About us

Our Company & Our People.

Abbotsford, BC

604-477-4663

Company Overview

At Ridge First Aid, we provide exceptional first aid training with a focus on wilderness first aid. Our founder and CEO, David Wooldridge, is a recognized expert by the Canadian Red Cross, especially in Wilderness First Aid programs. David played a key role in developing the new Red Cross 80-hour Wilderness First Responder program. We are proud to have offered this program in British Columbia since Spring 2018.

As a company, Ridge First Aid supports groups prioritizing environmental conservation and outdoor safety. We believe everyone should have the skills to explore our world comfortably and safely. Our passion is to equip you with the tools and knowledge to confidently embark on your adventures.

Our Mission

Our mission at Ridge First Aid is to empower individuals with comprehensive first aid skills, ensuring they can enjoy the great outdoors safely. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, scout leader, or wilderness instructor, our courses are designed to meet your needs and exceed your expectations.

Our Team

Our experienced instructors bring a wealth of knowledge and a passion for teaching. We are dedicated to making first aid training accessible, engaging, and effective. Meet some of our key team members:

Why Choose Ridge First Aid?

  • Expert Instructors: Learn from seasoned professionals with extensive wilderness and first aid experience.
  • Comprehensive Courses: Our training programs cover a wide range of scenarios and skills, from basic CPR to advanced wilderness first responder training.
  • Commitment to Safety: We prioritize safety in all our courses, ensuring you are well-prepared for any situation.
  • Support for the Environment: We support groups and initiatives that work towards environmental conservation and outdoor safety.

Join us at Ridge First Aid and gain the skills you need to explore the wilderness with confidence and peace of mind. Contact us today to learn more about our courses and how we can help you prepare for your next adventure.

David Wooldridge – Founder and CEO

David has been instrumental in shaping wilderness first aid training in Canada. With over 15 years of experience in guiding and first aid instruction, his expertise and commitment to safety are the foundation of Ridge First Aid.

Kayla - Executive Director

Meet Kayla Hoogenraad, our dynamic General Manager who keeps Ridge Wilderness running smoothly. Kayla manages everything from staff coordination and scheduling to client bookings and custom programming. She also oversees accounts and invoicing, ensuring every detail is handled with care and precision.

Kayla joined Ridge Wilderness 6 years ago, bringing with her a wealth of experience from managing a bustling restaurant for nearly 8 years. After a few years dedicated to her family, she returned to the workforce with a passion for outdoor adventures and a knack for organization.

Kayla thrives in environments where she can juggle multiple responsibilities and keep everything on track. Her extensive experience in customer service and administrative tasks makes her an invaluable asset to our team. Though she modestly claims no industry-specific accolades, her expertise and dedication speak volumes.

Outside of work, Kayla enjoys savoring moments of tranquility with a vanilla latte and a thrilling novel. She loves exploring new places on road trips around BC with her husband and four kids, and she never misses a chance to relax in tropical destinations.

Inspired by the challenges life presents, Kayla believes overcoming them makes life meaningful. Her motivation comes from the positive feedback of youth and teachers who find peace and joy in nature through our programs. Kayla is committed to delivering exceptional experiences for all our clients and is always ready to create custom programs to meet unique needs.

Kayla’s favorite quote: “Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

Rachel - Operations Coordinator

I am Rachel Campbell, and I call the beautiful Chilliwack, BC home. For over a decade, I’ve dedicated myself to education, specializing in Special Education, Outdoor Education and First Aid. For the past seven years, I’ve been a proud member of Chilliwack Search and Rescue, training in swift water rescue, rope rescue, helicopter rescue, first aid, and risk management.

Professional Experience:

Educator
 First Aid Instructor
 Special Education and Outdoor Education.

Chilliwack Search and Rescue
o Swift Water Rescue
o Rope Rescue
o Helicopter Rescue
o Licensed Emergency Medical Responder

Personal Passions
 Cold Water Swimming
 Canoeing
 Backcountry Adventures
 Wilderness Survival Skills

One of my greatest joys is taking others into the wilderness to share the magic of nature. Working with Ridge Wilderness has been a dream come true, allowing me to combine my love for teaching, guiding, and adventuring. Every day, I get to be outside, doing what I love and sharing my passion with others. So, let’s go on an adventure together and learn some knew skills!

