Do you
worry you might someday have to find out what's in your first aid kit?
Do you know what to do if you find an unconscious person lying in the
trail? How can you remember the six vital things to check, without having
your mind go blank? AMC'ers Alix and Bob Pratt, Janet Millenson, and myself
joined about 30 others on February 6 and 7 to confront these questions
under the tutelage of Wilderness First Aid, a program of the Wilderness
Safety Council. We learned a lot, and had a good time learning it.
The course focuses on the first aid issues specific for travel in the
back country, such as: How to make do with whatever is on hand; how to
tell the difference between a serious emergency that requires evacuation
and a painful inconvenience requiring 24 hours rest, and how to keep the
victim of a serious accident or injury alive until a rescue team arrives.
We got hands-on practice in examining a person for broken bones, splinting
a break, or lifting and moving a person with a neck injury. After introducing
these basic skills, the course makes good use of scenarios where you find
yourself in the role of rescuer, having to remember what to do and make
a plan. Even the victims work hard; they are given a story to tell, a
list of symptoms, and what state of mind to act out. I'll never forget
the woman who wrenched her knee while trying to get water from a stream;
she wouldn't have been nearly so irritable if she wasn't dehydrated when
I got there.
Knowing the most important dangers in the outdoors makes you a better
leader, hiker, and outdoors person. We learned that dehydration and hypothermia
lead the list, not only because they are serious in their own right, but
because they lead to lapses in judgment, failures of coordination, and
accidents. And now, what is the very first thing to do when you encounter
a victim in the woods? The answer: Stop and look around for continuing
danger--because the worst thing you can do is create a second victim.
You don't have much to work with in the woods; a small first aid kit,
water, and some psychology. You need the victim's full cooperation, so
you'd better be ready to stave off panic or hopelessness. To be able to
say, "I have first aid training" may be one of the most valuable
and welcome things you can provide.
WFA classes occur nearly every month, and the AMC-DC chapter strongly
encourages all group leaders to receive this or equivalent training. It
wouldn't be a bad idea for all hikers to consider it.
