Wilderness First Aid
Friday, February 7th – Sunday, February 9th, 2025
Camp FGL

Wilderness First Aid with CPR/AED

Planning a trip to the back country where a 911 call cannot get through, or where rescue may be more than an hour away? Going to Philmont, Northern Tier, the Summit, or Sea Base? Hiking the Appalachian Trail with your Troop or Crew? You might find yourself in a situation requiring not only first aid, but also providing care until evacuation or rescue.

Take your standard first aid skills to a higher level. Wilderness First Aid through the American Red Cross (ARC) is accepted at all four BSA High Adventures sites - Philmont, Northern Tier, the Summit, and Sea Base. Philmont requires at least two adults be trained in both WFA and CPR/AED while the other three require one trained adult in both WFA and CPR/AED. Having more participants, including youth 14 and older trained in WFA skills is highly recommended.

There are other options to attain WFA training offered outside the Chattahoochee Council. Before taking other courses, verify with the high adventure location or outfitter to confirm the exact certification it will accept.

Note: Wilderness First Aid  and CPR are taught concurrently to ensure both certifications are valid  at the same time. 

Wilderness First Aid - American Red Cross

This is a combined 20-hour course developed by the American Red Cross (ARC) and is taught by scout leaders who are certified ARC instructors. Participants, who complete all course requirements, earn certification from the ARC in Wilderness First Aid as well as CPR /AED, both are valid for two years. We believe strongly that CPR certification should run concurrently with WFA certification, so we bundle the two together. If you already have a CPR certification, this will be a good refresher. This course is open to all adults, and youth 14 and older. The youth are especially encouraged to participate.

• Course curriculum includes patient assessment; symptoms, treatments, and evacuation guidelines for chest injuries, shock, head and spine injuries, bone and joint injuries, wounds and infections, and other medical emergencies; first aid kits; and “hands on” skill scenarios. 
• Course attendees will spend approximately half the course in classroom instruction and half the course practicing skills in a wilderness setting. 
• Course attendees will leave with two-year WFA certification and the competence to recognize and treat injuries and medical emergencies in the wilderness.

Requirements:

• Participants must be on time and attend the entire course. Leaving early is not an option if a completion certificate is the goal 
• All participants must be 14 years of age on the completion date of the course.
• All participants must bring a current BSA Medical Form, Parts A & B.
• While cell phone service is intermittent at camp, we ask that you not use your cell phone during the course other than to briefly take the occasional call and check in with your family.
• All participants must have their own email address.  If you have any other type of certification with the American Red Cross, it is suggested you use that email address for this course.  The ARC uses the email as a unique identifier.

Course Particulars:

• Dates: February 7-9, 2025,  Arrive by 6pm ET on Friday. Depart Sunday afternoon by 3:00 PM.
• Location: Camp Frank G. Lumpkin (FGL) 2818 Antioch Rd, LaGrange, GA 30240
• Course Fee: $165
• Minimum Age: 14 years old on Sunday
• Lodging: Participants and instructors will sleep in the climate-controlled Fort Bradshaw dormitory-style bunkhouse and will be grouped into adult male, adult female, youth* female and youth* male.  (*Youth are those attendees under the age of 18)
• Meals: Participants are asked to arrive having already eaten dinner on Friday night. On Saturday, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided. On Sunday, lunch and dinner are included. If you have special dietary needs, we ask that you take care of yourself. You will have access to a refrigerator and microwave.
• Please contact the instructor to discuss any disability accommodations that may be necessary.

Schedule:

• Friday Evening – CPR/AED
• Saturday and Sunday – Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

What to Bring:

• Completed BSA Health From (Parts A&B)
• 3” “ACE”-type bandage with closures/Velcro
• 50 feet of paracord
• Collapsible hiking pole(s)
• Personal snacks/drinks
• Personal Backcountry First Aid Kit
• Be prepared to take notes outside and bring a backpack with water, rain gear, and whatever else you need to be comfortable in the woods for 2 hours at a time.
• Note taking supplies for the classroom (pens, pencils, highlighters, paper)
• A folding chair (recommended)
• Mess kit (knife, fork, spoon, plate, bowl, mug)
• Sleeping gear (pillow, sleeping bag, twin-size fitted sheet[optional] ear plugs)
• Toiletries (Shower shoes, towel, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, deodorant)
• Dress for the weather. We will be outside a significant part of the time. You MUST wear closed toed shoes (not Crocs) the entire time except IN the shower. We sometimes use theatrical makeup to simulate wounds, so wear older clothing that would okay to get dirty and possibly get makeup on.