Foothills First Aid Committee

Foothills First Aid Committee

The First Aid committee of the Foothills Branch is responsible for training programs for leaders and members in east-side communities to improve their ability to respond capably and confidently to medical emergency situations in the backcountry. This primarily involves coordinating the presentation of the programs. It sometimes involves preparation of materials for the programs.

Staying Safe

The US Forest Service has some good  safety tips.  Before your trip, learn of potential hazards to avoid with research on WTA and the website for the destination land agency. Examples:

  • If there is Poison Oak, find out how to identify and treat it.
  • If there will be a lot of sun, ensure everyone has sufficient sun protection and water.
  • Customize your first aid kit for the planned trip and your personal needs. Most important: Know how to use it.

VolunteerS Needed

Scenario sessions help students learn to make smart decisions during emergency situations in the wilderness with realistic practice. We need the following volunteers:

  • Patients willing to wear accident makeup and follow a script.
  • Evaluators should have advanced first aid skills, i.e. WRFA, EMT, RN or MD and have wilderness experience. 
  • Committee members to assist with program coordination.

Courses

Wilderness First Aid (WFA):

The Wilderness First Aid course (formerly MOFA or AFA) is a 16 hour program:  

  • Two days  of 8 hour lectures, practice, and scenarios taught by experienced wilderness and emergency medical providers from Remote Medical Training (RMT)  that provide participants with a nationally recognized certification for basic backcountry first aid and emergency response. The course fee covers the cost of this instruction.

For 2023, the Foothills Branch has posted WFA classes for the following dates:

  • April 8 and 9
  • May 20 and 21
  • October 21 and 22

Trail Emergency Preparedness:

The goal of this one evening short course is to promote safety and comfort on the trail by addressing the most common situations you are likely to encounter on a trail. This course does not count for credit towards graduation for courses requiring WFA.

Two classes a year  are offered to students enrolled in the Backpacking Building Blocks course. Branch leaders may be enrolled as well.