WKU To Offer Course On
Handling Backcountry Emergencies
February 20, 2004
Note to editors: Reporters and film crews are invited to the final simulation on March 27. Contact Sharon Woodward at (270) 745-1910 for information and to schedule a visit.
Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University will offer a nationally recognized Wilderness First Responder course next month.
The Continuing Education course is scheduled for March 19-27 at Western's L.D. Brown Agricultural Exposition Center and the University farm.
WKU's Division of Extended Learning and Outreach and the University's Recreation and Park Administration program are partnering to provide the 72-hour course for students and community members.
The backcountry medical training course will show participants how to deal with medical emergencies when they are miles from help and dialing 911 is not an option. Wilderness medicine differs from traditional first aid in three respects. First, many phases of patient care must occur in the field because transportation to medical facilities may take hours or days. Second, severe environments increase the complexity of any emergency and heighten risks to patients and rescuers. Third, limited equipment makes resourcefulness essential.
Instructors from Wilderness Medical Associates, a leader in wilderness medical training, will provide training. During the course, students will spend the mornings in lectures and the afternoons and evenings in rescue simulations and other hands-on work.
For information, contact Sharon Woodward, director of Continuing Education, at (270) 745-1910.
More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
