BOISE STATE CLASS PREPARES FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES IN WILD IDAHO

Now is the time to register at Boise State University’s Outdoor Center for the 2003 Wilderness First Aid Seminar. The class will be held at the Student Recreation Center from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 26-27. Registration is $140 for the general public and $125 for Boise State students.

The comprehensive introductory-level course historically fills up quickly; enrollment maximum is 30 people. This seminar is the only one this year in southwest Idaho.

“This class is to help you prepare for potential accidents, whether you are in the Boise Foothills or deep in the Idaho wilderness,” said Geoff Harrison, assistant director of Outdoor Programs.

Harrison said participants generally enjoy the skills-based, hands-on nature of the class. “This is not a regular class where the instructor speaks at you and you take notes,” he said. “The class is very active.”

The most common outdoor medical emergencies are hypothermia, spinal injury and allergic reactions to foods, plants and insects. The course emphasizes principles of treatment and decision making for such emergencies in addition to the control of bleeding, splinting and reducing fractures and dislocations.

Two faculty members from the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) will be flying in to teach the class. The certification earned at the seminar is good for two years and the class is taught annually so that the members can keep their skills current, Harrison said.

This course becomes particularly relevant as weather gradually turns into ideal camping and traveling conditions. “Once you are a half mile from the trailhead you can no longer call 911 and get a quick transport to definitive care, so you need to know how to take care of yourself, friends and family,” Harrison said.

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Geoff Harrison

Outdoor Programs

426-2628

Kathleen Craven

communications and marketing

426-3275

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