Frequently asked questions.
What is the Wilderness First Responder Course?
The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is the recognized industry standard for outdoor trip leaders, camp counselors, mountain guides, river guides, ski patrollers, and anyone else who works or plays in the outdoors. WFR is an intensive 80-hour course consisting of 16 modules that is taught over 8-10 days. The course teaches how to care for patients in remote locations or challenging weather, with questionable communication and support, improvised equipment, and limited time for decisions.
The WFR course provides graduates with a comprehensive introduction to practical medicine and a solid foundation from which to make treatment decisions about routine and complicated medical problems when sophisticated medical care is far away.
WFR is widely accepted, both nationally and internationally, including the National Association of Search and Rescue, American Canoe Association, National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, international expedition, and guide companies, and many more.
Who accredits and recognizes the curriculum?
This WFR course is affiliated with the Wilderness Medical Society and SafeCert Certification Board and conforms to the International Wilderness First Responder Standards.
Standardization means that you can confidently choose the course that best fits your budget, schedule, and learning style, knowing that the core curriculum is the same. The content of this course exceeds the Established Minimum Guidelines and Scope of Practice for Wilderness First Responder, produced by the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative in 2016.
Given these unique requirements, experts in the field have agreed on a common body of knowledge. Today, virtually all schools of wilderness medicine, including Munro Medical Solutions, teach this standardized curriculum. What sets each school apart is the expertise of its faculty and the ease, efficiency, and effectiveness of learning for the students.
Our trusted certifications are accepted by the National Association for Search & Rescue, the National Park Service, the Forestry Service, The Mountaineers, OSHA, ACA PaddleSports, local Sierra Club chapters, Kilimanjaro mountain guide companies, and many other international adventure and expedition companies.
Do I need prior medical training?
No. There is no prior medical training required for the WFR course. This course is ideal for trip leaders, adventure guides, or anyone who spends time in the outdoors. However, even physicians and other healthcare providers will gain a lot from this course. The wilderness is a challenging setting, and medical care often differs from the standard hospital setting.
This course provides fantastic medical and outdoor education, and we encourage you to take it even if you don’t need the official certification.
What does a Wilderness First Responder certification allow me to do?
The WFR designation is the recognized industry standard for lay people (non-medical providers) who work in the outdoors. This certificate can help you gain employment with events, camps, mountain and river guide organizations, ski patrol, search and rescue, and much more. However, no matter where you earn your certification, your scope of practice and standard of care is determined by state and county laws, as well as your organization or employer and their medical director. Wilderness medicine courses alone (whether through us or any other organization) do not offer inherent legal protection or recognition by any state department of health.
Can I do this course if I don’t need the certification?
Absolutely. If you want to learn the skills and gain the knowledge for your personal use or development, you can attend the courses and gain life-saving knowledge.
Do I need to buy a course textbook & pay for course materials?
Nope! Your course tuition includes all necessary textbooks & workbooks, course notes, handouts, certification, and more. You will receive electronic and hardcopies of the following textbooks from the University of Utah School of Medicine:
Introduction to Wilderness Medicine Textbook
Basic Wilderness Life Support Textbook
Wilderness Travel and Tropical Medicine Textbook
Search and Rescue Fundamentals Textbook
Where do I sign up?
For the next WFR course, the specific dates can be found on our Training Page and when you are ready to sign up for the course you can follow THIS LINK.
I can’t make the dates, do I have to do this in person?
For the WFR course, the practical skills are demonstrated and the scenarios are all practically based on the assessments. You can contact us to find out about any future dates or request specific dates.
Alternatively, you can look at our Basic Wilderness Life Support course, which is 100% taught online and at your time convenience. More information can be found HERE.
My question wasn’t answered in this section, where can I find out more?
No problem. Email us with all of your questions.