Wilderness Rescue and Survival Skills
PTRM 356
5 credits
Pre-Program Coursework Component: January 2-27, 2012
Field Residence Component: January 30 –April 10, 2012
Course Overview
This course is ideal for outdoor leaders involved in extended backcountry trips and those individuals seeking employment with search and rescue units, ski patrols and wilderness trip leading organizations, in particular those operating eco-tourism trips abroad. This course emphasizes skills as well as necessary background medical knowledge in wilderness rescue and survival. Students will be prepared to handle emergencies in high-elevation, winter conditions as well as in tropical and swiftwater environments. Students successfully completing the course will be awarded certifications in Swiftwater Rescue and Level I Avalanche. They will also be prepared for extended care of patients and rescuers in remote and challenging environments. Major course topics include the following:
§ Navigation instruction and practical scenarios, including landform interpretation of maps and use of map rulers to determine lat/long and UTM coordinates, use of compass, and GPS training
§ 3 days of Swiftwater Rescue training, taught by instructors from Whitewater Rescue Institute on the Savegre river in Costa Rica
§ 3 days of Level I Avalanche taught by instructors from West Central Montana Avalanche Center at a backcountry yurt in the Swan Mountains
§ Tropical survival skills training taught by a professional guide with Coast to Coast Adventures, an adventure travel company based in San Jose, Costa Rica
§ Winter survival skills training on an overnight winter camping trip prior to arriving at the yurt for avalanche training
An overnight, winter rescue scenario in conjunction with Missoula County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team, as well as training in rescue helicopter operations with St. Patrick Hospital’s LifeFlight medics, complete the suite of practical experiences.
Upon completion of the WRSS course, students will be able to do the following:
· prevent and respond to swiftwater emergencies
· prevent and respond to avalanche emergencies
· navigate effectively in the backcountry using knowledge and skills in reading and following compass bearings, an in-depth understanding of terrain based on topographic maps, and use of GPS technology
· construct improvised shelters in both tropical and winter environments, build and maintain fires, treat water to make it potable, use appropriate signaling techniques
· work safely and effectively to conduct a helicopter rescue, including appropriate communications with air ambulance personnel and creating safe landing zones
· understand and apply search and rescue techniques to locate lost victims
Evaluation of student course work
Grading guidelines: Exams: 20%; Practical Skills: 60%; Judgment and Attitude: 20%.
Students take weekly written exams on material covered in lecture and reading. In addition, students take practical exams given one-on-one with instructors. A score of 70% is required to pass each written exam. 4 re-takes are allowed over the course of the Semester; however, re-take grades do not count toward the final average score. This course has one written exam and one practical exam per week. Practical skills will be graded multiple times throughout the course, but every skill is not graded every week. A quantitative grading rubric unique to each skill is used by instructors to evaluate practical skills as well as judgment/attitude. See attached grading rubric for details.
Course Texts
Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for Wilderness Emergency Care, William Forgey, Editor
Semester in Wilderness Medicine Reader, Aerie Backcountry Medicine
Swiftwater Rescue, Whitewater Rescue Institute
Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, 2005, National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR)
Instructors
Darcy Chenoweth, RN, BSN, WEMT Basic
Fernando Giaccaglia, WEMT Basic
Trenton Harper, EMT Paramedic
David McEvoy, MS, EMT Paramedic
Andrea Stephens, MS
Gregory Moore, MD, FACEP
Pre-Program Coursework:
Students must attend two pre-program meetings via Skype and complete reading from the NASAR course text as follows:
December 9, 2011
1st Pre-Program Meeting
· Required gear for the tropics, suggested gear for tropical survival scenarios
· Required gear for Montana portion of the Semester and suggested items for winter survival scenarios
· Gear for winter camping and Level 1 Avalanche course
January 6, 2012
2nd Pre-Program Meeting
Preparing for international travel
Week of January 16
Read Chapter 6 (“Survival and Improvisation”) and Chapter 9 (“The SAR ‘Ready Pack’ and Personal Equipment) from the NASAR text
Complete and submit online quiz for Chapters 6 and 9
Week of January 23
Read Chapter 10 (“Navigation”) in the NASAR text
Complete and submit online quiz for Chapter 10
This pre-course work will entail approximately 1.5 hours per meeting and 2 hours of reading and quiz-taking per week. Students are required to complete this portion of the course before continuing on with the Field Residence component of the course.
