Frequently Asked Questions

What is the WFAC?

A 3-day, 26-hour, live-in wilderness first aid course

What are the topics and exercises?
See a syllabus for the WFAC.

What are students supposed to bring with them?
See what to bring to WFAC.

Why should I let the course have my fee so far in advance?

The WFAC requires your check at time of application as proof of intent, but cashes it only six weeks before the course.

Why can’t I sign up first and provide my proof of CPR later?
The WFAC has a very small staff and everyone has many jobs. Providing all your paperwork at once minimizes the clerical work associated with enrollment.

If this is a non-profit course, why is the cost of the package more than $200?

Your fee covers:


• Your room (dormitory-style lodging), your food (great meals), skills materials and notes

• Materials such as stage blood, simulated wounds and makeup for
  the simulations
• Visual aid investments to provide a quality experience (a projector
  and screen, a skeleton and a torso with visible organs, etc.)

Why is this course better than Red Cross Standard First Aid (RCSFA)?
RCSFA is three hours of instruction, mostly lecture and videos, with limited skills practice and no simulations. The WFAC is 26 hours of instruction with nearly 40% of the time spent on skills practice and simulations. Our instructor-to-student ratio is 3 to 4 times better than a RCSFA course, allowing for frequent one-on-one feedback during skills sessions and simulations. 

Is CPR a prerequisite?
A CPR card is required to register.

Why isn't CPR included?
Only with difficulty can we fit the essentials of WFA into a three-day course. If we included CPR instruction we would either have to extend the course to four days or drop several hours of important first aid topics.

How does Wilderness First Aid differ from regular first aid?

Wilderness first aid includes:


• Environmental injuries and illness such as altitude sickness and
 snow blindness
  
  
• 
Emphasis on improvising with materials on hand (e.g., tent poles)

  
  
• Training on care of a patient for several days 

In a slightly larger perspective
  
  This is an excellent first aid course for anyone who might be in a situation where first aid is required and where emergency medical services are several hours to a week away, for example:
  
  
• After a major earthquake or flood
• On a sailboat during an extended voyage
• In combat during a military operation
• At remote homesteads located several hours by road or air from emergency services

Is this course better than an on-line first aid course?
Probably the most valuable part of the WFAC is the simulations, including feedback from knowledgeable and experienced instructors. This is not available from an on-line course.

Why are there only two courses offered per year?

The few WFAC staff members are volunteers with jobs, families and other interests. Each three-day WFAC course takes about two months to prepare and another month afterward to tie up loose ends. This means that course staff spends about half of each year maintaining and improving the WFAC, given the two-course-per-year schedule.