WFR vs. WEMT

[Nick VanBurkleo]

Hey everyone, this question may be best answered by those who are or have been WEMTs.

I'm a WFR. Selfishly I'd like to convince the boss to send me to bump up the certification to WEMT this fall through SOLO. I likely won't be doing SAR – I'll either be guiding trips, at base camp, or at the office as the emergency contact. Would WEMT be an actual value-add, or would it be an extra set of skills that goes unused?

[Ian]

I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to not only learn something new, but review/reinforce the skills you already have. From my few years in EMS, I'd say nothing beats hands on experience. If you really want to take your first aid to another level, try to find a local ambulance company who will allow for you to work for them as a volunteer or at least do a ride-along a couple times per month.

[Albert C.]

I currently work as a outdoor guide and thought about this track too. My situation isnt exactly the same, but take it with a grain of salt.

I too, thought about getting my WEMT, but staying predominantly in the guiding worlding. Talking to my boss, who has 15 years as a full time Outward Bound Guide, he advised against it. Without clear documented EMT hours to help with re-certification, I did not want to re-certify every two years. The WFR re-certification is only a weekend, while the WEMT re-certification is relatively much more expensive and longer (weekend vs. week long if I remember correctly).

In the end, a WEMT would be nice, but for my current job (guiding week/month long trips), additional outdoor medical knowledge it is not necessary.

My boss also briefly mentioned guiding with WEMTs and their opinions about their WEMT. The Outward Bound guides with WEMT just let their WEMTs expire because of the cost and duration assoicated with re-certification.

But if you want to pursue WEMT for personal reasons, go for it. I am sure you'll learn a lot and may save someone's life.

But, at this point in time, I do not think that a WEMT is worth the time and money to maintain a WEMT.

[James White]

I got my WEMT in 2009 while I was going to school for Wilderness Leadership. I was pretty excited about the great training offered by NOLS, and that the EMT cert got me a summer internship at a Fire Dept that same summer. After that internship, I never used the "EMT" portion of the cert. Renewing the state portion was easy, it was a one-week class. The national recertifcation is what got me… I had to show that I was working for a company/business that used the EMT certification. Being an outdoor guide, you don't have that relationship. If you're part of SAR or Law Enforcement, you'll have that prerequisite when you renew. I had to let mine lapse.

The good news is that no matter the rules about certifications, the skills stay current if I practice them, so I my training was still valuable.

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