Dustdevil Posted September 8, 2008 Posted September 8, 2008 Advanced First Aid teaches all that same stuff, including childbirth. And the EMT curriculum is not geared towards remote rescue. It is geared towards keeping the ABCs intact for fifteen minutes or less. Consequently, they don't even cover tourniquets. I'm telling you man, you simply do not seem to have a clue what EMT training is. It is not what you need. It is not what you want. You need an Advanced First Aid course, and then to find a wilderness first aid course to augment that knowledge. I would much rather have that than some EMT with me out in the wilderness. And yes, I have spend a considerable amount of time in the wilderness, as well as teaching first aid (for the Red Cross and the Boy Scouts) and EMTs. The only part of EMT training that would be of significant value to you would be the hands-on training, and you won't get that online or out of a book. It seems that you are absolutely determined to do this, so go for it. But don't come here asking for advice just to argue with it.
stbone Posted September 8, 2008 Author Posted September 8, 2008 Dustdevil, I appologize if I seemed argumentative. I really appreciate the information and recommendations that people have given me here. I have been checking out the sites and courses that people have been recommending and am very happy with what has been recommended. As a result, I am looking for a local wilderness first aid class. As some background for why I am doing this, I recently was reading about treatment of bleeding in the internet. Most places seemed to talk about applying direct pressure to the wound. One site, that seemed to be geared more towards EMT types spoke of not applying direct pressure to the wound, but packing the wound itself with gauze. After reading this material I questioned whether basic first aid was realy the right treatment, or more of an idiot-proof temporary solution. Not knowing if any of this was true, I thought that I should try to learn the next step in first aid to make sure that I really can provide basic care to myself and others. It seemed like EMT training would be the next logical step. But, after having read the comments here, I will go take more first aid classes and maybe the techpro class as well. Again, thanks for the information and I appologize if I seemed argumentative.
Dustdevil Posted September 8, 2008 Posted September 8, 2008 Just remember that the key for you is going to be hands-on experience, not books or websites. First aid is all about hands-on. And without constant practice, you lose it quickly. That is the primary reason why a first aid course would be ten times more valuable to you than any online EMT course. Tourniquets are quickly regaining favour in professional circles. Unfortunately, what is best for professionals is not always the best for lay persons. It takes a lot more than is taught in a first aid course, or even an EMT course, to develop the judgement necessary to intelligently apply a tourniquet. It's just not as simple as ABC. So, outside of military training and medical school, you just won't see it addressed much still. That's why you will find so much confusing information during your research. If you'll search the term "tourniquet" here at the forum, you'll find some pretty good discussions that will provide you with more insight from which to inform yourself and decide if this is something you need to find training for. When it comes to remote first aid, a lot of things besides tourniquets get complicated. Heck, just the term "remote" is complicated. For some, remote includes camping in a field on the side of the highway, with easy access, although miles from town. For others, remote is only those places that would require a helicopter extract -- or a multi day hike -- in order to extract your victim. Obviously, the concerns of each situation will vary greatly. As an outdoorsman, what you most need is simple first aid training. Sometimes it's hard to find an advanced course, but if you can, they are excellent. The only thing I learned in EMT school that I didn't learn in Advanced First Aid was stuff that is specific to ambulance operations, so don't sell it short. There are some good paperback books out there covering wilderness medicine and expeditionary medicine that will be of value to you in addressing illnesses and other emergencies in the wilderness setting. But most of them are geared towards actual WILDERNESS expeditions, where you are days away from any medical care, not just a couple of hours. So you have to resist the urge to start practising medicine without a licence, based on the info on those books, just because you're in the woods for the day. But they do help you to assess whether or not your partners need evacuation immediately, or just some rest and water. It's good that you are thinking ahead, because way too many groups head out into the outback without anyone having a clue. Boy Scout first aid has always been practically focused, and serves as a good foundation, so you're on the right track to review that first, and then take it from there. Good luck!
Richard B the EMT Posted September 8, 2008 Posted September 8, 2008 If cost is not a consideration, get both the on line and the hands on, but concentrate more with the hands on.
Recommended Posts