Our wilderness medical course curricula are evidence-based and are approved by our medical advisory board, the Wilderness Medical Society, and meet or exceed applicable national standards and guidelines as well. We focus on realistic, hands-on education taught by experienced instructors.
Our Wilderness First Aid Afloat curriculum includes nearly all the same topics as the regular Wilderness First Aid, while adding topics of special interest to boaters such as marine bites and stings, sea sickness, and other injuries common in marine environments. Practice scenarios will be tailored to be more relevant to paddlers, sailors, and anyone who spends time on or near the water; whether boating, standup paddle-boarding, kayaking or even whitewater rafting.
This 36-hour class is offers a more thorough and larger variety of topics plus far more hands-on practice for students than a typical WFA class. Taught over three full days, this intensive course offers additional topics which CWS feels are important, such as group leadership, communication, and more.
This intensive 72-80 hour course is specifically designed for professionals such as outdoor educators, guides, SAR and others who are in a position of leadership in an outdoor setting as well as for those who simply want a higher level of emergency medical training for extended backcountry trips and expeditions.
This 5-day intensive course is designed for those holding current EMT certification (state or NR) and is very fast paced. Building upon the advanced knowledge of patient care of the EMT, this course includes wilderness protocols and procedures that are significantly different from those taught in urban settings.
This hands-on adult CPR skills training course could help you save the life of a family member, a friend, or a stranger by preparing you to correctly and confidently respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies in adults and children over the age of one. Training on how to properly use an AED is also included in this course.
Designed for childcare providers, teachers, parents and others who supervise children, this course will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to recognize and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies in infants and children up to 12 years of age.
This course teaches participants how to provide care for injuries at home, work, school, or around the neighborhood; until advanced medical personnel arrive on scene and take over. The course also strives to give participants the knowledge and confidence needed to overcome any reluctance had to act in an emergency.
This course teaches participants how to recognize and provide care for common injuries and illnesses, as well as cardiac and breathing emergencies. The course also strives to give participants the knowledge and confidence needed to overcome any reluctance had to act in an emergency.
This short introductory course will teach you how to identify the signs of a severe allergic reaction, as well as an asthma attack, then correctly administer an Epipen or asthma inhaler while waiting for advanced medical workers to arrive. Also, learn how to properly report the event of an asthma attack and your care to emergency services personnel.
The American College of Surgeons’ bleeding control program, also known as Stop the Bleed, is a FREE training course designed to teach the public the fundamentals of how to recognize and intervene upon severe bleeding. The use of tourniquets and a focus on sudden emergencies (including active shooters) is included in this 90-minute hands-on training class.
We are excited to be offering the First Aid merit badge, an Eagle-required merit badge! Throughout the year, we anticipate offering several of these courses in the Northern Virginia area; all, being taught by Eagle Scouts who are registered merit badge counselors with the National Capital Area Council, BSA.
Bear attacks are rare. But they do occur, not only in the wilderness and remote places but also in well-populated campgrounds and even in areas close to suburbs and cities. Carry bear spray and know how to use it! Participating in a bear spray training workshop can help prepare you by learning how to properly use bear spray.
Expedition Medic — (XMED)
This practical, hands-on course is lead by experts who are seasoned expedition professionals and medics. Includes essential medical topics related to expeditionary planning, medical kits, trauma and environmental medicine, and more. Additional fields of study include tropical medicine, cruise/expeditionary ship settings, remote and austere field settings and more.
CWS is often tasked with designing custom wilderness & remote medical course that meet an organization’s specific needs. Our staff are able to facilitate experiences that include (but are not limited to) hour long lectures, half day skills-based sessions, themed topic sessions or multi-day training courses. We will work with your group to identify your training needs and create the best possible custom experience for you and your group or organization.
