Wilderness First Aid and CPR

Hey Tribe,

As a responsible hiker and dog handler for search and rescue, I need to be up on my first aid and CPR skills.  So, when I saw a flyer for a two-day Wilderness First Aid/CPR class taught by SOLO, I jumped at the opportunity and brought TheMother along as well (what if I get hurt and I need someone else to fix me!?).  The class was expensive, but can I really put a price on life saving skills?  SOLO put a price on it for me: $545 for the two of us.  Ouch.

The majority of the class time was spent indoors, but we did venture outside for some hands on practical scenarios.  In a blizzard.  Did you know, it’s very difficult to monitor someone’s radial pulse when your own fingers are numb from the cold?!

Waiting for "hikers" to come "rescue me" in the middle of downtown Palmer.

My favorite part of the class was when we practiced treating pretend patients with only the gear we had in our hiking packs.  I started to really see how my gear could be used in emergency situations.  We all know that I tend to over-pack and over-prepare for emergencies, but there were some folks in the class who realized they really should be carrying more gear with them other than just a cell phone when they step off the pavement for a little day hike.  Cell phones die quickly in the cold and many places don’t have cell coverage.  Then what?  Something as simple as a spare pair of socks can really save the day – or a life.

TheMother gets her leg splinted with items found in a backpack.

The class was a good reminder to honor the old scout code of always being prepared and a fun way to refresh skills that could potentially help save someone’s life.  May I never need them during my own adventures and may I always remember them when working with my SAR dog.