Take Wilderness First Aid classes at Sierra Club Bay Chapter
Saturday and Sunday, September 20th and 21st, 8:30 - 5, Chapter Office, 2530 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley.
Next class Saturday, December 6th at the Sports Basement at the Presidio in San Francisco. Possible second day (Sunday, December 7) if enough people express interest soon enough.
Come to a special all-day class in Wilderness First Aid sponsored by the Sierra Club Bay Chapter Activities Committee. It satisfies the first-aid requirements for most outing leaders (confirm requirements with your section/group officers). The Chapter pays the class fee for the first day for leaders, and other members get a substantial discount from the usual cost.
Instructor Steve Donelan trains you with vivid slides, an interactive teaching style, and creative skills practice. You'll learn how to improvise with whatever you carry on your outdoor trips or find on the scene. Topics include hypothermia and frostbite, altitude, heat illness, sunburn, lightning, hazardous animals and plants, bites and stings, water disinfection, assessing and treating injuries, wilderness medical emergencies, and first-aid kits.
Students have two options:
- do the one-day class on Saturday and receive the Basic Wilderness First Aid (BWFA) certification of the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI); or
- sign up for two days (Saturday and Sunday) for an additional $30, and receive ASHI's higher-level Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification. The Sunday class will be outdoors (weather permitting) and feature more advanced skills as well as many role-playing scenarios.
Registration for leaders
If you are a current trip leader in any Bay Chapter activity section or regional group (that is, on the list of current leaders provided by your section or group to the Chapter Activities Committee), you should register by the Tuesday preceding the course by contacting Joanne Drabek at (510) 848-0800, ext. 315, or email wfa -at- sfbaysc.orgThen mail a $30 deposit check (made out to the "Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter") to:
Joanne Drabek
Sierra Club
2530 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702.
This check will be returned in class; it will be cashed if you don't show up. Include your mailing address, e-mail, phone number, and which section you are a leader in. Indicate if you are attending the Sunday class; you will pay the $30 for the second day at the class.
Non-leaders
People who are not current leaders can register by contacting the instructor at donelan -at- mindspring.com
People without e-mail may write him at:
P.O. Box 1227
Berkeley, CA 94701
If the class fills, Sierra Club members get preference over non-members; include your membership number. Be prepared to pay the $50 fee (which includes the instructor's comprehensive textbook) in class.
Indicate if you are attending the Sunday class; you will pay the $30 for the second day at the class.
Second day only
People who have taken Steve Donelan's one-day class in the last three years can also sign up, for the second day only, for $30: and those who have taken Steve's two-day class can repeat the second day for free. To come to the second day only, please pre-register with Steve at the addresses in the preceding paragraph.Other location
Steve will also teach a one-day Basic Wilderness First Aid class at the Piedmont Adult School on Saturday, October 18. The cost is $65. Register at www.piedmontadultschool.org or by faxing (510) 595-8173. For information call (510) 594-2655.
Wilderness First Responder
Mondays and Wednesdays, September 15 - November 19, 7:00 - 10:00 pm; and
Saturdays, October 25, November 1, and November 22, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, at Piedmont Adult School.
WFR offers professional-level training in emergency care for wilderness or any other situations, and is open to everybody. Sponsored by the Sierra Club Bay Chapter Activities Committee, the course more than satisfies first-aid training requirements for all trip leaders and is great preparation for anyone doing serious wilderness activities far from medical care. Our many instructors work with you individually and in small groups. Realistic simulated accidents help you put your skills together and develop your leadership abilities.
Lead instructor Steve Donelan is national chair of the Wilderness Emergency Care program he developed for the American Safety & Health Institute and author of the textbook. For more information, see Steve's web site
ASHI certification in WFR, valid three years, is accepted throughout the United States and in many other countries. The San Francisco Paramedic Association offers CE's at no extra cost, and is a good place to take BLS-HCP (professional-level CPR) which is required before graduating from WFR. Those who are currently certified as EMTs or paramedics get WEMT certification (instead of WFR) on graduation. Register for WFR with the San Francisco Paramedic Association or (415) 543-1161. Fee for WFR is $325. Buy the textbook in class from instructor ($20).