The Mountain Institute

Pro SAR : SAR Medical Course

Our mission is to provide SAR practitioners with the skills, strategies, and mindset to competently rescue subjects in wilderness and mountain environments. Go beyond the typical curriculum and skill sets taught in common rescue courses and let us help optimize your team for high-stakes missions. Be the team that thrives and excels when lives are on the line. Let’s train together, so your team won’t have to rise to the occasion, they will default to their level of training. A high-performing SAR team.

  • SARMED E-textbook & manual
  • Field Guide
  • Protocol Consulting

Hybrid SARMED WFR Course

$800/Student

This hybrid course consists of 30 hours of self-paced hybrid work followed by a 5-day field course.

  • A minimum of 6 students is needed to hold the course.

  • The typical class size is 8-12 students.

  • Additional fees may apply for instructor travel & lodging.

Hybrid SARMED WFR Refresher

$375/Student

This hybrid course consists of 8 hours of self-paced hybrid work followed by a 2-day field course.

  • A minimum of 6 students is needed to hold the course.

  • The typical class size is 8-12 students.

  • Additional fees may apply for instructor travel & lodging.

SARMED Daily Itinerary

Field Day 1: Basic life support skills

Course Introduction

Wilderness Medicine Protocols

Wilderness Medical-Legal/Rescuer Professional Liability

Golden Principles of Wilderness Medicine

Patient Assessment Field Scenarios

Crew Resource Management

Communication/Documentation

Rescue Leadership Principles: Getting the Victory

Airway Assessment & Management

Oxygenation & Ventilation Basics

Wilderness Airway Improvisational Techniques

Stop the Bleed Training & Certification

Shock & Bleeding

Internal Bleeding Assessment & Treatment

External Bleeding Assessment and Treatment

Pressure bandage/tourniquet/improvised tourniquet

Wound packing and hemostatic agents

CPR & Wilderness CPR protocols

Pit crew approach/Adult CPR/Pediatric CPR/Neonatal CPR

Field Day 2: The Trauma patient

Orthopedic Injuries

Fracture Assessment & Splinting

Wilderness improvisational splinting

Taping and Wrapping

Wilderness wound care

Prolonged care of wilderness wounds

Wound closure

Preventing & managing infections

Burns

Impaled Objects

Neurological Injuries

TBI and concussion management

Spinal cord injuries and selective spinal criteria

Back-boarding & Patient Packaging

Back boarding 101 & C-Collar, log-roll

Chest/Abdominal/GI Injuries

Prolonged Transport Guidelines

Field Day 3: Medical Emergencies

Overview of Medical Emergencies

Asthma & Anaphylaxis

Cardiac Emergencies (Angina/AMI)

Strokes

Seizure vs Syncope

Diabetes

Toxicology & Combative patients

Acute Abdomen

N/V/D and Travel Medicine

Backcountry Medicines & Technologies

Field Day 4: Environment Emergencies

Heat Emergencies: Heat Exhaustion/Stroke/Hyponatremia

Cold Emergencies: Hypothermia & Frostbite

Altitude Emergencies: AMS/HAPE/HACE

Avalanche Resuscitation Drownings

Lightning Injuries

Snakes, Spiders & Scorpions

Field Day 5: SAR and Wilderness Evacuation

Professional SAR Deployment

Mission Optimization for SAR Deployments

SAR Med kits/24 hour pack/IFAK Med kits

SAR evacuation equipment

Improvisational Wilderness Evacuation

Rope carries, Tarp & backpack carries

Litter and stretcher building workshop

Electives to be decided with SAR Team for the final day:

Helicopter Orientation

Stress Inoculation Training

Basic Technical Evacuations