Venturing Crew 911
Wilderness & Remote First Aid
An American Red Cross course designed especially for Venture-age teenagers and their adult leaders, focused on responding to emergencies in remote environments where professional medical help may be hours or days away.
Open to mature teenagers 14 and older, registered Venturers, and adult leaders. Current adult CPR/AED certification from a nationally recognized organization is required.
Wilderness First Aid Is Different
WaRFA builds on the same core first aid skills taught in basic-level classes, with added instruction on how to improvise and adapt them to a delayed care environment. You will learn to see emergencies through the eyes of a professional first responder — making critical decisions when help may not arrive for hours or days.
Delayed Care Environment
Standard first aid assumes EMS is minutes away. WaRFA prepares you to manage a patient when professional care may be hours or days out.
Improvisation & Adaptation
Learn to apply professional-level skills with whatever is available in the field, not just what's in a kit.
High Adventure Prerequisite
Many BSA high adventure bases require wilderness first aid training. WaRFA satisfies BSA Wilderness First Aid Curriculum and Doctrine of Understanding requirements.
What You'll Learn
The sixteen to twenty hour course covers instruction, presentations, videos, demonstrations, and patient assessment practice on real victims — including WaRFA alumni and First Responder trained participants.
Scene Size-Up
How to approach and evaluate an emergency scene before making contact with a victim.
Life-Threatening Conditions
How to recognize and immediately manage conditions that are fatal without rapid intervention.
Patient Assessment
How to conduct an initial and ongoing victim assessment, including head, neck, and back injuries.
Trauma & Injury Management
Fractures, bleeding control, wound care, and stabilization techniques adapted for remote environments.
Environmental Emergencies
Heat illness, hypothermia, dehydration, and other conditions common in outdoor and wilderness settings.
Evacuation & Transport
When and how to move or transport a victim safely when waiting for rescue is not an option.
Mass Casualty Scenarios
The highlight of our WaRFA class is the multi-casualty scenario — a cross between a Scout First Aid meet and a full-scale field simulation. Training patrols must work together as a team to assess, prioritize, and treat multiple patients simultaneously under realistic, time-pressured conditions.
These scenarios are where classroom skills become real competency. Participants apply everything taught throughout the course in a challenging, unpredictable environment that mirrors what a real wilderness emergency looks like.
Prerequisites & Eligibility
Age Requirement
Open to mature teenagers 14 and older, registered Venturers, and adult leaders. Participants should be comfortable with basic first aid skills.
CPR/AED Certification
Current adult CPR/AED certification from a nationally recognized training organization is required before attending.
First Aid Certification
Current basic-level First Aid certification is strongly recommended. Crew 911 offers CPR/AED and First Aid classes designed for Scouts and Scouters several times a year.
Who This Course Is For
- Venturing Crew members and Scouts BSA members ages 14 and older
- Adult leaders preparing for high adventure treks or backcountry expeditions
- Youth and leaders active in community, athletics, or scouting
- Anyone seeking BSA-approved Wilderness First Aid certification for remote environments
Get Certified for the Backcountry
Build the skills to stay safe and respond effectively in remote environments where professional help is not immediately available.
Join a course