Each year, PSO offers a variety of wilderness medicine courses to prepare our outdoor leaders to handle medical situations that may arise while out on a trip. These courses are also open to other campus community members and members of the public. Read below for brief information about each course option. You can see our current course offerings for the year at the bottom of the page.
Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
These 18-24 hour courses are designed for outdoor enthusiasts. It is the basic level of care necessary for many first time leaders. This is the minimum level of first aid necessary for all Passages and Puget Sound Outdoors Leaders who are leading overnight canoe, kayaking and backpacking trips. PSO offers a WFA course each spring see the schedule for more information.
This course can also be used to recertify a Wilderness First Responder certification with some supplemental testing and scenarios.
Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
This is an 80+ hour course that has become the course that most outdoor professionals have who are leading trips for organizations like Outward Bound Wilderness, the National Outdoor Leadership School, YMCA adventure programs, and the Student Conservation Association. PSO offers a WFR course through WMTC each January and May/June.
There are a plethora of courses available by National, Regional and Local providers. Most of the courses are well done and reputable. Make sure to look into the companies before you take their course.
Wilderness First Responder/Wilderness EMT Recertification
After taking a WFR course it is crucial to keep your skills up through recertification. Most WFR certifications last 2-3 years. Be sure to check with your provider to know when you need to recertify by.