Wilderness First Aid - March 2018

The 18-hour Wilderness First Aid course sponsored by the Climbing Section of the  Chemeketan outdoor club at Silver Falls State Park  March 24-25, 2018.  The course training certificate good for 2 years) is issued by the Emergency Care and Safety Institute in association with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

The class will run from 8 am to 7 pm on Saturday and 8 am to 5 pm on Sunday.  The course will cover first aid skills and decision-making using realistic emergency medical scenarios as might be encountered on a climbing, hiking or backpacking trip in the Cascades.  This will be a fun, intense, hands-on course that includes simulated-terrifying outdoor scenarios in dark, cold, wet, chaotic conditions. (See pictures from previous course.) Students receive a WFA certification card good for 2 years. 

Instructors, Coaches 
  1. Mike Niemeyer, Wilderness Advanced-EMT (Bio)
  2. Jackie Niemeyer, RN 
  3. Dr. Mark Olson, M.D.
  4. Kacey Epplett, WEMT
  5. Ed Morell, RN
  6. Terry Walstrom, EMR/Firefighter
  7. Mike Williams, Paramedic
  8. Mike Rudy, RN
  9. Carl Krigbaum, EMT
  10. Paul Brown EMT
  11. Julie Brown EMR
Students (This class is now full - names are being added to the wait-list)
  1. Blanton, Sarah
  2. Davis, William
  3. Jackson, Mary
  4. Kahn, Celeste
  5. Leesman, Chris
  6. Onewater, Chonteh
  7. Mevis, Kayla
  8. O' Conner, Aislinn
  9. Ritchey, Mike
  10. Phillips, Scott
  11. Saur, Bill 
  12. Martin, Christine
  13. Lazarus, Cathy
  14. Starr, Gabriel 
  15. Sapkota, Dipesh 
  16. Wolfgang, Jared 
  17. Goddard, Lauren
  18. John Bennett
  19. Jon Ellis
  20. Apeltauer, Milan
  21. Buren, Mike 
  22. Canfield, Chris
  23. Forrister, Tirzah
  24. Forrister, Stuart
  25. Nicholas Baker
Waitlist
  1. Howell, Holly

REGISTRATION:  
  1. This training is sponsored by the Chemeketan Outdoor Club.   Cost is $50 for Chemeketan members and residents of Drakes Crossing Fire District and $78 for all others.  These fees cover the cost of the course textbook (retails for $44.50) and expendable first aid supplies students will use in the training. (All trainers are volunteering their time.)  
  2. Payment is required to confirm your reservation with checks payable to the "Chemeketans". 
  3. Sign a class agreement and release form and mail it with your registration fee to 5243 Madrona Heights Drive NE, Silverton, Oregon 97381.  (Bring the form with you to the first class if you are registering within 1 week of class - and there is still room available.) 
  4. Questions? Email Mike Niemeyer.
PREREQUISITES and PREPARATION
  1. A State parking pass is required to park in Silver Falls State Park. Passes are $5 a day and can be obtained from a machine in the North Falls parking lot 1/4 mile from our training location.
  2. Must be 16 years of age or older
  3. Must have the ability to lift 40 lbs 
  4. Must have current CPR certification. (I'll be offering the American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR AED class at the Drakes Crossing Fire Station on March 9th. 
  5. Read the class textbook prior to class (see below regarding textbook and reading assignments.) 
  6. Look over the WFA cheat-sheet.  You will receive copies of this form at the class. (We will use it for all patient assessments and scenarios. Fold the page 2x to make it into a booklet.)
  7. You will need a watch that displays seconds and a headlamp.
  8. Bring snacks and meals for both days (we won’t be feeding you). We will have a kitchen facility available with a sink, microwave, fridge, stove, etc. 
  9. Bring a day pack or backpack that can get knocked around a bit – with supplies you’d typically bring on an outing.  Bring an extra thrift-store quality shirt and pants/sweat pants – should you volunteer to be a patient in a scenario. A small foam pad is optional - something for you to sit or kneel on when you are outside assisting a patient. 
  10. Wear/bring warm clothes and a waterproof shell layer or rain pants/coat. 
  11. You will need a small flashlight for patient exams.  A headlamp is also recommended for the Saturday evening scenario. 
  12. Bring a towel or rags to dry yourself off as we come in from outside scenarios.
                          Course reading:  This is a highly interactive course that will have students diving into things right away.  To get the most out of it students will need to have read the course text prior to the first day of class.  The course textbook is the 5th edition of Wilderness First Aid: Emergency Care in Remote Locations.  This text is the official collaboration between the Wilderness Medical Society, the largest membership society in the world devoted to wilderness medical issues, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The reading assignment or this course includes chapters  1-3, 5-8, 10-13, 15-23, 29, 30 and 33. 
                          Important Note: Students receive a copy of this book as part of the course fee - don't purchase this on your own.   After we receive your paid registration and approximately 3-4 weeks prior to class we will arrange to get you your copy of the book.   (If can't arrange to pick it up in the Silverton or Salem areas I can mail it for an additional fee.)  











                          Additional, optional Online reference materials:
                          A State parking pass is required to park in Silver Falls State Park. Passes are $5 a day and can be obtained from a machine in the North Falls parking lot and 1/4 mile from our training location.
                          Accommodations:
                          1. Silver Falls State Park has cabins, and RV and Tent sites for those who want to stay at the park during the course.  Some students have indicated they might want to share a tent site. There is no staying in the N Falls lodge overnight (Our training venue).  The N Falls lodge is located in the group camp area but we didn’t reserve that camping option due to expense and limited amenities.
                          2. The tent sites at the main campground are a few miles south of where we will be but have hook ups, heated restrooms and showers.  They also have primitive cabins you can reserve.
                          3. The park concession also has cabins and meals.  Phone 866-575-8875.
                          Carpooling from Salem:  
                          • If there is interest I recommend Salem folks meet at 6:30 am Saturday and Sunday at the State Motorpool on airport road and leave at 6:45 am.  But lets confirm this via email to make sure there is interest in this option. 
                          • We will be at about 1550 ft elevation.  (See links below for Park weather and webcams).
                          • As of 3-19-18 the forecast is for snow at Silver Falls.  I recommend driving in through Silverton as you'll have better roads if there is snow to deal with.  
                          Other helpful web links:

                          Course reading:  Students receive a copy of the course text as part of the course fee (Text will be provided to you - don't purchase this on your own. We will ship the textbook to you once your payment is received.)  This is a highly interactive course that will have students diving into things right away.  To get the most out of it students will need to have read the course text  prior to the first day of class. See schedule below for reading assignment.  

                          Schedule: The class will run from 8 am to 7 pm on Saturday and 8 am to 5 pm on Sunday. 

                          Course Philosophy: This outdoor class is the place to "Take chances, make mistakes and get messy"(Ms. Frizzle) so you can be prepared for your next outdoor trip, aid other hikers, enjoy life's legitimate messes (i.e., dirt) and avoid unnecessary suffering (i.e. giardia.) 



                          Training Location: Note that you will need a state park day use permit (NW forest pass does not work here) to park at the N Falls Lodge.  You can get these permits at the automated machine in the parking lot at the North Falls trailhead which is about 1/4 mile past the entrance to the group Campsite - if you are traveling South on Highway 214 .  This is also a good reason to carpool.