WRSA Grid-Down Medical Course - Lancaster, PA - February 7-8

Field Expedient Medical Care for Outdoorsmen in Austere Environments

This two-day (16 hour) course of instruction will prepare the motivated outdoorsman to treat life-threatening and function-threatening medical conditions in the wilderness without access to classical EMS and medical resources.

The working hypothesis of this program is an injury or illness sustained by a family or work group remote from medical resources by distance, time, or availability (grid-down) over a short to intermediate interval. Our course is a second-generation collaboration by west coast homesteaders/preppers/PAs-nurses-dentists-docs-medics on “extended” issues relative to a “grid down” survival scenario requiring medical care. Having any prior paramedical training is a plus.

This is NOT a survival course, and it is NOT a basic first aid nor CPR course. Material presented is “FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY” when you expect that Big Bro can’t make it to you (or you don’t care for Uncle Sugar’s involvement) for several weeks, but you are trying to care for your team of ‘lightly’ injured family members.

Designed by a retired Emergency Physician with 35 years of Trauma, EMS/Rescue, and instructional experience, the methods and techniques taught are derived from over 10 years of front-line trauma care in an urban gangland zone and over 35 years of medical practice in environments as diverse as remote underground in caves (delayed evacuation to surface of 20 hrs), on the side of remote hills (48 hr bivouac in “whiteout” conditions), and at sea.

Topics Include:

- The “Reverse Tier Triage Algorithm for Care Under Fire”
- Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) lessons learned about hemorrhage control
- The Medical and Field Diagnosis and Treatment of a Tension Pneumothorax (collapsed lung trying to kill you)-needle decompression vs chest tubes
- Wilderness Medical considerations on the treatment of other lung injuries without advanced care facility support
- Airway techniques for the survivably injured team mate-including discussion of cricothyrotomy
- Conservative Neurological care Behind Cover
- Procuring a clean vs sterile water source
- Base camp sterilization of common instruments
- Wound cleansing-care-closure…including when and when not to apply suturing (stitching) techniques
- Basic suturing “100”-sterile or clean field, gloving up, handling instruments, wound debridement, suture selection, knot ties, simple /vertical mattress/horizontal mattress suture placement.
- Commonly recommended “Wilderness” and “Austere Medicine” recommended personal pharmacy selections
- Management of burns
- Dealing with simple Eye injuries
- Splinting of fractures/management of soft tissue sprains and strains.
- When 'dead' is dead, and when advanced medical care at risk of compromise/submission is warranted.
- Heat Exhaustion /Hypothermia prevention and treatment
- Simple dental emergency care
- “Bug Out” Medical Kit suggestions
- Suggestions for further study

NOTE: This NON-CERTIFICATION course is presented for YOUR INFORMATION ONLY. All personnel take NO RESPONSIBILITY for your use of this information in a real-life situation.

When: February 7-8, 2009; 0830-1630 est each day

Where: Lancaster, PA area; Washington Boro Fire Company, 11 Charlestown Rd, Washington Boro, PA 17582

How Much: $325/person; $25 discount for team members; cash ONLY accepted at door, but do drop us a line with the number of expected attendees so that we can have sufficient materials.

More info: westernshooters@gmail.com