Tim - First Aid Instructor

Tim has been with Ridge Wilderness going on 2 seasons now as a Wilderness/Remote First Aid Instructor. In his spare time he also volunteers with the Central Fraser Valley Search & Rescue. Tim currently holds his Wilderness and Remote First Aid Instructorship, including Oxygen Therapy. When he is not wrestling with his mini me you can find him in the local mountains backpacking, or by a campfire catching up with family & friends. Tim has a passion for teaching & learning, he is constantly learning new skills & ways of doing things. Having experience as an active Search & Rescue member, he brings a lot of real world events and experiences to his teaching, which really helps to motivate & see things in a different light. “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do” – Kobe Bryant

Sarah - First Aid Instructor

Hi all, I’m Sarah! I’m a part-time instructor with Ridge and teach Remote and Wilderness First Aid. I’m from Nova Scotia, but have been living on Vancouver Island since starting at the University of Victoria a few years ago. I’m majoring in Biology with a minor in Global Development studies. I love ecology, zoology, and have been doing research in the Reimchen Lab at UVic on plumage patterns and foraging behaviour in aquatic birds. This summer I’ve been working as an Endangered Species Monitoring Technician with Canadian Wildlife Services and ECCC to monitor Woodpecker and Sapsucker productivity.

When I’m not working or at school, I love getting outside for backpacking trips, to ski, or to tidepool for cool nudibranchs! My favourite thing about teaching first aid is getting to meet people from different backgrounds who all share a love for the outdoors.

Marcel - First Aid Instructor

I grew up in the Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe area, where I spent most of my life. My journey into first aid began at the age of 14 with a Canadian Red Cross first aid course. By 17, I earned my Occupational Level Three First Aid certification, despite initial ticket and age restrictions. At 18, I became a Canadian Red Cross First Aid Instructor, and by 20, I had advanced to Level Three First Aid and obtained my Level One First Aid Instructor certification through EMP Canada. During this time, I taught CPR/BLS and other courses, while continuing my education with Red Cross Instructor updates.

My professional experience includes working in the industry as a rescue technician, focusing on mine rescue, high-angle rescue, and confined space rescue across various gas and industrial sites throughout BC and Alberta. I’ve been an active member of Search and Rescue for over 12 years, applying the rescue skills I developed in the industry. I currently teach Confined Space Entry and Rescue, Ground Search and Rescue Training, and ICS 100, and I serve as one of the search managers and certified team leaders for our local Search and Rescue team.

In addition to my professional work, I am an elected official in our village council and run my own company. I’ve been married for 17 years and enjoy spending time outdoors with my wife and our two boys, aged 15 and 12, who share my love for camping. While I don’t do much canoeing on flat calm water—largely because I can’t swim—I find fulfillment in many other outdoor activities.

Jamie - Creative Director & Account Manager

Jamie Tempel, assistant to all. She started her journey with Ridge Wilderness in 2021 to align her professional life with her passion for adventure and the outdoors. Jamie was born and raised in the West Chilcotin community of Nimpo Lake, BC where nature was ingrained into her foundation and roots. Growing up in the tourism industry and always having customer service at the forefront of her endeavors, she prides herself on every client interaction being one of value, intention and connection. In her spare time she will be found with her family, hiking any mountain she possibly can, wandering through the woods aimlessly or by an open fire cooking up new tasty creations. As a self proclaimed nature geek, Jamie believes in inspiring others, especially youth, to form their connection with the outdoors and is grateful to be a part of a team that allows her the platform to do so! “Going to the mountains, is going home” – John Muir

Courtland - First Aid Instructor

Guide on the Side? Teaching Troubadour? Director of Eastern Operations? Who is Courtland Kerr? Courtland is a part-time guide and Wilderness First Aid instructor and has worked with Ridge Wilderness Adventures since 2016. Originally from Maple Ridge, Courtland started his outdoor career with Ridge Wilderness. He attended the University of the Fraser Valley and leverages his history and anthropology knowledge to deliver unique historical and cultural experiences when sharing the outdoors with people. Courtland is a recent graduate of Cape Breton University, where he completed a Bachelor of Education which allows him to further leverage his learning to create effective learning spaces during courses. Nowadays, you can find Courtland paddling on the beautiful waters of Muskoka in Ontario, where he works as an history and outdoor education teacher and helps share the Ridge Wilderness experience in Ontario. He loves all outdoor activities, from canoeing all the way to rock climbing, and he is an avid rugby player. Courtland is a lifelong learner and enjoys challenging himself; he has taught himself how to make canoe paddles and crochet. His current endeavor is learning to speak Gaelic, which he picked up while living in the Maritimes. Courtland believes the outdoors is a magical place of wonder and amazement that can transform us and shape our worldview, and this is what inspires him to take others outside.

Bruce - First Aid Instructor & Canoe Guide

I live in Abbotsford.  I am a retired professional firefighter, having served 29 years.  My hobbies are outdoor adventure by bicycle, backpack or boat, as well as physical fitness.  I run a small mobile strength training business other than my work with Ridge.  I love guiding and teaching first aid with Ridge because it combines all my passions together and I love meeting new people.

