Wilderness First Responder

Arctic Fire Safety Services has the solution to provide remote medical support for difficult terrain situations. To facilitate more appropriate care for remote workers we utilize Wilderness Medical Associates Protocols. These protocols were designed with the reality that there is not always a hospital near by. Search and Rescue Teams around the world are trained in the same procedures, which should give comfort to your workforce, knowing they are in the care of highly trained professionals.

What is the difference between a Wilderness First Responder and Emergency Medical Responder?

Wilderness Medicine is a growing field of practice that is relevant to those involved in remote fieldwork, the military, natural and man-made disaster relief, medical rescue, and expedition medicine. 

Three elements: 

– austere environment, 

-sparse resource availability and 

-an extended time to definitive care

serve to identify the field of wilderness medicine. 

When understood through the interaction of these three elements, Wilderness First Responders clearly benefits a broad cross-section of industries and workers.

Wilderness First Responder training includes a number of expanded assessment and treatment modalities such as:

 Management of high risk wounds and infection

 Removal of impaled objects

 Management of unstable musculoskeletal

injuries including:

 Swelling and pain management

 When the use of traction to restore long bone

injuries into regular anatomical position is

warranted

 Assessment and treatment of simple dislocations

 Improvised splinting techniques

 Pelvis and femur injuries

 Assessment and management of spine injuries including a Spine Clearing

Assessment Protocol

 When to cease CPR or resuscitative efforts

 Assessment and treatment of respiratory failure (as opposed to arrest only). This

may include treatments for specific respiratory problems such as severe asthma.

 Patient Packaging techniques that will protect patients from the environment

 Improvised Patient Carries

Wilderness Medical Associates Wilderness First Responder program is recognized by Alberta Occupational Health and Safety as an approved “advanced first aider” qualification. WMA Protocols can also be applied to EMT/PCP and Paramedic to supplement their skill sets.