Travels with Paddles

a sea kayaking journal

Axel Schoevers (Photo: A. de Krook) Name:
Axel Schoevers
Location:
Rijswijk, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Wilderness First Responder

For a long time I had wanted to do a Wilderness First Responder course. When guiding in remote areas, medical help is not allways readily available in both time or distance and as such what is covered with a standard First Aid course not allways sufficient.

I booked my course with WEMSI International that annually runs the Wildernes First Responder (WFR) course at Glenmore Lodge in Scotland. I learned about this course from Rowland Woollven, one of the seven (!) instructors on this course. It is great to be a student of Rowland again.

It was a very intensive 'immersive' 6-day course that filled the days from 08:45 until 21:00. It was full-on with theory and practical sessions. I was glad that my comprehensive Dutch First Aid certificate and annual updates covered lots of theory already. Nevertheless it was 'full-blast' re-visiting that what I should know already topping-up with lots of new theory and practical stuff that I was not trained for in a standard First Aid.

I was clearly lacking the english language names of all the body parts, bones and various medications; something to do before I 'update' my WFR.

Lots of practice, fun and (international) teamwork, as you can watch in below slideshow video of this years' course.

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