First Aid/CPR

Next Mazamas WFA class dates

Next MFA class dates

Next MFA-PAS refresher class dates

Next Mazamas CPR class dates

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) 

The Mazama First Aid Committee offers certified AHA CPR training multiple times per year at the MMC and in conjunction with the fall and spring Mountaineering First Aid classes.   Some First Aid course such as WFR include the CPR certification, but neither WFA nor the Mazamas MFA include CPR.  Additionally, American Red Cross OR American Heart Association CPR courses meet this requirement. Climb leaders must have a current CPR certification card to lead climbs. Most certifications are valid for 2 years, but some only cover you for 1 year, so please check your card to be sure.

• For  info on CPR classes offered by Mazamas, see https://mazamas.org/cpr/

• For info on wilderness first aid (WFA) classes offered by Mazamas, see https://mazamas.org/wildernessfirstaid/. 

• For MFA class info: go to https://mazamas.org/mountaineeringfirstaid/

Cost and reimbursement

Only if you take the WFA, MFA, or CPR courses taught by the now trained Mazama volunteers, will the Climbing Committee be able to help defray the very real cost of this education.  MFA and Mazama-led CPR and WFA courses will be reimbursed only after helping to instruct a Mazama class or leading a climb. First Aid Reimbursement Policy 

WFA and MFA notes

If you need to certify or recertify for Climb Leader: First Aid (CL:FA) badge, you need to have:

• a current WFA certification (either through the Mazamas or another organization, valid for 2 years)  AND

• taken MFA within the last 4 years to cover mountaineering-specific concerns and mass casualty scenarios not included in WFA.

 OR have:

• a current certification of one of the more advanced nationally recognized standards, below:

• WFR: Wilderness First Responder (70-80 hr course)

• OEC: Outdoor Emergency Care (a National Ski Patrol 120 hr course)

• EMR: Emergency Medical Responder (~50 hr course, typically through PMR)

• WEMT: Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (110-200hr course)

• WUMP: Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professionals (~48 hrs, through NOLS)

• Other course approved by Climbing/First aid Committees

Neither WFA nor MFA has a separate recertification course - you must always retake the full course to recertify.  The CL:FA Badge is now only valid for 2 years, because the underlying WFA course is only valid for 2 years. Once you have earned both badges, request the CL:FA badge by emailing cl_continuing_education@mazamas.org . (Even after the website “Badge Request” feature is fixed!)

The 10-hr MFA field skill builder provides or renews the MFA badge.  This course is a companion to the industry-standard Wilderness First Aid certification, with which the Mazamas WFA course aligns.  Note that a current WFA or equivalent is an MFA prerequisite;  if your WFA badge expires, you must retake WFA or equivalent prior to taking the MFA skill builder.

The MFA class makes extensive use of the Patient Assessment System (PAS), which is taught in WFA.  It's easy to forget!  So if your MFA badge is still current but your PAS recall has slipped, to have a successful MFA learning experience, we recommend you first update your PAS knowledge with the extra PAS class that is typically offered the evening before MFA.

Note: if you don’t plan on leading for a while, for personal or medical reasons, you do NOT have to be within recertification on all badges.  Only if you’re going to be leading do these need to be current.   Please let us know if you’re on a pause, so that we do not advertise you as being currently active.  We’d rather that you come back when you’re ready, then give up, all together!!!  No matter what level of climb you’re capable of, you will always be able to lead an A level climb if you are current on First Aid and CPR badges (and Climb Leader Update).

History: We revamped our climb leader First Aid requirements and the Climb Leader: First Aid (CL:FA) badge after 2018, due to underlying changes with the Mazamas first aid program.  Anyone who has only certified based on the old combined 32-hour Mazamas MFA course is now out of certification, and needs to take the above FA classes.

Questions and Answers:

Q.  Why does a Climb Leader need a current CPR?

A.  CPR has an extremely low probability of resuscitating a victim in an urban setting.  Seconds/minutes count until advanced life support arrives.  In recent years, the use of an AED by laypersons has dramatically improved survival odds.  In the backcountry, CPR has an even less likelihood of resuscitating a victim.  Mazamas don’t carry AED in our packs.  However, in the event of drowning, avalanche burial, or lightning strike, CPR is highly effective in reviving an otherwise healthy individual.  CPR teaches abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver) which comes in handy if someone chokes on dinner while on an overnight climb.  CPR is also very effective on individuals under the age of 18.  WFA scope of education assumes that during primary assessment A-B-C, the rescuer understands how to establish an airway.  Repositioning the jaw and jaw thrust techniques are only taught in CPR.  CPR is also an important community related education.  The more persons trained in CPR within the community improves the likelihood that all community members would benefit. 

Q. What is the minimum training when earning a CL:FA badge

A. The basic First Aid requirements for Climb Leaders approved by the Climbing Committee are WFA and MFA skillbuilder, earning the CL:FA badge, and CPR. 

Q.  Why is the CL:FA badge manually approved versus auto renewed when a refresh option is completed

A.  There is a limitation within our version of Salesforce that a badge can not be created using Boolean algebra, i.e. there is no “or”, “and” or “not” algorithm.  The Climbing Committee has to approve the CL:FA badge, which staff must grant.  

Q.  Why are both WFA and the MFA skill-builder required of climb leaders?

A.   WFA provided the basic First Aid knowledge, and the MFA skill-builder builds upon that to give mountaineering specific concerns and mass casualty scenarios.  They both have to be taken to initially earn the CL:FA badge, with WFA required every 2 years, and MFA every 4 years.  WFA is a 16 hour course and requires one day (8 hours) of in-person training.  The other 8 hours of WFA are on-line learning that students have three weeks to complete. The new MFA Skill-builder is a one day in-person training.

Links to MFA/WFA learning objectives:

• WFA Scope of education

• MFA Course Topics

The major learning objective difference between old MFA format (32 hours) and WFA (16 hours):  WFA includes Patient Assessment System practice, medical problem solving skills practice, Triage, mass casualty, team rescue skills (WFA focuses on solo rescue only), medical/injury evacuation decision making, building temporary litters, contacting/coordinating rescue with law enforcement, accident case study, orientation to Mazamas Emergency Accident protocols, and considerations for selecting good evacuation terrain.

When the Climbing Committee evaluated the differences between the new WFA and the old MFA, the request was to build an MFA Skill-builder that would include all the scope of education that was in the old MFA but not in the National Wilderness Medicine WFA scope of education.  The First Aid Committee designed a one-day MFA Skill-builder course based on the WFA/MFA scope of education gaps and piloted in a mountain education setting that is both realistic and harsh environment conditions. 

Q. The old CL:FA badge was good for three years with an additional one year grace period.  Why the change to a two year badge?

A. The national standard for Wilderness Medicine certifications is two years. Mazamas are aligning Mazamas badges to national standards for advanced training.

More questions?  Feel free to ask any of us:

Duncan Hart (First Aid Chair) firstaid@mazamas.org

Leora Gregory (LD Manager): leadershipdevelopment@mazamas.org

(Climbing Chair): climbing@mazamas.org