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Wilderness First Responder Re-Certification

Register Here

Housing Options Available Here

Are your wilderness medicine protocols on the tip of your tongue or in the bottom of your pack? This three day scenario-based course is designed as a review and practice of evacuation and decision making guidelines. It also provides wilderness medicine practitioners with current updates in the wilderness medicine field. WFR Recertification courses include Adult CPR for those who also need this requirement. This course may be used to recertify Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness EMT (wilderness portion only) certifications. Upon successful course completion you will earn a NOLS Wilderness Medicine WFR or WEMT certification. Please check the list of wilderness medicine schools that NOLS Wilderness Medicine recognizes as eligible for recertification. For information related to specific NOLS certification recertification please visit their website.

Click here for additional course registration information.

Course Length: 3 Days, 24 Hours

Recommended for: Students who wish to re-certify a current, or in grace year WFR.

Prerequisites: WFR or WEMT certification from NOLS Wilderness Medicine (must be current or within grace year), SOLO or WMA (must be current) to recertify through this course.

Course Cost: 

  • $330 - Current Appalachian State University students
  • $370 - Other

Dates of course:

Friday, October 11 - Sunday, October 13, 2024

  • 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

1431 Broadstone Rd, Banner Elk, NC 28604

How to Register: Please view our website. From here, you will need to log into your account. If you do not have an account, click “sign up” in the top right corner and follow the instructions to create an account. Click on the button that says "Certifications." (Make sure to input your birthday when making an account because our Wilderness Medicine Courses have an age restriction set on them.) Select "Fall 2022" from the filters on the left side of the screen. You will find “Wilderness First Responder Recertification” listed there. If you need lodging accommodations, revisit the "Certifications" button and find our "Wilderness Medicine Housing" listing. (More information on that below.) Select the dates that you need from there! Follow the directions for processing the payment online via the link that you'll be sent. Once you pay for your course and if needed, lodging, make sure to visit the bottom of this website to view all the paperwork requirements! Note: If the course is full, you will be able to sign up on the waitlist following the exact same steps outlined above. The only difference is that instead of the end button saying "Register," it will ask you to "Join Waitlist."

Cancellation and Refund Policy: Payment in full is required to reserve your spot in a course. Payments are non-transferable across participants. Our refund policy covers before 30 days from the course start date and within 30 days from the course start date.   If a course is canceled due to low enrollment, all funds paid are 100% refundable or transferable to another Wilderness Medicine Course hosted by UREC within an academic calendar year (July 1 - June 30)

Before 9/11/24: If you withdraw from the course more than 30 days prior to the course state date, you may receive a partial refund. In this case, UREC will keep $100 for the Wilderness First Responder Recertification (WFR-R) and refund your remaining balance.

On or After 9/11/24: Within 30 days of the course date, if a participant cancels or does not show up to the first day of the course, 50% of the balance amount will be refunded to the participant, only if their spot in the course was filled. If a participant withdraws after the course has started, no refunds will be given.

Lodging: The WFR Recertification is happening at our beautiful Broadstone facility located in Valle Crucis, NC. A part of the Appalachian State University campus, Broadstone provides an ideal location to conduct a wilderness medicine course. The majority of the course takes place in the main lodge which has plenty of room for classroom discussions, as well as a kitchen and dining room. We have many outdoor locations nearby which we will also be utilizing where we can conduct outdoor scenarios for the course. We have cabin accommodations available for the duration of the course. Cabin fees are $50 per person for all three nights of the course.

NOLS COVID-19 Policies and Vaccine Policy: Effective 5/1/2023

  • Please do not come to class if you are feeling sick! 
  • Students are encouraged to wear a mask during indoor lecture time, but it is optional. You can wear your own mask or a KN-95 we will provide for you.
  • Masks, gloves, and safety glasses are optional during skills workshops and scenarios. If you would like to wear any or all of them, KN-95s are available or you can bring your preferred multi-layer mask, and we will also provide nitrile gloves and safety glasses.
  • If your course is held at a time or location where stricter requirements are in effect, your instructors will require you to adhere to those procedures throughout your course.
  • Students must follow instructors’ directions and don a mask upon request at any time during their course.

For more information, please visit: Landmark Learning Policies

Certifications Received (valid for two years):

  • NOLS Wilderness Medicine Wilderness First Responder
  • NOLS Wilderness Medicine Adult & Child CPR

Continuing Education: This course is pre-approved for 18 hours of EMT Continuing Education Hours by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS).

Download: NOLS Rescue Gear

Course Paperwork:

Please mail all course paperwork to Student Recreation Center C/O Jacob Norris, ASU Box 32081, Boone, NC 28608 March 29, 2024.

Required paperwork for course listed below. We need a "wet-ink" (black or blue ink) on paper signature for everything. [This means nothing can be typed, scanned, faxed, or emailed.]

Download: Wilderness Medicine Course Application

Download: General UREC Participant Waiver All Programs

Download: Grounds and Lodging Orientation Signature sheet

Download: NOLS Student Agreement Revised 2021

Download: Landmark Agreement

For more information, contact Jacob Norris at [email protected] or (828) 262-8411.