I have personally completed the Wilderness first aid, Advanced Wilderness first aid and Wilderness first responder courses. I highly recommend any and all of them.  These are DIFFERENT than red cross equivalents, as these course are designed to save or prolong a life OUTSIDE of the EMS fan. They cover risk assessment and patient assessments and some pretty advanced treatments that normally you would not contemplate through red cross training.  These classes are local, I took mine with the Lehigh Valley Canoe club and Lehigh River white water raft guides of various outfitters when I was active with that. Â
CDS outdoor school:
http://cdsoutdoor.org/Overview of Courses
Wilderness First Aid
(WFA) 16 Hours
This is our basic first aid class. This class is suitable for anyone that travels occasionally into the woods where they will be more than 2-3 hours from the nearest road. There are no prerequisites for this course.
Click for WFA Class Details
Advanced Wilderness First Aid
(AWFA) 16 Hours
This is the second level of wilderness training. The course will expand on many of the techniques discussed in WFA and also spends a great deal of time discussing common medical problems. This course is a lot more hands on and provides a number of hands-on scenarios. The WFA course or similar experience is a prerequisite to this course.
Click for AWFA Class Details
Wilderness First Responder
(WFR) 40 Hours
The WFR completes the Wilderness series of training. The course goes into great detail about assessment, medical control and oversight, common illnesses ad injuries, and much more. Over 16 hours of this class is actually hands-on practice using real-life scenarios. AWFA, current certification in Emergency Response (ARC), or current certification as a First Responder is required to take this course.
Click for WFR Class Details
Wilderness EMT Upgrade
(WEMT) 50 Hours
The Wilderness EMT course is designed to take current EMTs and Paramedics that have a need or interest in providing longer term care in remote environments. The course is based upon curriculum developed by the Wilderness Emergency Medical Services Institute (WEMSI) and is updated on an annual basis. This intense course of study provides over 16 hours of actual hands-on experience. Prerequisite: EMT, EMT-P, RN, Military Medic, Ski Patrol OEC or WFR
Click for WEMT Class Details
Independent Duty Medic
(IDM) 80 Hours
The Independent Duty Medic Course is designed for individuals that will be one of the sole medical providers in remote or austere environments such as military medics, medics on board ships or oil drilling rigs, or medics that will be providing primary care at a base camp. In addition learning to provide emergency stabilizing care, students will learn how to recognize and treat common injuries and illnesses in a primary care setting.
Click for IDM Class Details
Wilderness Command Physician
(WCP) 25 Hours
The Wilderness Command Physician Course for physicians that will be working with organized groups or organizations that will be providing medical care in remote locations where the time to definitive care could be over 4 hours. Over 18 hours of this course is hands-on using scenarios and also providing oversight to WEMT or WFR students.
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Basic Search and Rescue
(BSAR) 20 Hours
The Basic Search and Rescue Course is for anyone that wishes to participate as a field team member with a wilderness search and rescue team. The course covers all of the basics needed including basic equipment and clothing, basic search theory, land navigation, etc. Much of this class is hands-on.
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Initial Search Response
(ISR) 16 Hours
The Initial Search Response Class is designed for Police Officers, Fire Service Officers, or anyone else that is the responsible authority for search and rescue. The class provides the background and expertise needed to run the first 12-24 hours of a search.
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Managing Search Operations
(MSO) 40 Hours
This course is for experienced Search and Rescue team members that want to work as a member of the search management overhead team. The intense course requires a lot of pre-course reading and focuses on search theory, map problems, and resource management. This course lays the THEORY background for those wishing to manage searches.
Click for MSO Class Details
Search Management Table-Top Exercises
For those individuals interested in practicing the techniques discussed in the MSO class and using some of the many tools available in SAR, we offer table top search simulations for your organization. Your group or team will be able to manage a search from initial call-out right through the find. You will
Contact Information
CDS Outdoor School, Inc
220 Old Route 8 South
Valencia, PA 16059
1-877-392-5745
General E-mail: info@cdsoutdoor.com
Click for a list of organizations already recognizing our courses.
For Information on:
Wilderness First Aid, Advanced Wilderness First Aid, Basic Search and Rescue, or Instructor Classes: Contact Chris Porter at 717-471-3153, cporter@cdsoutdoor.com
Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness EMT, Wilderness Command Physician, Managing Search Operations or Table Top Exercises: Contact Don Scelza at 724-316-5298, dscelza@cdsoutdoor.com
Organization Directors
Click on each name for Biography
Administrative Director: Chris Porter
Education Director: Don Scelza
Medical Advisor: Jonnathan Busko, MD
