WHAT’S GOING ON WITH FIRST AID AT THE MAZAMAS? by Duncan Hart, First Aid Committee Chair
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After a long pause on Mazama First Aid training courses over the past year due to COVID-19, the Mazama First Aid Committee is excited to offer 20 CPR, First Aid, and Wilderness First Aid (WFA) classes, along with a new Mountaineering First Aid (MFA) skill builder course over the next 12 months. We thank the Mazama members who responded to a recent First Aid survey and posed questions about courses and recertifications. In general, survey respondents want more information about: what’s the same, what’s changed, when are classes being offered, what COVID-19 protocols are in place, recertifications, and the new Mountain First Aid skill builder. We will do our best to answer all questions between Mazama Bulletin articles, eNews, and with updates to the First Aid section on the Mazama website. CPR If you have taken a Mazama CPR course prior to COVID-19, expect very few changes in the format of this course moving forward. The Adult CPR & AED curriculum is an American Heart Association (AHA) course and remains a blend of online coursework, and a practice/skills test CPR class at the Mazama Mountaineering Center (MMC). There will be a modest price increase to cover the cost of the CPR program for the Mazamas. Climb and activity leaders will receive priority acceptance into this course in order to ensure that safety and preparedness remains a priority for all Mazama activities. Remember to thank your instructors who make CPR possible for us! Visit mazamas.org/CPR for details on course offerings.
HIKE LEADER FIRST AID This course offering will remain consistent with previous formatting and if you have taken Hike Leader First Aid before, you will recognize it as consistent with prior curriculum structure. Functioning in a hybrid model, the Heartsaver® First Aid/CPR AED course blends online coursework with an in-person skills test at the MMC. There will be a modest price increase to cover the cost of the Hike Leader First Aid program.
WILDERNESS FIRST AID (WFA) In 2019, the Mazamas taught our last MFA course for a number of reasons. The course had evolved over the years to meet the needs of intermediate climbers in alpine climb settings. The scope of education followed wilderness medicine practices but the curriculum was never certified. Wilderness medicine is 24 MAZAMAS
an evolving field of evidence-based practices and the Mazamas are not equipped with the necessary resources to maintain the curriculum. The MFA badge was an internal Mazama badge and had very little meaning outside of our organization, making it risky course offering. A Mazama task force was formed to examine and research wilderness medicine training best practices. After an exhaustive search and course piloting, including 100 percent online to a hybrid learning model, the Mazamas selected a 16-hour WFA curriculum, offered by a nationally certified third party. Valid for two years, the WFA certification is widely accepted nationally by federal, state, and local governmental agencies, outdoor recreation organizations, volunteer youth organizations, guide companies, search and rescue organizations, etc, To keep costs low and prioritize accessibility, the WFA course will be taught by qualified instructors who are Mazama members, volunteering their time teaching the course. There will be five WFA course offerings during the 2021–2022 fiscal year, with 20 students per class. We will closely follow COVID-19 guidelines and adjust programming as needed with local COVID-19 restrictions. Our curriculum certifying company, Base Medical, has a medical director that specifies requirements for safe training and our courses will function in alignment with their recommendations. After completion of this course, each student will receive a WFA badge, which will remain valid for two years, following the National Wilderness First Aid standard. After two years, there are several options for renewing the WFA certification, including online options. Visit mazamas.org/wfa for more information on course offerings and recertification options.
