Risk Management

2009 Wilderness Risk Management Conference

Bill Frederick, WMA lead instructor and Safety Director for School for Field Studies, will be conducting a presentation on navigating risk in international locales.  Bill will review the hazard landscape, research that is available, and best practices.

Specific topics will include:

- Info acquisition
- Transportation
- Medical Care
- Communications

Resources and Updates About the Wilderness Risk Management Conference:

• View a list of the WRMC workshops
• WRMC Website
• Follow WRMC on Twitter
• Follow Wilderness Medical Associates on Twitter
• View the invitation letter from Chair
• Subscribe to WMA blog via email

Using Case Studies as a Risk Management Teaching Methodology

Wilderness Medical Associates lead instructor Deb Ajango will be presenting a free workshop to Wilderness Risk Management Conference attendees. The workshop will inform audience members on how case studies can be utilized to improve risk management and safety.  Those attending will review a case study and then apply key concepts in risk management planning. The workshop will be held on October 14, 2009.

Click here to buy Lessons Learned II, written by Deb Ajango.

More About the 2009 Wilderness Risk Management Conference

• View a list of the WRMC workshops
• WRMC Website
• Follow WRMC on Twitter
• Follow Wilderness Medical Associates on Twitter
• Subscribe to WMA blog via email
• View the invitation letter from Chair

A Wilderness Medical Associates graduate of a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course utilizes his training and helps a climber by performing a shoulder reduction at 10,000 feet!

“I thought that I would share with you an event from this past weekend in which I was able to use my WFR training.  While Deanna and I were climbing a 5.7 route on Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne Meadows, a climber above us suddenly screamed out in pain.  He felt said pain while trying to make a mantle move onto a ledge.  He immediately asked me for help; knowing the scene was safe, I climbed up to him, got him to a safe place on the ledge and helped him sit down.  I told him that I’m a [Wilderness First Responder] and asked if he wanted me to take a look at what might be going on with his shoulder.  During my bilateral eval, I determined that his shoulder was likely dislocated.  Since it was an indirect injury of the joint, I told him that I could reduce it, and explained to him the process and pain relief benefit.  He asked me to do it, so I helped him to a lying down position (thankfully it was a big ledge) and started the reduction process. It only took two minutes or so to reduce the injury, and as expected, he felt immediate relief from the pain. I told him that I wanted to sling and swathe the arm, and then haul him the remainder of the way to the top.  (Thankfully I was only looking at 40 feet or so, which with a 5:1 mechanical advantage pulley system isn’t all that terrible.)  He didn’t want to be rescued any more than necessary, so he said he was going to try to climb the remainder by himself.  I told him that my offer stood if he changed his mind.  He was able to make it the remainder of the climb (a 5.6 crack).

I’ve thought a lot about this situation since then only to realize how things would have been very different had Deanna and I not taken the WFR course.  Not only did that course give us the specific tools to deal with such emergencies, but I have never felt more competent to provide medical care in wilderness context or otherwise. (And I didn’t even suffer any ASR, sympathetic or otherwise! {smile})  That said, I want to thank you once again for the great training.  I’m sure you’ve heard more than enough such stories, but I thought that you might like to hear another.  I hope this finds you well.”

This story was also featured in the August 2009 issue of Journal of Mountaineering on page 18.

About Huyck Preserve

Huyck Preserve is a non-profit organization on 2000 acres  just southwest of Albany, NY.  Along with miles of trails to hike and enjoy, there is an abundance of wildlife and natural treasures, making Huyck Preserve a wonderful place to take a wilderness medical course.

“Our mission is to protect the natural beauty of the Rensselaerville Falls, the watershed of Lake Myosotis and surrounding lands, to conduct long-term research on natural systems as part of a global effort to understand and preserve the Earth’s biodiversity, and to increase appreciation of this effort through innovative, field-based educational programs for students, teachers and the community.”

Huyck Preserve’s dedication to preservation, education, and research is beyond admirable. For information on how you can do your part in keeping the Preserve unspoiled, visit Huyck Preserve’s membership page.

Upcoming Wilderness Courses at Huyck Preserve

We are excited Huyck Preserve has chosen Wilderness Medical Associates for their first Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and their Recertification courses. Their first course, the full WFR, will be held between July 29, 2009 and August 5, 2009. Following the WFR class, Huyck Preserve will be offering an Open Recertification course between August 7, 2009 and August 2009. During the Open Recertification course, those holding a valid WMA certification may recertify a Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA), Wilderness First Responder (WFR), or a Wilderness EMT (WEMT) certification. If you are a prospective student that was last certified through another organization, you may only recertify a WFR.

About the Wilderness Risk Management Conference:

The 2009 Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC) will be held in Durham, NC between October 14-16, 2009. The objective of this conference is to effectively educate outdoor/medical professionals and enthusiasts in relieving risks that may occur in the wilderness. This workshop is sponsored by NOLS, Outward Bound, and Student Conservation Association (SCA).

Wilderness Medical Associates is excited to announce that some of our own instructors (Dr. David Johnson, Bill Frederick, Deb Ajango, and Jon Tierney) will be conducting various workshops at the conference. Leading up to the conference, we will be periodically featuring these instructors and  topics included in their workshops.

Resources and Updates About the Wilderness Risk Management Conference:

• View a list of the WRMC workshops
• WRMC Website
• Follow WRMC on Twitter
• Follow Wilderness Medical Associates on Twitter
• Subscribe to WMA blog via email
• View the invitation letter from Chair