SPRD offers wilderness first aid course

Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) is set to host a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3 at the Coffield Center (SPRD facility at the west end of the Sisters High School parking lot).

Presented by the Wilderness Medicine Institute (WMI), this course will cover the basics of how to perform first aid to anyone in the outdoors and more advanced topics such as dislocation reduction and epinephrine administration. The Wilderness Medicine Institute is a nationally renowned medical education provider. Participants in the program can receive college credit upon completing the class.

According to SPRD Program Assistant Kelly Crowther, "It's great to be able to offer a program from WMI to our community. They really are the leaders in outdoor medicine and will benefit the outdoor-minded Sisters community."

Primarily designed for those frequenting the outdoors, the WFA course is ideal for outdoor leaders. Sisters High School IEE Interns have used this course to become certified to prepare themselves for leading groups in the outdoors. Many outdoor professionals such as raft and ski guides, wildland firefighters, trip leaders, and camp counselors also utilize this class as part of employee-required training. Additionally, the course can be advantageous for those who want to be prepared for emergency situations in the outdoors with friends.

Participants in the class should expect both indoor and outdoor learning environments. While indoors, participants will learn how to assess a patient, treat spine and head injuries, heat and cold injuries, lightning injuries, anaphylaxis, the basics of wound management, and altitude sickness. Outdoor scenarios will be incorporated into the class to give students a hands-on learning experience. To add to the realism of the scenarios, moulage (stage blood) is used and students are asked to dress wounds and perform CPR on mannequins.

The cost of the course is $200 which, according to SPRD, is the lowest price course in the Central Oregon area. Registrations are being taken at SPRD by calling 541-549-2091 and at www.sistersrecreation.com.