I joined Kat for an all day practicum with the Colorado Mountain Club. This final day was the most insightful and useful class! Dennis had also signed up for the class (3 lectures and the practicum), but he bugged out on the last day, in favor of playing Ultimate.
The practicum took place at a park in Golden. They split the class into groups of 4 and had us travel from one scenario to another. The scenarios were representative of common emergent situations in wilderness. There was everything from person who had a serious fall from a rock into a creek, to a person with AMS.
As we rotated stations (mentored by instructors & paramedics), we would select various roles for each other to play. There was a team lead, a recorder, a monitor, and an assessor. The rest of the group were available for assistance, should the leader need them.
At first my group was very shy, nobody wanted to lead and people were just standing and gawking. However, eventually folks started understanding how it should work. Another gal and I ended up taking over in two scenarios because the guys were just flabbergasted. Eventually, I decided to be a victim in one of the sessions, just so one of the guys would have to step forward!
What I learned the most is that the leader *doesn’t* necessarily have to be an expert, but they must be very decisive and quick to assign tasks. It is very important to quickly run an assessment, and get pressure on massive bleeding right away. However, it is paramount to everyone’s safety to look at the environment *first*. Some people are just not cut out for rescue, or dealing with hairy situations, and these folks should be given tasks which are simple and systematic, or maybe even made into the runner(s) to get help.
This role playing and teamwork *barely* scratched the surface on the items I would have to know second nature in order to be really effective in the case of an emergency. Therefore, I believe that just getting the WFA certificate is not enough. I am planning to attend many more of these field days, in order to cement the concepts.
This class is, without a doubt, one of the best uses of $75, I can think of! Now, when Kat, Dennis, and I go backpacking, climbing, or cross country skiing, we can be assured that we are at least aware of the things we should be prepared to handle!
Also, I purchased a couple items which I now believe everybody should have if they are out backpacking; a SAM splint and a blood clotting agent. If it’s just a day hike, it might not be necessary, but for a long trip out, these two things could save a life!
Tags: CMC, Wilderness First Aid