Frank - First Aid Instructor

Frank Grosspietsch, Instructor Remote & Wilderness First Aid and sometimes School Canoe Guide.

Frank has been with Ridge Wilderness for a little over a year. He also works with the United Nations and the Safer Schools Together Program. Prior to that, he spent 18yrs with the Canadian Armed Forces and another 17yrs with the RCMP.
 
Frank has had a various unique and dynamic career that involved serving on missions around the globe/domestically and being trained in support of those tasks. Some of those skill sets are:
– Winter Operations & Survival
– Mountain Operations including rope work
– Desert Operations & Survival
– Jungle Operations & Survival
– Canadian Airborne Regiment
– Combat Operations
– Military First Aid applicable to all environments
– Red Cross Remote / Wilderness First Aid Instructor Certification
 
Frank is an avid outdoorsman that will spend a significant time pursuing his outdoor passions and has a particular love for the alpine. Frank is a strong believer in public safety and that is expressed in his work with the United Nations & Safer Schools.
 
Frank has a very strong belief in that all humans must be treated equally and that there is no place for bias, misogyny and racism. He is of the belief that everything that we learn is not to be kept for ourselves but to share with others and that is what drives him to learn and to seek out new experiences.

Jackie - Operations Manager

Jackie Hamm – Operations Manager, First Aid Instructor and Guide.

She is responsible for the daily operations of Ridge as well as instructing programs and paddling.

Jackie has attended Columbia Bible College where she has received her diploma in Outdoor Leadership which has given her experience in multiple outdoor activities. This program has also equipped her with certificates in the outdoor industry and extended professional development.

In the past couple years, she has expanded her love for the outdoors and brings this into her instruction in Wilderness First Aid, and also upgrading multiple canoe certificates. In her free time, Jackie loves to stay busy either by getting outside on water or land and broadening her horizons by learning new skills.

Jackie’s driven by helping people get outside and feel confident in the wilderness, either by teaching them how to paddling or gaining new skills in first aid.

Victoria - First Aid Instructor

Victoria is one of our many part-time first aid instructors that teaches Emergency First and 20-hrs Remote First Aid course. Born and raised in Maple Ridge, Victoria Farahbakhchian has her Master of Science in Ecological Restoration and Bachelor of Science in Biology. Victoria’s background in science, restoration, Search & rescue, and children’s programming has led her to become the Education Coordinator at the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest in Maple Ridge. At the forest, Victoria has created outdoor educational programs that allow guests the opportunity to learn about their local environment in a safe, unique and interactive way. Victoria feels that protection of the environment starts with a basic understanding and appreciation of the natural world. In addition, Victoria volunteers within her community as a Board of Director for the Alouette River Management Society, and is an active member with Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue. Victoria is grateful to have the opportunity to learn and teach first aid, as she feels it not only helps on her own day-to-day experiences, but she has the opportunity to help other people venture safely into the outdoors. When Victoria has free (which is never), you will find her trail running, drinking oat-milk lattes, cuddling her dog Myla, and planning her own outdoor adventure.

Walker - First Aid Instructor + Canoe Guide

Walker (like the noun or the verb) is a first aid instructor here with Ridge, who grew up on Salt Spring Island, and now calls Victoria home. In what’s a case of nominative determinism (oh yeah) Walker’s favorite thing to do is move around outside – ambulate! He loves everyday plogging (look it up!) from point a to b foremost, second to hiking and endurance long-distance jogging. He’s also got a soft spot (and deep appreciation) for cold water exposure – let’s everyone go jump in an ocean, 365 days a year! Walker’s a graduate student in the University of Victoria, researching into some of the social, psychological, and institutional aspects of environmentalism. In his personal time, Walker volunteers with a local Search and Rescue team, and does a little bit of archaeology research here and there. In the future, Walker sees himself busy with research, writing, and time spent exploring (wherever this may be!). He’s passionate about learning (within himself and others), and helping to give back to the world that’s given him so much. That and chickpeas – Walker loves legumes (good for the body, good for the planet. Seriously!). Walker’s excited to see you in a course or a trip, where we can learn together, building our skills and knowledge on how to help others! Thanks for reading, and all the very best to you – Walker (N/V)

Simon - First Aid Instructor

Hello!
My name is Simon and I am one of the first-aid instructors at Ridge.  During the school year I study kinesiology, how our bodies work, at the University of Victoria and during the summer I work as a hiking guide in the Canadian Rockies.  These interests make wilderness first aid courses especially exciting for me to teach as they combine two of my passions!