What’s Going on with First Aid at the Mazamas?

by Duncan Hart, First Aid Committee Chair

AAfter 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 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.

MOUNTAIN FIRST AID SKILL BUILDER

This new, one-day skill builder is on November 7. In past years, there were two MFA courses offered with a maximum student capacity of 45 students. The 32-hour MFA course was very popular, with more demand than available student slots. In this new format where WFA is offered separately, The Mazamas can now train 120 prospective students in WFA in addition to 90 students through the MFA skill builder. For those who previously earned the MFA badge, the new skill builder will be very similar to day two of the weekend practical.

EQUIVALENT FIRST AID TRAINING OPTIONS

Many members asked if other completed First Aid training courses could count towards a Mazamas CPR, Hike Leader First Aid, or WFA badge. The answer is Yes! In general, you will need to provide proof of a certified training course that meets or exceeds the Mazama badge requirement. To request a badge, log in to your profile on mazamas.org, scroll down to the badge section, click on the request a badge link, and complete the online form.

As of 2019, Mazama First Aid training curriculum ranged from a variety of 1–2 hour lecture topics, an 8-hour Hike Leader First Aid course, and the 32-hour MFA course. There was not an intermediate level Wilderness First Aid offering. We are excited that we can now offer a 16-hour WFA training at a lower cost to more Mazama members. We encourage all Mazama members to consider taking the WFA course if you plan to spend extended periods of time in the backcountry. The new MFA skill builder is oriented towards advanced alpine rock/snow team rescue with more practice on patient assessment, patient care, and mass casualty events. A current WFA certification stands as a prerequisite for the MFA course. There may be a few temporary programming modifications to get us through COVID-19, to ensure everyone’s safety, and we will strive to provide as realistic a field experience as possible. There are a lot of questions about MFA badge recertifications and we are exploring a number of options. One important note is to not let your current MFA badge expire. It is good for three years, but if it expires, the course and all prerequisites have to be retaken. Visit mazamas.org/mfa for more information on course offerings and recertification options.