Training for Wild Rescues
SLIPPERY ROCK — Earlier this week, a group of people clamored around Jake Eddy, a student at Slippery Rock University.
Based on his bruised "raccoon" eyes, blood in the ears and other symptoms, the unresponsive Eddy was diagnosed with head trauma before being bundled for warmth and carried to safety from the woods.
Luckily, safety was found a few yards away, where Eddy emerged from his stretcher unscathed and joined his peers at the campus ski lodge.
Still donning stage bruises and remnants of sticky makeshift blood, Eddy continued his morning by hearing a talk on bee sting allergies.
The day's events were part of a weeklong Wilderness First Responder course, held each year at SRU.
Graduates of the course are certified to deal with medical emergencies that occur more than an hour into the field or more than a mile from the trailhead, said Steve Roberts, director of outdoor adventures and club sports at SRU.
Although typical emergencies in the "front country" call for stabilizing a victim until professional help arrives, those with WFR certification can provide that help in emergencies that occur at wilderness sites.
"In town you would not set an angulated fracture or reduce a dislocation," Roberts said. Instead, the proper action would be to keep the victim calm after calling 911.
But when distance renders a site inaccessible, WFR skills kick in.
"The skills can include anything from soft tissue injuries to fractures to environmental stuff like hypothermia and heat stroke," said course instructor Josh MacMillan, hired through Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities in New Hampshire. MacMillan said SOLOis one of three major companies offering the certification.
Since lack of technology and tools would limit a doctor's effectiveness in the wilderness, MacMillan noted the duties performed by wilderness responders are often identical to those a doctor would be limited to performing in the back country.
To prepare trainees for the job, MacMillan divides the weeklong course equally between field and classroom work.
Eddy's head trauma, for instance, was included in the 20-plus scenarios staged throughout the week. As part of that scenario, Eddy and five other volunteers acted out a myriad of injuries after a 75-foot sliding fall from a ridge.
After diagnosing the unconscious Eddy with head trauma, responders cushioned him with a flying nun, a head and neck support created with an insulated pad otherwise used for sleeping.
Responders managed Eddy's body temperature by wrapping him with clothing, a sleeping bag and tarp.
"Hypothermia is definitely an issue," commented Adam Carey of Pittsburgh, after tying the wrap in sections. Tying in sections is typically done so victims can use their arms or go to the bathroom with minimal untying and retying, he said.
Eddy was then lifted onto a litter, a lightweight wire mesh carrier often used for rescues.
In a scenario nearby, a litter was not available, so responders quickly fashioned one from four stout limbs and some climbing rope. Splints and bandages also were applied as responders talked with victims, reassessing the situations to see if injuries already treated had been masking pain from additional ones.MacMillan said the field exercises are balanced by lectures, which teach students to diagnose and treat common and not-so-common problems.Common injuries might include cuts, sprains and fractures. Rarer scenarios include femur fractures, described as uncommon, but life-threatening.As diverse as the scenarios presented are those who attend the training sessions."We've had people from North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio," Roberts said, noting only a small percentage of attendees are students at SRU.Roberts said attendees can include students, educators and field practitioners — or outdoor enthusiasts seeking more skills.Cost for the course, offered at a discount through SRU, runs about $600 for the general public or $450 for students. The three-year certification can be renewed before expiration through a less expensive weekend course. The university offers the course in January, between semesters, so as not to conflict with student schedules.McMillan said although many of the courses are attended more heavily by men, this year's SRU event was close to an even number of men and women.Abbie Speer, who majors in parks and resource management at SRU, was among the women enrolled this year."It's a good certification to have when you're finding jobs," Speer said."It's more than building splints. It's knowing what injuries to look for and how to look for them."
