Wilderness First Aid Class (16 hours)
September 27 – 28, 2008
The Sierra Club requires that outing leaders be trained in first aid (http://mitchell.sierraclub.org/outings/policy/FirstAid/index.asp). For simple outings, 6-8 hours of training every three years is considered sufficient. The Loma Prieta Chapter has been offering such classes for some time; they are also available through the American Red Cross. For more challenging outings, a 16 hour Wilderness First Aid class or 80 hour Wilderness First Responder class is either recommended or required. Our Chapter will be offering a 16 hour WFA class taught by Bobbie Foster of Foster Calm in September 2008.
Foster Calm Wilderness First Aid teaches patient assessment and response to such conditions as shock, bleeding, head and spinal injuries, musculoskeletal injuries, wounds, heat, and cold in a non-urban setting.
Bobbie has been involved in outdoor recreation/education for over 12 years. As an employee of the University of California at San Francisco Medical School outdoor program "Outdoors Unlimited," she served as the coordinator of the whitewater canoeing program and was a back country skiing leader/instructor, a back packing leader, budgets manager, publicity coordinator, and risk management supervisor. In 1994, she found her true passion in the field of first aid. She served as OU First Aid Coordinator and Lead Instructor from 1994 to 2001, when she set up her own instructional company. Often assisted by her husband Atwood and several graduates of previous classes seeking additional training as volunteers, she teaches a range of classes at various locations (often including OU) throughout northern California. For more information, see http://www.fostercalm.com.
The Loma Prieta Chapter WFA class will convene promptly at 8 AM, Saturday, 27 Sep 2008, in the Raptor Suite (large, first-floor meeting room) at the Peninsula Conservation Center, 3921 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto (for a map, see http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/directory.asp). The Saturday class will run until 5 PM with a one-hour break for lunch. The schedule Sunday will be the same except that the afternoon will be devoted to outdoor 'scenarios' in which students will practice their skills, and there will be a written test.
To enroll in the class, complete the application and send it with a check for $95 payable to "Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter" to
Tom Morse
1188 Walnut Street
San Carlos, CA 94070-4910
To the extent possible, applications will be processed in the order received, except that Sierra Club members will receive priority until two weeks before the class. You will be notified of your status when your application has been received. If accepted, the instructor will mail you a packet of materials a couple weeks before the class.
It is recommended that you sign up early to assure a place in the class, and receipt of study materials in advance.
If you have questions or must cancel, contact Tom Morse (see below) as soon as possible. Your refund (if any) will depend on when you cancel and whether there is a qualified replacement available to take your place.
Class Coordinator: Tom Morse tripbtom@aol.com 650-593-5123