The Wilderness Medicine Training Center (WMTC)

The Wilderness Medicine Training Center was established in 1997 to provide the highest-quality training available in wilderness medicine and risk management. WMTC courses expertly meld decades of field experience and training with the latest research and technology.

WMTC provides unrivaled training for serious students of pre-hospital wilderness care and risk management. The curriculum and instructors are some of the finest in the world. Graduates receive the tools they need to prevent and handle the emergencies, accidents and illnesses they will experience in the real world. Courses are hands-on, intense, practical, and fun. They are also small enough to guarantee ample personal attention.

WMTC instructors have been carefully selected from a field of high-quality applicants to ensure that they have the right combination of outdoor, medical, and teaching experience-then they undergo the toughest instructor training program in the business. Their lessons are backed by their extensive experience in the field as guides, trip leaders, and medical officers; each has been there...and continues to go there. Every instructor is an expert in one or more outdoor pursuits and each has a wealth of practical experience and stories to share. Instructors are also highly skilled educators, adept at translating their knowledge into information you can understand and use. They make sure you learn the skills you need to make effective decisions in a wilderness environment.

WMTC Medical Courses-Learning from the Real World

All WMTC medical courses are rigorous, fun and fast-paced, with lots of hands-on practice. In general, you will spend the mornings in lecture and labs, and in the afternoons you will work on skills training and simulations; occasionally there are scheduled evening sessions. Instructors and students help cultivate an atmosphere that is intense and supportive, challenging and inspiring. Many students make lifelong friends during a course.

WMTC classes are designed to maximize your real-world learning. Lectures teach how the body works, so you will understand why it doesn't. The courses teach you how to think; there are no "grocery" lists. Homework and quizzes are based on realistic case studies in order to challenge and solidify your learning, and prepare you for increasingly difficult simulations.

Hands-on labs teach you the treatment skills required to perform under challenging field situations. Starting on the first day of the course, you'll face realistic simulations designed to build your field experience and judgment. Each simulation is carefully constructed to develop and challenge your skills. Your instructors use the inevitable mistakes as a source of constructive feedback that helps you and your classmates learn from what went wrong, as well as what went right. On longer courses, simulations are videotaped so you can see what happened and talk about it in the present tense.

Certification

WMTC offers three courses for certification: a seven-day Wilderness EMT Module (WEMT), a nine-day Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and a five-day Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA). All our certification courses include WMTC CPR certification. Although the certification remains valid for three years, (CPR certification is valid for two years), we highly recommend that you take a review and recertification course each year to maintain and polish your skills. Certification is awarded when you successfully complete all portions of the course.

In addition to the certification courses, WMTC offers workshops in Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Risk and Site Management, Technical Rescue, and Basic Survival. Participants in these courses receive a course completion card.

While a current EMT-B minimum certification is required to attend our WEMT module, there are no prerequisites for our WFR, WAFA or WFA courses. If you wish to attend our Review and Recertification Course, you must be a WMTC graduate or a graduate of an approved WEMT, WFR, or WAFA, and currently certified. WMTC graduates may recertify with other qualified wilderness medicine providers.

Please keep in mind that both training and certification in the field of wilderness medicine are unregulated. While some states recognize certain standards and practices within their emergency services legislation, there is no national curriculum or certification. Because of this lack of regulation, almost anyone can offer training and certification in wilderness medicine. When considering a wilderness medicine provider, closely examine your needs and compare them to the experience, standards, and training methods being offered.

WMTC teaches according to the practice guidelines established by the Wilderness Medical Society and the National Association of EMS Physicians. WMTC also teaches the more stringent spine management guidelines established by Peter Goth, M.D., and adopted by the state of Maine. WMTC certifications are accepted by Outward Bound, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), the American Camping Association, the Boy Scouts of America, and all state and federal guide licensing agencies.

Rescue 3 International

Rescue 3 International is an organization focused on providing practical, real world experience. To this end, all of Rescue 3's instructors are professionals working in the disciplines they teach. They include paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement officers, Search and Rescue team members, as well as river guides and military personnel. While Rescue 3's instructors come from a wide variety of fields, they all share the drive to save lives and teach others life saving techniques.

Formed in 1979, Rescue 3 International came about when a group of California search and rescue team members recognized the need for someone to provide training in water rescue after nearly losing one of their own in a rescue attempt. Combining their experience and expertise, this group created what would eventually become the world's leading swiftwater rescue training company. This newly formed organization was christened Rescue 3 both because it sounded "catchy" and because it would focus on providing instruction in the three areas of rescue: ground, air and water.

Initially, Rescue 3 offered two classes, which were the early forms of what we now know as the Swiftwater Rescue Technician 1™ (SRT1) and Swiftwater Rescue Technician Advanced™ (SRTA) programs. As the program developed and grew in popularity, Rescue 3 rapidly expanded from teaching primarily in California to developing an instructor cadre and a strong following of students all over the United States.

In late 1990, Rescue 3 took a big step and began spreading into the international market, thus changing its name to Rescue 3 International. Over the course of the next several years, Rescue 3's reputation as the world leader in swiftwater training grew, gaining worldwide recognition as the international standard in water rescue training. Today, Rescue 3's programs are being taught in seven languages on six continents. Courses are regularly being held in 26 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In 1999, major revisions were made to Rescue 3's curriculum in order to meet the National Fire and Protection Agency's (NFPA) new standard for Technical Water and Rope Rescue, known as NFPA 1670. The NFPA is an international organization which develops codes and standards in all areas of fire-rescue. While not mandated by law, many fire agencies chose to follow the NFPA's standards in order to increase effectiveness and limit liability. Rescue 3's NFPA Standards Water, Flood and Rope Rescue Program has been designed to help the Agency Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and individuals comply with NFPA 1670, as well as newer standards such as NFPA 1006. Recently, Rescue 3's curriculum was researched by Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute at Maryland University and was found to meet NFPA 1670 and 1006.

Rescue 3 International and its network of instructors are constantly revising its courses and curriculum to provide the most current information on techniques and equipment. Always on the cutting edge, Rescue 3 is constantly developing new and innovative rescue techniques, improving on old techniques, and working with manufacturers to develop equipment to meet the rescuers' needs. Additionally, Rescue 3 is involved in a number of organizations which strive to increase the public's awareness of the dangers associated with water and flood hazards. These include the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Society for Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT).

Rescue 3 International is dedicated to helping rescuers meet their training needs -- both in the United States and around the world -- while providing the best swiftwater rescue training on the planet.