I just got back from attending a course to upgrade my previous WAFA (Wilderness Advanced First Aid) Certification from the WMA (Wilderness Medical Associates) to their highest level for non-medical professionals, WFR (Wilderness First Responder). I’m told WFR is commonly pronounced “Woofer” rather than “W-F-R.” It was a four day intensive down in Niigata that was full on from 8am to around 6pm every night, with a mix of both lectures and simulations and outdoor practical training. I chose to do the English language version of the course – as they provide it (with different schedules) in both English and Japanese. If you’re in Japan and interested in getting any sort of Wilderness First Aid training, I really recommend WMA training! This is pretty much the international standard, and the teachers here in Japan are top notch!
The training covered all manner of potential injuries and health emergencies that can arise in a wilderness context. I’m really happy to be more prepared to deal with situations that I very much hope never arise. Also the other participants and instructors were all impressive individuals with vast and varied outdoor and medical experience. It’s always great to meet inspiring people and make new friends! The next step for me, if I decide to progress further, would involve something intense like spending an extended period in the States getting EMT training. Not sure I’ll pursue that, but I can dream.
