February WEMT course

February 15, 2008

We are nurses and Wilderness First Responders; firefighters and outdoor educators; those new to wilderness medicine and those who have been teaching it for years.  And we are newly arrived for the WMI WEMT course stationed at Sinks Canyon Center just outside snowy Lander, WY.

I have been looking forward to this course for years . . . since, in fact, my first WFR with Buck Tilton back in Pitkin, CO many years ago.  Time and circumstances finally came together to allow me to join in the fun.  We seem to have an eager crew of 25, undaunted by the vast amounts of information and practical skills slammed on us like a fire hydrant.  Our hearty instructors, Jess and Dave, keep us awake and oriented even through continuous eight hour days of class-time–a none too shabby feat keeping the interest of folks unaccustomed to being in a classroom with walls and a roof.  Of course, our mandatory play time for scenarios outside breaks up the day nicely.  Clinicals start this weekend.  And soon, we will all be up to speed, flying through patient assessments like old pros, I have faith.

Hopefully, like my WFR’s before, our group will find common bonds and common ground over our 4 weeks together.  We are, after all, saving each other’s lives every day.

posted by Ben Tettlebaum, WEMT student

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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.