Emergency Care Courses - Rescue Dynamics

The "WEC" course offered by Rescue Dynamics is the result of over three decades of development and evolution which merges advanced first aid and emergency care concerns from wilderness & urban environments. The course presents a balance between the ideal treatment modalities available in the "front country" and the bitter realities facing adventure seekers and guides in the "back country." Over a ten day period, 90 hours of theory and practical sessions combine to provide the essential foundation for dealing with traumatic, medical & environmental mergencies in the outdoors.

This is the ideal course for guides, ski patrollers, outdoor pursuits instructors, rangers, wardens and anyone who works in the outdoors. WEC is ten days long and is taught in two five day blocks. The course is 90 hours of intensive classroom and practical sessions. Emphasis is placed on understanding HOW and WHY things happen and how to manage situations when away from advanced levels of care. There are lessons on most types of wilderness emergencies including climbing, diving, high altitude, heat, cold, avalanche related injuries, drowning, lightning, accident handling, first aid kits, medications, triage, long term problems, non-emergent problems and much more. Virtual accidents are still a big part of the course to give students a feel for accident management.

WEC is recognized by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and meets the requirements set by many outdoor employers including rafting companies, Heli-ski and Cat Skiing companies and ski hills. Certification is valid for three years.

Course Content: Trip Planning & Accident Prevention, Wilderness Accident Management, Basic Anatomy, Body Substance Isolation, Body Surveys & Vital Signs, Records, History Taking, Respiratory & Circulatory System, Chest Injuries, Oxygen Administration & Suction, Artificial Ventilation & CPR, Bleeding, Soft Tissue Injuries, Dressing & Bandaging, Shock, Musculo-Skeletal System, Lifting & Moving, Orthopedic Injuries, (Pelvis, Upper & Lower Extremity Injuries), Central Nervous System, Injuries of the Spine, Skull & Brain, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Abdomen & Digestive System, Injuries to the Abdomen & Acute Abdomen, Gastro-Intestinal & Genito-Urinary, Triage, Patient Positioning, Improvisation Techniques, Cardiac Emergencies, Cerebro Vascular Accidents, Pulmonary Disorders & Asthma, Diabetes, Hypothermia, Frostbite, Heat Emergencies, Burns & UV Injuries, Lightning & Electrical Injuries, Hazardous Materials, Drowning & Near Drowning, Wilderness Patient Transportation, Avalanche & Climbing Related Injuries, Medical Problems at Altitude, Poisons, Allergies, Stings & Bites, Helicopters & Aircraft, Non-Emergent Problems, Medications, Legal, First Aid Kits, Emergency Communications, Prolonged Backcountry Care, Virtual Accidents.

You can also view the WEC Advanced First Aid Course Schedule and Application Forms or download the Wilderness Emergency Care / Advanced First Aid Course Schedule and Application Forms.

Rescue Dynamics is a registered Educational Centre of the Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECSI). ECSI is the training arm of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American College of Emergency Physicians. We offer the following ECSI courses:

EFR - Emergency First Response Courses

EFR or "Emergency First Response" is a CPR, AED and First Aid training agency that is a corporate affiliate of PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors). Their programs closely follow the PADI model of self-directed study. Students are required to do pre-course homework and watch a course DVD prior to attending the actual instructor - led segments of the course. As such, the motivated learner can more easily fit EFR fiirst aid and CPR courses into an active lifestyle.

All Emergency First Response courses are performance based, not time based. Individual course times typically vary based on:

Number of participants
Participant ability to meet the prescribed objectives
Instructor-to-student ratios
Course delivery options

The following times are typical, based on a class size of 12:

Primary Care (CPR) - 4.5 to 6 hours
Secondary Care (First Aid) - 2.5 to 3.5 hours
Care for Children (Child and infant CPR/first aid) - 7 to 8 hours
Integrated Primary Care/Secondary Care and Care for Children - 8 to 9 hours
AED Course - 2 to 3 hours
CPR & AED Course – 4.5 to 6 hours

In addition the EFR courses fit well as a basic first aid course for divers looking to proceed into a Rescue Diver course.. The EFR Primary and Secondary Care courses meet the prerequistes for entry into Rescue Diver training.

In the past Rescue Dynamics has had many courses for which CPR and/or AED were prerequisites. Through partnerships with agencies such as ECSI, EFR and others we now offer CPR, AED and Oxygen Administration add-ons to most of our programs such as EMFA, OWLS and WEC.

CPR has undergone a dramatic evolution (some would say revolution) in December 2010 to make it more effective and easier to learn for the lay person. Integrated into most of our CPR courses is the use of automated external defibrillators, which have been made so simple that even an elementary school child could save a life with an AED. AEDs are not just in the back of the ambulance any more. AEDs are now everywhere; in airports, at ski hills, at heli-ski operations, at cat-ski operations, at large restaurants, at golf courses, in shopping malls, in aircraft and many more places. Inexpensive and easy to operate models are now in the homes of many individuals who are known to be at risk from cardiac arrest.

With CPR standards evolving and with new important material being included, you should consider renewing your CPR if you have not taken a course in the last few years. A full CPR / AED course is now typically only about 5 - 6 hours long. A refresher is typically 4 hours long.

Be sure you notify your instructor before a course begins if you want any additional skills to be added to the program that are not already listed in the course outline. To add CPR, AED or Oxygen therapy requires additional training time with associated cost. In addition, there are supplementary texts which must be sent out for required pre-reading before these courses begin.

We can also offer CPR & AED as stand alone courses. We do not schedule CPR or AED courses but if you want a private course for you or your group we would be happy to provide one.

Other Courses: Custom courses can be arranged. Courses can be taught across the country if required.

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"OWLS" - The Essentials of Wilderness First Aid