Total Lecture Hours: 7
Field Residence Component
January 31
Situational awareness and mental map skills: intro to backcountry navigation
Lecture Hours: 4
February 1
Practical exercise in route-finding using trail awareness skills only
Lab Hours: 2
February 2
Compass use – taking field bearings and map bearings
Visually estimating distance in the field, including pacing
Lecture Hours: 2
Practical exercise in determining and following bearings
Lab Hours: 2
February 7
Tropical Survival Skills: awareness of environmental hazards;
Water disinfection and purification
Costa Rica maps: unique national system
Reading topographic maps – contours, elevation
Lecture Hours: 2
Practical exercises in map reading
Lab Hours: 1
February 8
Practical exercises in map reading - scale, distance and landforms
Lab Hours: 2
February 9
Review of latitude and longitude
How to describe location using Costa Rica kilometer grid system
Use of kilometer grid readers
Describing location with lat/long system
Use of lat/long rulers; issues with precision
Lecture Hours: 2
Continue map reading exercises – grid readers and lat/long rulers
Improvised shelters; fire building: tropical forest considerations
Practical exercise in shelter and fire building combined with medical scenarios
Lab Hours: 2
February 14
GPS use: position format, map datum, entering and creating waypoints, using GoTo
Lecture Hours: 1
Practical exercises in navigation with GPS combined with medical scenarios (MedWar style)
Continue map reading exercises
Lab Hours: 2
February 17
Practical exercise in rescue and evacuation from tropical environment
Lab Hours: 3
February 25
Travel to Rafiki Lodge and get settled in for the SRT course.
Map out route to the Savegre River from Mastatal:
Distance, route, elevation loss, gps coordinates.
Calculate total river length, average elevation drop over entire river, river gradient over 5 mile reach in vicinity of Lodge.
Calculate river discharge: velocity and cross-sectional area
Lecture Hours: 1
Lab Hours: 1
February 26-28
Swiftwater Rescue Technician course with instructors from the Whitewater Rescue Institute and Aerie staff.
During this 3-day section, students will progress through the following topics:
· Hydrology and river behavior
· Organizing river rescues
· Communication amongst rescuers and with other participating agencies
· Avoiding Entrapment
· Aggressive and defensive swimming
· Throwbags
· Practicing with “live bait” – rescue scenarios with peers and WRI staff
· Extrication
· Stranded swimmers
· Self-Rescue Techniques
· Mechanical Advantage
· Working with rope: theory and mechanics of rope types, strength, and knots
· Theory and mechanics of setting up tension diagonals
Lecture Hours: 12
Lab Hours: 12
February 29-March 8: Course Recess
March 9
Intro to USGS topo maps
1:24,000 scale
UTM system
TRS system in Montana
Using GoogleEarth to plan routes
Lecture Hours: 2
Identifying landforms in the field from topo maps
Triangulation exercise
Lab Hours: 2
March 10
Route finding on snowshoes: identifying landforms and terrain, calculating distances and travel time
Lab Hours: 4
March 16
Intro to winter survival and camping exercise: planning and preparing for travel in avalanche terrain
Mapping out the routes to the winter backcountry campsite and yurts at Morrell Mountain
Use GoogleEarth and 7.5 minute quads to determine the following:
Likely avalanche paths, safest route, aspect, distance, elev gain
Planning for food, water and fuel requirements for winter camping
Planning personal gear for winter camping
Lecture hours: 4
Pack food/gear; split gear between personal backpacks and snowmobiles
Lab hours: 2
March 17
Snowshoe to backcountry campsite
Route-finding in winter
Review of GPS/using GoTo
Lecture hours: 1
Setting up the winter camp: direction in pitching tents on snow, fire building on snow, kitchen tarp set-up, melting snow for cooking, caloric requirements for winter travel
Theory and mechanics of building snow shelters
Lab hours: 6
March 18-20
Level I Avalanche course with instructors from West Central Montana Avalanche Center and Aerie staff.
During this 3-day section, students will progress through the following topics:
1. Recognizing avalanche terrain
· Introduction to the Avalanche Phenomena
· Types and characteristics of avalanches
· Avalanche motion
· Size classification
· The mountain snowpack: an introduction to metamorphism and layering
· Observations and Information Gathering
· Field observation techniques
· Snowpack tests: rutschblock, compression test
· Avalanche danger factors or “Red Flags”
· Observation checklist
2. Making decisions in avalanche terrain.
· Avalanche danger scale
· Trip Planning and Preparation
· Avalanche terrain recognition, assessment, and selection
· Route finding and travel techniques
· Decision making and Human Factors
3. Effective companion rescue.
· Companion Rescue and Equipment
Lecture Hours: 12
Lab Hours: 12
March 23
Helicopter operations and communication with ground rescue crews
Planning out landing zones
Safety around rescue helicopters
Air Medical response
Lecture Hours: 5
Lab Hours: 1
March 31
Search and Rescue principles and techniques
Group dynamics and organization
Lecture Hours: 4
Overnight winter rescue in conjunction with Missoula County Sheriff’s SAR team
Lab Hours: 4
April 1
Debrief the overnight rescue scenario
Critical Incident Debrief system
Dealing with stress as a rescuer and medical provider
Lecture Hours: 3
Total Hours:
Lecture – 62
Lab - 58
Co-Requisites:
Three integrated, 5-credit courses comprise the Semester in Wilderness Medicine. In addition to the Wilderness Rescue and Survival course, students must concurrently enroll in Emergency Medical Technician and Incident Management (HHP 395) and Wilderness Medicine and Risk Management (PTRM 395).
