Search & Rescue FIRST AID

Abbotsford, BC

604-477-4663

Search & Rescue First Aid

Elevate Your Search and Rescue (SAR) Team with Ridge Wilderness First Aid

First aid is an indispensable skill for every Search and Rescue (SAR) team member, forming a crucial aspect of a well-rounded skill set alongside expertise in rope, water, and search techniques. In collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross National First Aid Program and Shaun Glass, a retired Canadian Armed Forces SAR technician, Ridge Wilderness has developed a specialized first aid program tailored explicitly for SAR operations.

Introducing SAR Basics:
Our SAR Basics course, in collaboration with BC Search & Rescue members, covers Emergency First Aid, Oxygen Therapy, and Spine Board Knowledge. This one-day program ensures your team not only meets provincial first aid requirements but also becomes adept in essential skills for efficient people extraction.

Explore SAR Essentials:
Delve deeper with SAR Essentials, a two-day program that goes beyond the basics. Participants will cover Emergency First Aid, Oxygen Therapy, Oxygen Adjunct, Spine Board Knowledge, Hypothermia Management, Heat-Related Emergencies, Shock Management, and Spinal Injury Management.

Available Across BC and Alberta:
Ridge Wilderness is proud to extend our SAR first aid courses to both British Columbia and Alberta, offering teams in these provinces the opportunity to benefit from our expertly crafted programs.

Why Choose Ridge Wilderness:
Expertly Crafted Courses: Our programs are meticulously developed in collaboration with SAR teams across British Columbia and Alberta, ensuring relevance and success in real-world scenarios.
Flexibility: Tailor your training plan to meet the specific requirements of your SAR team.
Year-Round On-Site Training: We offer the convenience of year-round on-site training to accommodate your team’s schedule.

Allow Ridge Wilderness to tailor a training plan to meet your SAR team’s specific requirements. For more details, please refer to the comprehensive course outlines provided below.

Ready to discuss your team’s training needs in more detail? Arrange a virtual meeting with Ridge Wilderness’s owner, David Wooldridge, by contacting us at (604)477-4663 or email info@exploreridge.com.

Elevate your SAR team’s capabilities with Ridge Wilderness First Aid – where expertise meets excellence in training.

Details

10 – 42 hours of amazing first aid learning

Cost: $149.95 – $639.95 + tax
*Price varies by location

(10 hrs) SAR Basics Course Content

EMERGENCY FIRST AID

Basic one-day course offering an overview of first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for Search & Rescue teams.

Includes the latest first aid and CPR guidelines. Meets OHS regulations for Basic First Aid. Exceeds competitors’ standards by including injury prevention content, CPR Level C and AED.

This course is Occupational First Aid Compliant 

Responding To Emergencies
  • Legalities of First Aid
  • Duty to Act
  • Role as an occupational First aid attendant
  • Calling 911
  • Lowering the risk of infection
Check, Call, Care
  • Learn the steps of treating a ill or injured Person
Airway Emergencies 
  • Choking-Mild and Severe, Unconscious Adult
  • Choking-conscious and unconscious Child
Breathing and Circulation Emergencies
  • Stroke
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Asthma
First Aid for Respiratory and Cardiac Arrest
  • Heart Attacks
  • CPR and AED (Automatic External Defibrillator)
Wound Care
  • External Bleeds (Deadly Bleeds)
  • Tourniquet
  • Internal Bleeding
  • Cuts, Scrapes, Puncture, Skin Flaps
  • Burns
  • Flail Chest

Oxygen Therapy Certificate

Spine Board Knowledge

(16 hrs) SAR Essentials Course Content

EMERGENCY FIRST AID

Essential two-day course offering an overview of first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills for Search & Rescue teams!

Includes the latest first aid and CPR guidelines. Meets OHS regulations for Basic First Aid. Exceeds competitors’ standards by including injury prevention content, CPR Level C and AED.

This course is Occupational First Aid Compliant 

Responding To Emergencies
  • Legalities of First Aid
  • Duty to Act
  • Role as an occupational First aid attendant
  • Calling 911
  • Lowering the risk of infection
Check, Call, Care
  • Learn the steps of treating a ill or injured Person
Airway Emergencies 
  • Choking-Mild and Severe, Unconscious Adult
  • Choking-conscious and unconscious Child
Breathing and Circulation Emergencies
  • Stroke
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Asthma
First Aid for Respiratory and Cardiac Arrest
  • Heart Attacks
  • CPR and AED (Automatic External Defibrillator)
Wound Care
  • External Bleeds (Deadly Bleeds)
  • Tourniquet
  • Internal Bleeding
  • Cuts, Scrapes, Puncture, Skin Flaps
  • Burns
  • Flail Chest

Oxygen Therapy Certificate

Oxygen Adjunct

Spine Board Knowledge

Hypothermia

Heat Related Emergencies 

Shock Management 

Spinal Injury Management

 

(22 hrs) SAR Remote First Aid Course Content

The following program meets the BC Provincial Operating Guidelines (POG 1.11):

