Gates Richards
Gates Richards has been involved in outdoor education and EMS since the early ’90s. Over the years he’s worked outdoor programming throughout the Rockies, Pacific Northwest and Alaska. He’s worked urban EMS in DC, WA, CO and WY. Gates began teaching for NOLS Wilderness Medicine in 1998 and has been awarded the Wilderness Medical Society’s Warren Bowman award for contributions to wilderness medicine by a non-physician as well as the National Collegiate EMS Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award. He was the former Associate Director and is currently a NOLS Wilderness Medicine Faculty member.
Articles By Gates Richards
Case Study: Fall from a Horse
You witness someone fall from a horse; they are unresponsive. How do you use your Wilderness Medicine skills in this situation?
Case Study: An Abandoned Patient High in the Alpine
After a strenuous hike, you and your team find a tent just off the trail at 11,300 ft. You call out, “Hello, is anyone in the tent? This is search and rescue. We have a report of someone who needs assistance?” See what happens next in this case study.
Case Study: Shortness of Breath While Fishing
Test your wilderness medicine skills to see how you would respond to this first-aid scenario.
Case Study: A Slip on a Slope
Your hiking partner slips on a snowy slope and slides head-first into a tree. What do you do next?
Case Study: Heat Cramps on the Rio Grande
On a paddling trip in Big Bend National Park, a participant starts having leg spasms. What do you do?
Case Study: Burn in the Backcountry
A student gets a hot water burn deep in the backcountry. What do you do?
