Outdoor EdVentures at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is sponsoring a 16-hour, hands-on Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course in Stevens Point from April 2-3.

This intensive backcountry medical training course will show students how to deal with medical emergencies when they are miles from help and dialing 911 is not an option.

Wilderness medicine differs from traditional first aid in three respects. First, transport times are measured in hours and days rather than minutes, so many phases of patient care that usually occur in a hospital must be carried out in the field. Second, severe environments dramatically increase the complexity of any emergency and heighten risks to patients and rescuers alike. Third, limited equipment makes improvisation and resourcefulness essential.

These issues and more will be addressed by SOLO Outdoor Professionals, leaders in the field of wilderness medical training. Classes are fast paced with an emphasis on practical skills. Mornings are devoted to lectures, while afternoons and evenings are spent outside working on everything from stretcher construction to full-scale rescue simulations. A number of realistic simulations, complete with fake wounds and stage blood, will be conducted. Past students commonly report of real-life rescues that "felt just like a simulation."

This course is recommended for all outdoor professionals and enthusiasts who spend time in remote areas. Graduates will be certified by SOLO Outdoor Professionals. The deadline to sign-up is March 16. Contact Betsy Roznik of UWSP Outdoor EdVentures, 715- 346-3848 or erozn290@uwsp.edu, for more information or visit our Web page, http://www.uwsp.edu/centers/outedven/WildernessFirstAid.htm.