Quick Details
WFR is Back at Miller’s Landing!
Miller’s Landing is offering a Wilderness First Responder Class to help educate and serve our community through affordable and in-depth wilderness medical classes.
This 10-day course is intensive and covers principles of preventing and treating wilderness injuries; ideal for those that spend time recreating, working, or living in remote settings.
Students will be certified through The National Association For Search and Rescue (NASAR) by a medical professional who represents a wide range of intersectionalities and is ready to teach you valuable leadership, decision making and communication skills. Read more about the instructor below. They are dually skilled outdoor educators and medical professionals with years of experience working complex rescues and guiding groups in remote, and dynamic environments.
Wilderness First Aid (WFR) Overview
WFR course is best for individuals who are outdoor instructors and guides, backcountry rangers or wilderness therapy leaders volunteering or working multi-day to multi-week wilderness trips where medical/extrication equipment is limited, communication methods are spotty, weather and terrain are varied, and medical/rescue support is delayed.
Learn everything from rescue operations, evacuation types, patient care, leadership, risk mitigation for the environment and activity, signs/symptoms of medical, traumatic, and environmental illnesses, injuries and much more during this multi-day class.
What’s Included?
This 8-day course through NASAR includes lunch for each day, as well as lodging for those who are travelling from outside of Seward. This class will takes place both inside on property as well as two days outside. Give us a call with any questions!
Certifications Awarded
Upon successful completion of the course, and written and practical examinations, students will earn:
- Wilderness First Responder
- Adult/Child CPR & AED
- If you are a current NREMT and take this WFR class, your certification would automatically upgrade to a WEMT!
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JR Hunte
Our instructor, JR Hunte, has spent most of his working life in medicine, which began after high school enlisting in the US Air Force as a Medic during Desert Shield / Desert Storm, and other theatres of operation throughout his military career. He currently shares his time as an EMT with M Health Fairview Minnesota Immunization Network Initiative (MINI), providing no-cost vaccination clinics to Twin Cities Metro underserved communities (homeless, BIPOC), as a Wilderness Search and Rescue and Medicine Instructor/Evaluator with The National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), a program coordinator for The Sierra Club creating and running outdoor programs for Veterans and BIPOC communities, and volunteers as a Wilderness K-9 Search and Rescue Technician, and Chief Training Officer with K9 Search Midwest. He also does freelance work as a CODIV Compliance officer and Set Medic for TV and Movies and has worked on commercials and TV shows such as “Naked and Afraid” (Discovery Channel) and “Girl Meets Farm” (Food Network). He has also served as a guide for several organizations and has worked in many environments – from the Arctic to the Desert.
When JR is not working he spends his time on a whole host of outdoor activities, with his spouse and two teenage kids, his Yellow Lab (Honey) and his Bloodhound (Daisy).
Patrick Keller
Patrick started in the Wilderness Medical field in 2017 by gaining his Wilderness First Responder from NOLS. Having grown up with a father that was a fire chief/first responder and wildfire fire fighter, Patrick felt it was his turn to begin to give back to others in a more meaningful way. Patrick had been teaching in outdoor environments as a ski instructor/race coach for over 10 years at the time he began to enter the Wilderness Medical field. He wanted to be able to assist others in their time of need while also being an educator to those that were learning to love the winter and mountain environments. He is currently a Level II Nationally Certified ski instructor with PSIA, and is working towards his Level III. The Medical Certification helps him to maintain his race coaching level as well. He has also worked to receive his Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) license which allowed him to work within the local community as needed. He currently works for Target / MedCor at Target Corporation Distribution centers internal employee clinics. Working at multiple different locations performing Health and Safety education, OSHA hearing and health testing, and treating any injury or illness that present to the clinic. During the winter months he spends time working in the ski and race industry teaching and coaching others in the public arena, as well as training other instructors to improve their teaching and skiing. He spends time in the Midwest working for Vail and time in Colorado working at either Breckenridge or Aspen depending on need. He has also worked as an assistant set medic for commercial shoots, and spends time with various outdoor activities during other times of the year and likes having the medical background to assist in an emergency when needed. Among the various aspects of working in the medical field, he enjoys the teaching side of it as it is a great way to give back to others that want to gain and grow their own education.
Nate Gleisner
Nate is a has been leading and instructing outdoor programs for the past 10+ years. These programs include mountain biking, kayaking, white water rafting, climbing, and backpacking.
Nate started his emergency medicine career as an emergency medical technician and has since transitioned to the role of nationally registered paramedic. Nate currently works as a 911 paramedic in a metro area. He has achieved and maintains certifications in advanced cardiovascular life support, pediatric life support, international trauma life support, and psychological first aid.
In his spare time he likes to backcountry snowboard, bike tour, and paddle board. -
- Bring a notebook and pen or pencil
- Water bottle, snacks
- Textbook
- Day pack and gear you primarily recreate with (This could be trail running, climbing, ski equipment, etc. We want you to practice improvising with the equipment you already own)
- Closed-toe shoes (hiking boots or trail runners)
- Clothing that allows you to be comfortable in a variety of weather conditions
- Sleeping pad (for practice laying on the ground)
- Watch (or cell phone with timer)
- Headlamp for scenario
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Meet at the main Miller’s Landing office at 13880 Beach Drive, Seward AK, 99664
We are a 10-minute drive from Seward AK, just down Lowell Point Road. Please take your time driving down Lowell Point Road in the winter, conditions can vary so we advise you to use slower speeds.
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Our students stay in either our Admiral’s Cottage and our Beachfront Camping Cabins during their stay.
Admiral’s Cabin is a large cabin that has four bedrooms and three bathrooms containing four queens and three twin beds. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, a nice-sized dining room with two picnic tables for family-style meals and a living room. There is a full bathroom downstairs and a half bath upstairs. It’s heated with a vented heater and a wood stove. We provide plenty of wood for your stove if you choose to use it.
Beachfront Cabins: Each cabin has 4 twins: 1 bed downstairs, 1 on one side of the loft, and 2 on the other side of the loft (which can be scooted together creating a king!) These cabins include a wood stove for heat with electric outlets and lighting. These cabins do not have running water, however, just across the street we have public restrooms, camp sink, fresh water, and showers/laundry available for use (showers and laundry are token operated, available for purchase onsite). We will have firewood available for anyone located in these camping style cabins.
There’s no kitchen in these cabins, so you may utilize the admiral’s cabin’s kitchen, or folks in the past have also brought their own camp stove setup and enjoyed a winter glamping experience.
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Cancellation requests must be received by *email only* to [email protected]. The cancellation notice date is the date the email was received at [email protected]. Phone cancellations are not accepted.
Refund amounts for cancellations scale from the time of cancellation to the date class starts. A $10 fee is levied on all cancellations: 100% refund up to the Registration Deadline; 50% refund 8-30 days prior to Class Start Date; 0% refund within 7 days of Class Start Date.
*A 100% refund will be issued for any activity that is cancelled by Miller’s Landing due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Miller’s Landing reserves the right to determine weather cancellations. Rain is not a reason for cancellation.*