Wilderness Medicine Courses: Durango, CO

We've teamed up with Southwest Rescue to offer the best and most comprehensive wilderness medicine courses in the Durango area. Our courses have been specifically designed for all types of guides (mountain, river, etc.), camp counselors, or those looking to become knowledgeable about wilderness medicine protocols. Our goal is to be the best provider of rescue education for individuals and organizations seeking practical and effective solutions to the most common wilderness emergency situations. Through exceptionally engaging and stimulating instruction, we aim to provide every student with an unparalleled educational experience, preparing them for true emergencies in the field. Southwest Adventure Guides and Southwest Rescue works in conjunction with the organizations providing the best product in the rescue education industry. Certifications or completion cards are offered through the Wilderness Medicine Training Center (WMTC).

2010 Offerings

Wilderness First Responder - 80 hours
The Wilderness First Responder course has been designed specifically to meet the needs of wilderness guides, expedition leaders, and outdoor instructors. It is the outdoor education and recreation industry's standard for wilderness medical training.

Wilderness First Aid - 27 hours
Our Wilderness First Aid workshops are designed to introduce participants to the concepts of medical care in a wilderness setting. The course focuses on Basic Life Support skills, minor trauma and selected environmental topics, the spine assessment and ruling out process, allergic & toxic reactions.

Wilderness First Responder Recert - 27 hours
Our Review & Recertification course is designed for graduates of our Wilderness Advanced First Aid course, our Wilderness First Responder course, and our Wilderness EMT module. Graduates from all courses are encouraged to attend on a yearly basis to maintain and polish their skils.

About Southwest Rescue & WMTC

Aaron Ball is Southwest Rescue's owner and lead instructor. Aaron is a Rescue 3 International swiftwater rescue instructor, a Wilderness Medicine Training Center senior instructor, and an American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education Level One course leader.

The Wilderness Medicine Training Center was established in 1997 to provide the highest-quality training available in wilderness medicine and risk management. Our courses expertly meld decades of field experience and training with the latest research and technology.

WMTC provides unrivaled training for serious students of pre-hospital wilderness care and risk management. Our courses, our curriculum and our instructors are some of the finest in the world. We give our graduates the tools they need to prevent and handle the emergencies, accidents and illnesses they will experience in the real world. Our courses are hands-on, intense, practical and fun. They are also small enough to guarantee ample personal attention.