Tillamook County Sponsored Wilderness First Aid Training in the Nehalem Bay Area

Medical professionals had the opportunity to participate in an in-depth, interactive, Wilderness First Aid Training course presented by National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) professionals. The course was sponsored and made possible by the Tillamook County Visitors Association.

The two-day class on September 9 and 10 at the Nehalem Bay Fire and Rescue Station gave participants hands-on training in situations that could happen during a camping, hiking, fishing, other outdoor recreation event or emergency situation.  NOLS instructors are expert educators with years of medical and wilderness leadership experience. They brought real and deep experiences teaching the recognition, treatment, and prevention of wilderness emergencies.

Fifteen individuals from the medical community attended the class, including Medical Reserve Corps members from Nehalem Bay and Cannon Beach, Fire Department and CERT members. All received Wilderness Medicine certifications.

Class members learned the Patient Assessment System, how to provide effective first aid treatments for injuries and illnesses common in the outdoors. Whether the patient needs to be cared for in the wilderness and how and when to make appropriate evacuation decisions. The training focused on recognizing common life-threatening emergencies and what to do while waiting for emergency services to arrive.

Class lectures were combined with practical scenarios, case studies and skills practice sessions. Participants got to role play. The group got down on the floor and outside on the grass. They were faced with a variety of “patients,” and took turns providing hands-on first aid to the injured or ill patients. Everyone’s stress level goes up in an emergency so hands-on practicing goes a long way in helping students remember what they have been taught.

The Wilderness First Aid class also taught participants to think outside the box of traditional first aid, use whatever supplies are at hand and work as a team. Critically thinking through a problem as well as knowing what to do is key to outdoor survival. Another difference between standard first aid and wilderness first aid are learning how to self-rescue and move injured or ill patients. Though better left for EMS professionals, it is sometimes necessary to move someone to safety or out of the water or weather.

Oregonians are avid outdoors people. While traditional first aid training is highly effective, this Wilderness First Aid training course took people beyond the 10-minute mark after a medical episode and prepared them to handle situations for extended periods.

These skills can easily be adapted into emergency settings when there is a need for using “what is available” for medical care. This improvision can be for equipment such as splints, backboards, slings, etc. The importance of Communication was also stressed on how to let people know where you are and what you need. We may be practicing in austere conditions for an unknown period of time. The skills learned will be very helpful in basic and advanced medical needs.

Tillamook County Visitors Association and Trails and Outdoor Recreation manager Dan Haag deserve a hearty thank you for recognizing the value of this class and making it possible for the coast community to learn from skilled and highly trained professionals.