In 2007, after years of development and beta testing, we introduced the industry's first hybrid WEMS course. Through our strong foundation, innovative approach, and effective technologies, we continue to set the bar for hybrid course development. In 2025 we are expanding our WEMS course offerings to include:
- a WEMS Basic Life Support Course for licensed EMRs & EMTs
- a Advanced Life Support Course for licensed AEMTs, paramedics, & registered nurses
- a WEMS Practitioner Course for licensed physicians, physician associates, & nurse practitioners.
Regardless of their licensure, WEMS providers may find themselves responding to an incident as:
Due to numerous variables, patients in wilderness or remote settings are at greater risk than their urban counterparts: Hazardous environments, difficult rescues, lack of diagnostic and medical equipment and medications, equipment and technology failures, limited personnel, and delayed access and transport times regularly contribute to poorer patient outcomes. WEMS providers often face difficult choices with no textbook answer, where experience, a deep understanding of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, and the ability to improvise frequently make the difference between success and failure, life and death, and, sometimes, as in hospital settings, when the damage is severe and non-reversible, there is little or nothing that can be done but be present and bear witness.
In an emergency, keeping things simple is critical. Traumatic mechanisms are responsible for most health-related issues encountered in the wilderness, with environmental mechanisms a close second. Common medical problems encountered during a wilderness expedition or trip — colds, flu, respiratory infections, etc. — are usually addressed by trip members and WEMS is rarely dispatched. In contrast, most WEMS dispatches for medical emergencies require an evacuation to a hospital and can be summed up using a few basic guidelines. The lesson isn't what's wrong with the patient, but whether you have the knowledge and resources to assess and treat them definitively; and if not, where do they need to go and how fast?
All WEMS providers must be proficient in self-care in the search or rescue environment least they become an unintended casualty and divert resources from the initial scene. In rescue environments, the technical skills of individual rescuers are typically more important than their medical skills. It's useful to note that the vast majority of rescue technicians are medically trained at the first aid, EMR, or WEMT levels. Training, practice, and familiarity in the rescue environment is vital to patient survival. In many cases, advanced procedures may only be accomplished after the initial rescue is complete and the patient is removed from pressing environmental hazards.
In some cases, WEMS personnel arrive on scene hours after the initial incident with commercial and advanced equipment, in other situations, they may be on-site when the incident occurs with minimal gear. In either case, they need to respond. This course will help prepare you for both situations.
Because licensed WEMS providers of all levels may operate in hazardous weather conditions, with questionable communication, and limited resources, our hybrid WEMS practical sessions focus on patient assessment, non-technical interventions, improvisation, and making appropriate evacuation decisions. Providers at all levels often find themselves making risk:benefit analyses rarely encountered in an urban environment. For example:
Continuing Education Units
WMTC is not registered with CAPCE or any other CEU organization for EMTs, nurses, PAs, or physicians. Most training officers or education department supervisors affiliated with a licensed EMS service or hospital can approve CEUs. NREMT may grant — but is not obligated to — CEUs to EMTs who have taken a WEMS course based on topics, clock hours, and state approval (see preceding text). Nurses, PAs, and physicians can apply for CEUs through their hospital's education department. Those not affiliated with a hospital may be eligible for CEUs and should contact their state licensing or health department for guidance.
- part of an urban ambulance team or Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) during a disaster
- part of a rural ambulance team
- part of a Search & Rescue team
- an instructor or guide leading an outdoor trip
- a member of a wilderness expedition
- a provider in a remote clinic
Due to numerous variables, patients in wilderness or remote settings are at greater risk than their urban counterparts: Hazardous environments, difficult rescues, lack of diagnostic and medical equipment and medications, equipment and technology failures, limited personnel, and delayed access and transport times regularly contribute to poorer patient outcomes. WEMS providers often face difficult choices with no textbook answer, where experience, a deep understanding of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, and the ability to improvise frequently make the difference between success and failure, life and death, and, sometimes, as in hospital settings, when the damage is severe and non-reversible, there is little or nothing that can be done but be present and bear witness.
In an emergency, keeping things simple is critical. Traumatic mechanisms are responsible for most health-related issues encountered in the wilderness, with environmental mechanisms a close second. Common medical problems encountered during a wilderness expedition or trip — colds, flu, respiratory infections, etc. — are usually addressed by trip members and WEMS is rarely dispatched. In contrast, most WEMS dispatches for medical emergencies require an evacuation to a hospital and can be summed up using a few basic guidelines. The lesson isn't what's wrong with the patient, but whether you have the knowledge and resources to assess and treat them definitively; and if not, where do they need to go and how fast?
All WEMS providers must be proficient in self-care in the search or rescue environment least they become an unintended casualty and divert resources from the initial scene. In rescue environments, the technical skills of individual rescuers are typically more important than their medical skills. It's useful to note that the vast majority of rescue technicians are medically trained at the first aid, EMR, or WEMT levels. Training, practice, and familiarity in the rescue environment is vital to patient survival. In many cases, advanced procedures may only be accomplished after the initial rescue is complete and the patient is removed from pressing environmental hazards.
In some cases, WEMS personnel arrive on scene hours after the initial incident with commercial and advanced equipment, in other situations, they may be on-site when the incident occurs with minimal gear. In either case, they need to respond. This course will help prepare you for both situations.
Because licensed WEMS providers of all levels may operate in hazardous weather conditions, with questionable communication, and limited resources, our hybrid WEMS practical sessions focus on patient assessment, non-technical interventions, improvisation, and making appropriate evacuation decisions. Providers at all levels often find themselves making risk:benefit analyses rarely encountered in an urban environment. For example:
- What equipment and supplies should I bring on this call?
- Should I spend valuable transport time on a complex assessment or treatment in the field when rapid transport to definitive care is immediately available?
- When treating an awake and otherwise ambulatory patient with a suspected spine or spinal cord injury, should we initiate a self-evac or delay transport until a commercial litter arrives?
Continuing Education Units
WMTC is not registered with CAPCE or any other CEU organization for EMTs, nurses, PAs, or physicians. Most training officers or education department supervisors affiliated with a licensed EMS service or hospital can approve CEUs. NREMT may grant — but is not obligated to — CEUs to EMTs who have taken a WEMS course based on topics, clock hours, and state approval (see preceding text). Nurses, PAs, and physicians can apply for CEUs through their hospital's education department. Those not affiliated with a hospital may be eligible for CEUs and should contact their state licensing or health department for guidance.
Wilderness EMS Courses* |
Online Module (required prior to In-person Session) |
In-person Session |
WEMR & WEMT for licensed EMRs & EMTs |
30+ hours |
5 days, 50 hours, 2 evening sessions |
Wilderness ALS for licensed AEMTs, Paramedics, & Registered Nurses |
30+ hours |
5 days, 45 hours, 2 evening sessions |
Wilderness Practitioner for licensed Physicians, Physician Associates, & Nurse Practitioners |
Varies by individual |
4 days, 40 hours, 2 evening sessions |
WEMS Recert |
8+ hours |
2 days, 20 hours |
* Requires national EMS certification or state license to register.
