Camp High Rocks Staff Refresh Their Backcountry Medicine Skills
December 8, 2010 by Don Gentle
Elizabeth Thompson, Ben Little, Robin Funsten, Don Gentle, and Crystal Clusiau
Several High Rocks staff members spent this past weekend in a Wilderness First Responder recertification class. The class was hosted by our neighbors just up the road at YMCA Camp Greenville and taught by Wilderness Medical Associates. The three-day class offered a lot of practical skills and up to date knowledge on the topics of working through potential injuries and illnesses that can happen out in the wilderness. Each of the attendees had previously taken the full 80-hour course originally and are required to take a three-day course every three years to stay current.
High Rocks sends out at least one Wilderness First Responder (WFR) on every backcountry trip off camp property. These trips include paddling, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, caving, and backpacking trips. This past summer we had over thirty staff with WFR certification. The practical skills and knowledge are designed to be appropriate when advanced help is delayed and a 911 call may not be the best or fastest resolution.
Crystal, Robin, and WMA Instructor work on litter packageing for evacuation.