anaphylaxis, asthma, seizures, sprains/strains, and wound care. WFA focuses on trauma with in-depth discussions and hands-on training in splinting, bleeding control, and wound management.
This WFA course includes topics such as evacuation, litter construction, backcountry communications, and decision-making.
A Wilderness First Aid certification is valid for 2 years.
*Please note there is a non-refundable deposit of $65 for this workshop.
Instructors
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Laura HandLaura Hand is the Outdoor Adventures and Wellness Manager at Ghost Ranch. She carries over 30 years of personal training, outdoor safety and wellness practices and public education experience. Laura has a BS in Outdoor Education/Kinesiology, and an MA in Education.
Laura specializes in developing curriculum and activities that provide enjoyable, informational, and meaningful growth experiences for all participants. Sharing her experience, knowledge, and joy of safely moving through the outdoor environment is her passion.
Because safety is at the forefront of all life adventures, Laura is certified and practices first aid skills, including Basic First Aid, CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and Wilderness First Responder.
When not working, Laura enjoys spending outside time with her teenage children who have grown up way too fast!
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Isabel ChavezIsabel Chavez (she/her) is a born and raised New Mexican. She spent her youth exploring Ghost Ranch, led Youth Programming during the Ranch’s College Staff program and is now the Youth Programs Manager with the Ghost Ranch Programs and Events department. She also serves as the Ghost Ranch Safety Coordinator, spearheading the Safety Committee and organizing safety and emergency preparedness training interdepartmentally.
Isabel holds a BS in Human Biology and certificates in Wilderness First Responder and CPR. She is also a certified instructor for Wilderness First Aid. Her background lies in Social Services and she is driven by a deep passion for service and life-long learning. She believes in the power of small actions and community, and strives to build inclusive, diverse, and values-based opportunities for youth and adults alike, where all find growth and connection to themselves, each other and the outdoors.
In her free time, you can find her reading and cuddling with her dog, attempting a fiber arts project, or adventuring outside.
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Matthew AngusMatthew (he/him) is a Primary Educator for Base Medical. Although born in the midwestern flats of Illinois, he has called the San Juan mountains home for the last 6 years in Durango, Colorado. Matthew is a passionate and service-oriented individual, always striving to best support his community in health/wellness and outdoor pursuits. He graduated from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (Go Dawgs!) in 2017 but obtained his EMT license in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. His medical experience began with tending to the health needs of troubled youth as a field EMT for a wilderness therapy guiding program based in the Southwest. It was during this time that Matthew began developing skills of compassionate patient care and practicing medicine in the austere environment where he and the patients he worked for were typically 4 to 5 hours away from definitive care. Matthew now uses his EMT skills at a local clinic and SAR team in the area and has big goals to obtain advanced medical training and search and rescue skills
Matthew also cares deeply for the outdoor classroom and education experience, valuing highly the reciprocal learning process that can happen between peers and mentors. He believes in meeting students and peers exactly where they’re at to best support everyone’s learning and growth and creating a learning space that centers on inclusion, challenge, and team building. When not working, Matthew is likely pushing his limits by climbing, backpacking, or trail running, so he can get further into the mountains or desert he so greatly loves.