Certifications:
Students successfully completing the course will earn their Swiftwater Rescue Technician and Level 1 Avalanche certifications.
Grading Rubric: Wilderness Rescue and Survival Skills PTRM 356, 5 creditsStudent:
EXAMS 20%
Wk1 / Wk2 / Wk3 / Wk4 / Wk5 / Wk6 / Wk7 / Wk8 / Wk9 / Wk10
Subtotal
APPLIED SKILLS 60%
Knots 5% / Advanced 3 / Satisfactory 2 / Novice 1 / Unacceptable 0 / Wk1 / Wk2 / Wk3 / Wk4 / Wk5 / Wk6 / Wk7 / Wk8 / Wk9 / Wk10
Concept / Able to tie knot perfectly the first time; no mistakes made, no instructor prompting needed; / Ultimately able to tie knot perfectly but required two or more attempts; able to recognize mistakes and self-correct without prompting / Able to recognize mistakes but unable to correct them without prompting; able to tie knot perfectly only with some prompting by instructor / Not able to tie knot; unable to recognize own mistakes; unable to distinguish correctly-tied knot from incorrectly-tied knot presented by instructor
Application / Applies procedures accurately; uses efficient strategy; chooses best knot or combination for the situation / Understands which knots are required to solve the problem and able to solve the problem after several attempts / Understands which knot is called for but unable to put skills together to solve the problem; solution is not complete, indicating aspects of the scenario are not understood / Demonstrates inability to understand field application of knots; isn't aware of the optimal circumstances for the use of a particular knot
Subtotal
Map, Compass, Navigation 15% / Advanced 3 / Satisfactory 2 / Novice 1 / Unacceptable 0 / Wk1 / Wk2 / Wk3 / Wk4 / Wk5 / Wk6 / Wk7 / Wk8 / Wk9 / Wk10
Compass Use / Efficiently obtain map and terrain bearings to within 2 degrees; Able to follow bearings to within 1 m of destination; able to triangulate to within 50 m / Able to perform any 2 of the 3 items in Advanced category / Able to perform 1 of the items in Advanced category / Unable to perform any of the items in Advanced category
Map Skills / Efficiently obtain accurate UTM and Lat/Long coordinates to within the smallest appropriate gradation; find elevation/gain/loss to less than the contour interval; accurately identify topographic features; determine aspect; identify watershed boundaries / Able to perform any 4 of the 5 items in Advanced category / Able to perform any 3 of the 5 items in Advanced category / Unable to perform more than 2 of the items in the Advanced category
GPS Concepts / Efficiently scroll between functions on different screens; understand and use both UTM and Lat/Long systems; efficiently set and name waypoints. / Able to perform any 2 of the 3 items in Advanced category / Able to perform 1 of the items in Advanced category / Unable to perform any of the items in Advanced category
GPS Application / Efficiently use all skills in reading map coordinates, entering them into GPS and using GoTo to arrive at destination to within 1m / Able to use GPS to arrive within 5 m of destination / Able to use GPS with supervision; able to arrive within 10 m of destination / Unable to arrive at destination or accuracy lands user more than 50 m away from intended destination
Subtotal
Swiftwater Rescue 20% / Advanced 3 / Satisfactory 2 / Novice 1 / Unacceptable 0 / Wk1 / Wk2 / Wk3 / Wk4 / Wk5 / Wk6 / Wk7 / Wk8 / Wk9 / Wk10
Swiftwater Rescue with Medical Skills / Consistently makes appropriate medical decisions during swiftwater scenarios / Typically makes appropriate medical decisions / Rarely made appropriate medical decisions, or did not demonstrate decision-making / Did not participate; did not make appropriate medical decisions; caused harm to patient(s)
Swiftwater Rescue Certificate / Shows proficiency with swiftwater skills / Able to demonstrate most of the skills / Attended without demonstration of skills or required unusually close supervision / Did not attend or Unsafe
Subtotal
Avalanche Rescue and Winter Travel 20% / Advanced 3 / Satisfactory 2 / Novice 1 / Unacceptable 0 / Wk1 / Wk2 / Wk3 / Wk4 / Wk5 / Wk6 / Wk7 / Wk8 / Wk9 / Wk10
Avalanche Awareness with Medical Skills / Consistently makes appropriate medical decisions during avalanche rescue scenarios / Typically makes appropriate medical decisions; adequate consideration give to situational variables / Rarely made appropriate medical decisions, or did not demonstrate decision-making / Did not participate; did not make appropriate medical decisions; caused harm to patient(s)