Example of one of our Simulation Exercises

CDS Outdoor School regularly offers a Wilderness First Aid course, and I completed this last month. The course is recognized by the PA Department of Health, NY Guides Association, and several other organizations.  The 3-year certification helped me learn the basics of Patient Assessment, Patient Protection, Wound Care, Orthopedic Injuries, Animal and Insect Bites, Environmental Injuries (heat and cold injuries), and Personal Protection. All practice simulations assumed that we would have only minimal resources in the wilderness, of course! The certification course was extremely useful and it was also gratifying to develop a connection to the incredible Search and Rescue and Wilderness Medicine resources in this area. I am looking forward to my Observer Shifts in the near future: one in an ambulance and another on a rescue helicopter!

Image via Wikipedia

 August 27-30: An exciting weekend: invited to obtain certification as a  facilitator for the Boy Scouts of America’s Project COPE ropes course in Sharpsburg, PA. Completing the low course and high course challenges with an 8-person team was great fun and great exercise! Practicing the facilitation skills necessary to encourage groups to play games together, overcome fears and problem-solve as a team was also a profound experience.  Then on Sunday things got even better: we were all given a special workshop on setting up the BSA’s  mobile climbing wall, which means…wait for it…I’m officially an Amusement Park Ride Operator!  Carnivals, here I come!  Thanks to the BSA and all the hard-working volunteer instructors who helped out this weekend. What a fantastic resource.