We’re raising awareness about learning important skills to care for yourself or others who may become ill or injured in the outdoors by spotlighting members of our community who have earned their Wilderness First Aid Certification or higher!
Join us November 4-6 to earn your Wilderness First Aid + CPR Certification at historic Sturtevant Camp!
Natalie Sanchez, Weekend Warrior, Wilderness First Aid
What inspired you to learn Wilderness First Aid? What was your favorite part of the experience?
I often explore the great outdoors solo and have been challenging myself with longer hikes. Since longer hikes means being in more remote areas, I wanted to have the skills to take care of myself in case anything should happen while on the trails.
The first aid certification class I attended was large, with at least 35 attendees, however each student was able to have a hands on experience. The class was split into groups of 3 and rotated through the scenarios by being the patient or one of the two rescuers. The repetition of the assessment process was positive since it is what we’d use in the field to determine course of action and since the scenarios were different each time it kept us on track to follow the steps because we didn’t know what type of rescue we would be involved in next.
Have you ever used your skills in the field? Tell us about it.
On a recent trip to Portland, OR I came across a cyclist who had taken a bad fall downtown. I used the assessment process to make sure they didn’t need emergency medical services and were going to be able to walk away from the fall with the help of their friend. Wilderness First Aid is just as handy in the urban jungle, as on the trail.
