This is also true for those working in forestry, mining, tourism, prospectors, geologists, pilots and other industries. Access to medical help can take hours. That’s why having Wilderness First Aid certification is not just important—it’s essential.
Photo: Lisa Petrole Photography
Why Outdoor Professionals Need Wilderness First Aid
Unlike urban first aid, wilderness first aid prepares you for emergencies where help isn’t immediately available. When you work in rural, remote, or isolated areas, you might need to care for injuries for a long time. You may also have to make important choices about evacuating people. A Wilderness First Aid course equips you with life-saving skills that are practical for these environments.
What Wilderness First Aid Training Covers
The Wilderness & Remote First Aid Program offers three levels of training. These courses will help you gain the skills and confidence to handle medical emergencies in remote and isolated areas.
Our unique approach ensures that at least 50% of each course takes place outdoors, providing hands-on experience in real-world scenarios. Training includes:
You’ll learn how to handle basic first aid, CPR, and provide extended care for up to 24 hours. It’s practical and includes outdoor activities to ensure you’re ready for real-life emergencies.
What you’ll learn:
- Safety of yourself
- Planning
- Assessment
- CPR & AED
- Choking, breathing and circulation emergencies
- Wound care, head, neck, and spinal injuries
- Bone, muscle and joint injuries
- Sudden medical emergencies
- Environmental injuries like heatstroke or hypothermia
- Poisoning & wildlife handling
- How to care for someone for up to 24 hours
At the end, you’ll earn a Remote First Aid & CPR C certification, valid for 3 years.
2. Wilderness First Aid (40 hours)
The course is for those working 3 or more hours from medical help.You will learn advanced skills for dealing with injuries and emergencies in the wilderness. Includes outdoor lessons to prepare you for real-world situations and more challenging environments with varied risk levels.
In addition to the content from the Remote First Aid course, you will also learn:
- Safety of yourself and your peers or group
- Extended care and decision-making around additional supports required
- How to care for someone for an extended period, overnight to a few days.
You'll receive a Wilderness First Aid & CPR C certification, valid for 3 years.
Expert advice: “In the Wilderness First Aid course, you will also learn advanced skills such as helmet removal, pressure-related injuries, and alternative methods for handling fractures and dislocations,” says James Tucker, a member of the Canadian Red Cross Wilderness Advisory Group.
This course is for those who need advanced skills, such as search and rescue teams or workers in remote emergency services.You'll learn how to manage medical emergencies, provide care for an extended period, and make critical rescue decisions. Much of the training is hands-on and in outdoor settings.
In addition to the content from the Wilderness First Aid course, you will also learn advanced patient care, including:
- Group dynamics and team management
- Advanced patient assessments
- Infection prevention and control
- Anatomy and physiology
- Handling severe injuries and trauma
- CPR & AED
- Shock
- Pregnancy, labour, and delivery
- Airway management and respiratory emergencies
- Hemorrhage and soft tissue trauma
- Mental and emotional health and wellness
- Pharmacology
- Treating environmental and wildlife-related issues
- How to move patients to safety
- Managing multiple casualties
- Extended patient care
- Complex patient evacuation considerations
You'll earn Wilderness First Responder certification and a Basic Life Support certification.
Expert advice: “In the Wilderness First Responder course, you will learn O² administration, airway maintenance, advanced packaging and transportation options, additional assessment tools, advanced vital signs, and more,” says James Tucker, a member of the Canadian Red Cross Wilderness Advisory Group.
Real-World Benefits for Outdoor Professionals
Knowing first aid can make a difference if you're in fields like forestry, mining, or remote tourism. Plus, companies in these areas get a significant boost from having employees trained in wilderness first aid. Your first aid skills will help lower workplace risks and improve safety standards.
Jack Burns, a professional interpretive hiking guide with over 54 years of outdoor experience, shares about his experience at the Wilderness First Aid course he took with OutThere First Aid:
"I was very impressed with the quality and quantity of instruction and practical skills I received over this past weekend. I've been hiking and working in the outdoors for decades, and I don't believe I've ever met someone with such a deep understanding of both the outdoors and first aid. All weekend I kept receiving tips on wilderness survival that I’d never heard before, and I could immediately see their value."
"As for first aid, the guidance, teaching, and demonstrations were absolutely first rate. It felt like we were only scratching the surface of a vast store of knowledge beyond the curriculum. James answered all our questions with practical examples that went beyond the book answers. I appreciate his honesty when he didn’t know something, which built trust. I will definitely recommend this course to my fellow guides."
Jack's experience shows just how important this training can be for outdoor professionals, whether you’re a guide, park ranger, or working in remote locations.
Who Needs Wilderness First Aid Training?
- Wilderness Guides and Outdoor Leaders: If you are leading a hike or a canoe trip, it is important to have wilderness first aid training. This training helps you manage any situation that may arise.
- Search & Rescue Teams: In emergency situations where every second counts, wilderness first aid skills could make the difference.
- Wildland Firefighters, Park Staff & Outdoor Guides: Whether working at a national, provincial, or regional park, an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area, or as a wilderness fishing or hunting guide, first aid training helps you respond effectively.
- Remote Job Site Workers (Forestry, Mining, Prospecting, Geologists, Pilots, Construction): If you're working in a place that’s far from healthcare, wilderness first aid training will help you manage injuries quickly and safely.
If you work in a remote or wilderness environment, don’t wait until an emergency happens. Prepare yourself with a Canadian Red Cross Wilderness & Remote First Aid Program. The program is made for outdoor workers. It gives you the skills and confidence to manage emergencies when help is far away.
