Wilderness EMT
Upgrade
Wilderness EMT Upgrade
Monday & Wednesday, 7 - 10 pm, September 15 - November 19
Saturday 9 - 5, October 25, November 1, November 22
<>The course
WEMT
Upgrade is a professional-level course that trains you to understand
and avoid
wilderness hazards and cope with emergencies in wilderness or disaster
situations. You learn how to assess
injuries and medical or environmental problems, and do emergency care
with
whatever you have on hand or can improvise. We use vivid slides and
interactive
teaching methods to bring the topics to life. Skills practice is
intensive. Our
instructors work with you individually and in small groups. Realistic
simulated
accidents help you put your skills together and develop your leadership
abilities.
<>
Program &
certification
ASHI
certifications in WEMT, valid three years, are recognized throughout
the United States and in many
other
countries. To be certified, you must
make up any skills training you miss and pass the exams. Wilderness
topics and
skills are the same for WFR and WEMT, but EMT’s and Paramedics are
already
trained to a higher level in generic topics such as recognizing and
treating
medical problems. So those currently certified as EMT’s or Paramedics
receive
WEMT certification on graduation; and other participants receive WFR
certification.
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Make-ups
If
you miss a class, practice the skills we did in that session with a
classmate
who was there (who needs to sign your skills log) then demonstrate them
to an
instructor by coming early or during a break.
Continuing
Education
Credits<>
CE’s
are available to participants at no extra cost – one unit for every
hour of
class attended.
<>Instructors
Steve
Donelan (the lead instructor) is national chairman of the Wilderness
Emergency
Care program he developed for the American Safety & Health
Institute (www.ashinstitute.org),
and author of
the textbook. He is also a Master Instructor Trainer for ASHI, an
Instructor Trainer
for the National Ski Patrol, section editor on education for Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (www.wms.org), editor of the San
Francisco
Paramedic Association newsletter, and a peer reviewer of several
standard textbooks.
He has published many articles on emergency care and how to teach it.
All of
our instructors have many years of both wilderness and teaching
experience.
<>
CPR
All
students must show current certification in BLS for Health Care
Providers/CPR
Pro before graduating. Recommended: San Francisco Paramedic
Association,
a few blocks from Montgomery St. BART station.
Textbook: Wilderness
Emergency
Care. Buy in class from the instructor ($20). Or order it in
advance from the American Safety & Health Institute (www.ashinstitute.org).
Registration: San Francisco Paramedic Association
Online: www.sfparamedics.org
Phone: (415) 543-1161
Cost: $300 for SFPA
members, $325 for non-members.
Textbook: Wilderness Emergency Care - buy in
class from the instructor ($20)
Location: Piedmont Adult School
Directions: In Piedmont, get on
Oakland Avenue going East. From
580, it's the
Oakland Ave./Harrison St. exit. Continue on Oakland Avenue accross
Grand
Avenue (traffic lights), then uphill to the traffic light hanging
over the center of the street (Hillside Avenue). Turn right on
Hillside Avenue, and the first cluster of large buildings on your right
is
Piedmont School. We'll add directions to
the classroom as soon as it is assigned by the school.
donelan@wildernessemergencycare.com
last update: April 12, 2008