Backcountry Emergencies Certificate
Designed with Students and Teachers in Mind
Price
$119
In Person
12-16 Hours
Locations
Vancouver, Squamish
Prerequisites
None
- Includes all learning materials!
- Flexible Schedules!
- Includes CPR-AED
Learn More
The Backcountry Emergencies Certificate program is a unique, 12 hour wilderness first aid fundamentals course designed to enhance high school outdoor education programs.
Coast Wilderness has been been partnering with public and private schools since 2014, and those experiences – and the incredible feedback we’ve received along the way – have helped us to develop a high quality, experiential training experience that can be adapted to the schedule and needs of most secondary school programs.
Use the form below to get the conversation started, and find out what we offer!
What certificates do BEC students get?
Backcountry Emergency Certificate
The Backcountry Emergency Certificate is issued by Coast Wilderness Medical Training. This certificate indicates that the holder has been introduced to fundamental principles of wilderness first aid, and can reliably participate in the management of major medical, traumatic and environmental emergencies.
Red Cross Certifications
All BEC programs include a Red Cross CPR/AED certificate.
Optional Certifications
The following Red Cross certifications can be integrated into, or offered alongside, the BEC training:
- Red Cross Emergency First Aid: EFA requires a 3 hour online pre-study PLUS an additional 3 hours of class time. EFA is recognized in BC as a full equivalent to Basic First Aid (OFA-1).
- Red Cross Standard First Aid: SFA requires a 5 hour online pre-study PLUS an additional 6 hours of class time. SFA is recognized in BC as a full equivalent to Intermediate First Aid (OFA-2).
- Red Cross Remote First Aid: Students who complete the BEC can upgrade to a full 20 hour Red Cross RFA certificate. These upgrade opportunities courses can be arranged through the school, or separately based on demand and student schedules.
What are the possible BEC course schedules?
Training Schedule
The BEC is designed to be flexible schedules, so we can fit our training into your curriculum. Let us know what you need, and we will do our best to make it work! Common options include:
- Three 4-hour school-day sessions.
- Two 6-hour school-day sessions.
- One 4-hour school-day session + One 8-hour weekend session.
- A schedule of four 3-hour sessions is also available, but requires an additional surcharge to compensate our instructors for the shorter days.
Is there a minimum number of students to run a BEC?
Yes! The minimum program cost is for 10 students.
We can deliver the BEC to fewer students, but you will still be invoiced for 10 students.
Is the BEC available outside the lower mainland?
Yes! We have delivered this course in areas as distant and diverse as Hazelton, Zeballos and Gold River. We love to travel, and we never charge any extra fees on their travel or accommodation costs.
What does my school need to provide to run a BEC?
We require a classroom space for the first few hours of the program, to cover CPR, first aid basics, and risk prevention. There has to be plenty of floor space and room to move around.
The rest of the course takes place outside. We will work with you to find a suitable place near your school.
We will also need a roster of students, including email addresses, as early as possible.
What if I want to offer my students a more advanced course. Can we do that?
Yes we can!
If you’re looking for something more, any of our Red Cross programs can be adapted to your schedule. Contact us to discuss how we can make our Remote First Aid, Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder programs work for you.
Why should I trust Coast with my students' training?
Current Best Practices
Coast Wilderness Medical Training offers you a course curriculum founded on current best practices as defined by the Canadian Red Cross, Wilderness Medical Society, the Canadian Association of Wilderness Medicine, the International Liaison Council on Resuscitation, and the Paramedic Association of Canada.
Outstanding Instructors
Our BEC instructors are not only experienced professionals with plenty of backcountry experience but they are keen and engaging instructors, more than capable of engaging a rowdy group of kids today! We also offer an unparalleled instructor-to-student ratio of not more than 10-to-1 to facilitate both learning and group management.
In short, under the guidance of a Coast Wilderness Medical Training instructor, your students will receive the highest quality training, cleverly concealed in a supportive, engaging and fun experience.
Risk Management & Accident Prevention
The BEC includes a robust risk awareness and prevention element that is integrated throughout the program to better reinforce what is, arguably, the most important topic in outdoors education.
Adaptable Scenarios
All Coast Wilderness courses are rooted in hands-on learning, with as much time as possible spent in immersive scenarios complete with make-up, props, and just so much fake blood.
These scenarios can be adapted to the activities you have planned – if you are planning a rock climbing trip at Smoke Bluffs, for example, we can develop scenarios around that.
Flexible Scheduling
Most wilderness first aid curricula don’t adapt well to irregularly scheduled training blocks. However, we designed the Backcountry Emergencies program to be delivered in a series of scaffolded modules, each with its own distinct learning narrative, flow, and goals. This allows teachers to more easily accommodate students’ existing schedules and events.
Get Started!
The BEC program can be adapted to fit almost any high school outdoor education or PE curriculum.
To discuss how to make it happen for your students, contact us using the form below.