    • Communication and Roles
    • Preparation and Planning for First Aid Emergencies
    • Personal Protective Equipment
    • Prioritizing Multiple Subjects
    • Subject Assessment and Treatment
    • Airway Emergencies
      • Choking
        • Mild and Severe
        • Conscious and Unconscious
    • Oxygen Therapy
      • Oxygen
    • Breathing and Circulation Emergencies
      • CPR and AED
      • Deadly Bleeds
      • Allergies/Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Smoke inhalation, Angina, Heart Attack, Stroke
    • Wound Care
      • Flail Chest, Penetrating Chest Injuries, Crush injuries, Amputation
      • Lacerations, Eye and Ear Injuries, Burns, Infection
    • Bone, Muscle, and Joint Injuries
      • Slings, Splints and Immobilization
    • Head and Spine Injuries
      • Spinal Immobilization, Hard Collars (improvised and commercial)
    • Environmental Situations
      • Poisons, Water, Lightening and Altitude Related Injuries
    • Cold and Heat-Related Emergencies
      • Hypothermia, Heat-Related, Frost Bite
    • Medical Emergencies
      • Evacuation and Transportation
      • Diabetes, Seizure, Non-Digestive Illness

Non- certificate Skill Content:

This content meets the SAR Operational Guidelines:

  • Communication
    • Leadership in First Aid
    • Team Approach First Aid
  • Transport
    • Spine Board, Clamshell Usage, and Vacuum Spine Board (VSB)
    • Ferno Basket Stretcher
(42 hrs) SAR Wilderness First Aid Course Content

The following program meets the BC Provincial Operating Guidelines (POG 1.11):

    • Communication and Roles
    • Preparation and Planning for First Aid Emergencies
    • Personal Protective Equipment
    • Prioritizing Multiple Subjects
    • Subject Assessment and Treatment
    • Airway Emergencies
      • Choking-Mild and Severe, Unconscious Adult
      • Choking-conscious and unconscious Child
    • Breathing and Circulation Emergencies
      • Respiratory Distress
      • Asthma
      • Allergic Reactions
      • Anaphylaxis
      • Smoke Inhalation
      • Stroke
      • Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
    • First Aid for Respiratory and Cardiac Arrest
      • Learn about Angina and Heart Attacks
      • CPR and AED (Automatic External Defibrillator)
    • Wound Care
      • External Bleeding (Deadly Bleeds)
      • Tourniquets
      • Internal bleeding
      • Flail Chest
      • General wounds (Lacerations, Scrapes, Punctures and Skin Flap)
    • Bone, Muscle, and Joint Injuries
      • Splints and Slings
    • Head and Spine Injuries
      • Spinal Precautions
      • Spinal Rolls
      • Head alignment
    • Environmental Situations
      • Hyperthermia
      • Hypothermia
    • Poisons/Wildlife
      • Stings, bites and anything else that would harm you in the woods
    • Evacuation and Transportation
      • Considerations
      • Tarp carries
    • Extended Care
      • Psychological care for the First Aider
    • Head, Neck and Spinal Injuries
      • Discontinue Spinal Precautions
      • Helmet Removal
    • Evacuation
      • Stretcher Building
      • Moving Patients
    • Triage
      • Multiple-casualty incidents
    • Wound Care
      • Removing an Impaled Object
      • Abscess Draining
      • Avulsion
    • Bone, Muscle and Joint Injuries
      • Dislocation Reduction
      • Realigning Fractures
    • Extended Care
      • Pneumonia
    • Extremes in Atmospheric Pressure-Related Illnesses:
      • High-Altitude Illnesses
      • Acute Mountain Sickness
      • High-Altitude Cerebral Edema
      • High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema
      • Decompression Sickness
    • Oxygen Therapy
      • Oxygen

Non- certificate Skill Content:

This content meets the SAR Operational Guidelines:

  • Communication
    • Leadership in First Aid
    • Team Approach First Aid
  • Transport
    • Spine Board, Clamshell Usage, and Vacuum Spine Board (VSB)
    • Ferno Basket Stretcher

Upcoming Courses

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FAQ'S - CLICK HERE

First Aid Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What levels of First Aid do you offer?

We offer the following courses publicly:

  • Remote First Aid 
  • Wilderness First Aid
  • Wilderness First Responder
  • Wilderness First Aid Instructor 
  • OFA 1 Equivalency (SFA Certification)

We also offer recertification courses for all of the above.

In addition, we offer the following for private courses:

  • Standard First Aid
  • Emergency First Aid
  • Transportation Endorsement
  • Marine First Aid
  • OFA 1 Equivalency

 

Do you offer Occupational First Aid level 1?

We offer Standard and Emergency First Aid training. These certifications are equivalent and recognized by WorkSafeBC, as Occupational Level 1. These certifications can be added onto any of our Wilderness Courses for an additional fee.

 

I want to take the 40 hour course, but I can only attend on weekends, what are my options?

If you are looking to obtain a 40 hour WFA Certificate, you can opt to take TWO weekend courses. 

  • Weekend 1: Remote First Aid (20 hours)
  • Weekend 2: Remote to Wilderness First Aid Bridge (20 hours)

If you would like to take advantage of our package pricing, and save yourself $100, contact our office and we can give you this discount for pre-purchasing the two weekends at once! 

 

What kind of first aid do I need to lead overnight trips?

We recommend holding a minimum of a 40 hour Wilderness First Aid Certification, when planning to take people out in the wilderness on an overnight journey.

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Contact Us

Ready to register, but have a question? Call us!

604-477-4663