The old adage, ‘when the going gets tough’ applies so broad and accurately to the field of outdoor work. From the certified professional guide to the avid outdoor enthusiast, the rule of thumb is that an emergency can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone. SOLO’s WFR course gives trainees the skills to be prepared for almost any situation that can be thrown at you, as well as the skills to judge surroundings to help be preventative in your operations to stop emergency situations from progressing in the first place.

SOLO has been a leader in Wilderness Medicine and is the oldest continuously running Wilderness Medicine program in the United States, running training programs since 1976. Their dedication to creating a fun learning environment, creating strong leaders in wilderness safety, has created a community of over one-hundred thousand SOLO participants.

The WFR typically counts as continuing education credits, although it may depend on what certification you have. Street EMTs who take the WFR course may become certified as Wilderness EMTs. Within the first year of completing a SOLO WFR, students may enroll in a SOLO WEMT Part II Module (the last two weeks of a WEMT course) to get their WEMT certification (they must pass practical and written EMT exams).

Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT are job-training programs leading to certifications. Based on the Department of Transportation’s First Responder and EMT curriculums, the WFR and WEMT programs integrate wilderness and medical training. Please read all requirements before registering for a course.

WFR is 9 days in length, and is a comprehensive and in-depth look at the standards and skills of dealing with: Response and Assessment, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Environmental Emergencies and Survival Skills, Soft Tissue Injuries, and Medical Emergencies. Some of these topics may be covered in Wilderness First Aid, but in WFR they are covered more in depth with significantly more hands on practice. With lessons as detailed as the anatomy and physiology of various body systems, to hands-on instruction with wound care, this is a course that covers a huge breadth of topics and leaves participants with the confidence to respond to an emergency in the wilderness.

Attendees will split their time between lecture-style classroom instruction, skills scenarios and videos, outdoor live scenarios, night training and more! SOLO prides themselves on providing a fun learning environment that engrosses participants through many different learning styles, providing a well-rounded and thorough training process.

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This WFR course costs $650 for 9 days of training. Registrants must be 18 or older, or be 16 or older and be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of training. There is no additional cost for the parent if this is the case in attendance.

Cost covers:

• Lodging – Cabin style, shower and bathroom within 20 foot vicinity
• Meals – We are happy to accommodate any dietary needs. We are a Kosher facility.
  • Includes breakfast, lunch & dinner daily
• Cost of training and WFR trainer
• WFR Textbook
• 3-year certification upon successful course completion

Participants should expect to spend a decent amount of this training moving around, getting dirty, and being outdoors. The course is evenly split between classroom and hands on scenarios.

Participants should bring:

• Good pair of comfy boots
• Pants for night training
• Sweater/Jacket for night training
• Sleeping bag or blanket/sheets
• Pillow
• Backpack
• Personal Medical Kit
• CPR Mask
• Pen & notepad
• Personal toiletries