Wilderness First Responder (WFR) (Aug 17 - 21, 2026)

Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is organized by Backcountry Medical Guides (BMG) and will be held from Aug 17 - 21, 2026 at Larrabee State Park, Bellingham, Washington, United States of America.

Description:
A gem of the Pacific Northwest, Bellingham, WA hosts beautiful views of the San Juan Islands from its incredible forested landscape. This course takes you on adventures through the iconic trails of the historic Larrabee State Park. Gain your WFR certification in this amazing location with expert instructors.

Curriculum and Objectives:
Our guides train you how to prevent, manage, and treat a range of common emergencies that you may encounter in the wilderness. This course combines online self-paced pre-course work with a highly immersive in-person training in the beautiful Bellingham wilderness. You must complete the online learning portion within 30 days of the in-person skills training and assessment.  

This combination of focused learning and practical experience provides you with the conceptual knowledge and hands-on skills to face common emergencies that you may experience while exploring the wilderness. Expect to work hard, get out in nature, make new connections with other like minded people, and learn a ton about wilderness medicine. Ages 18+ (anyone under 18 requires guardian consent, and anyone between 14-16 requires a chaperone who must also enroll).

By the end of the course, you will:

•  Build strong patient assessment skills
•  Demonstrate common treatments of traumatic injuries and life threats
•  Recognize and treat medical emergencies
•  Prevent, recognize, and treat environmental emergencies
•  Learn improvisation, evacuation, and rescue techniques
•  Practice pre-trip and expedition planning
•  Practice preventative strategies