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40-hour Canadian Red Cross Wilderness First Aid in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver and Burnaby, for guides, park staff, and outdoor professionals.

Wilderness First Aid

Wilderness First Aid

40-hour Canadian Red Cross Wilderness First Aid in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver and Burnaby, for guides, park staff, and outdoor professionals.

4.9★★★★★(14,900+ Google Reviews across BC)

Get 40-hour Canadian Red Cross Wilderness First Aid in BC and learn to give extended care when help may be more than a day away. This course was formerly called Advanced Wilderness & Remote First Aid. Choose a class in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, or Burnaby, and leave with a 3-year certificate.

What students should expect

Who is it for? Professional guides, park staff, and people working in recreation and ecotourism.

Expect to spend most of the course outdoors in any weather, practising extended care, improvised splints, tractions, and leadership in overnight and multi-day scenarios.

Certificate & renewal

Get a temporary certificate in class, then a virtual Canadian Red Cross certificate by email. Your virtual manual and certificate stay in your MyRedCross account.

Wilderness First Aid is valid for 3 years, and recertification is 25 hours. Already have Remote First Aid? Upgrade with thebridge course.

Why book with Alert First Aid

Classes start in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, and Burnaby, then move outdoors.

We come to you — private wilderness first aid for guiding and outdoor teams across anywhere in BC.

Top 3 Red Cross Provincial Training Provider 2025Canadian Red Cross Training Partner

Top 3 Red Cross Provincial Training Provider, 2025

An official Canadian Red Cross Training Partner, ranked among the top 3 in BC.

BC Google Reviews
4.9★★★★★Based on 14,900+ Google reviews
★★★★★

"Really solid Wilderness First Aid course with knowledgable instructors and great teaching methods…"

Victoria Tillicum Centre
★★★★★

"I have taken this class several times now and I always seem to find out something new every time…"

Victoria Downtown
★★★★★

"…The training was practical, well-organized, and enjoyable. Highly recommended."

Nanaimo Downtown
Full Course Length 40 hours
Recertification 25 hours

Course Details

Course Content

Our 40-hour Canadian Red Cross Wilderness First Aid course (formerly Advanced Wilderness & Remote First Aid) teaches extended care for overnight and multi-day situations. Most of the course is outdoors, in any weather. Alert First Aid is a top 3 Red Cross Training Partner in BC.

Your certificate is valid for 3 years, and recertification is 25 hours. Topics include:

  • Preparation & planning
  • The P.L.A.N.
  • Wound care
  • Tractions
  • Bone, muscle & joint injuries
  • Cold- & heat-related emergencies
  • Extended care & monitoring
  • Outdoor food safety

Need Wilderness First Aid for Your Team?

Alert First Aid brings Wilderness First Aid directly to your workplace, team, or group — anywhere in BC. Private group courses come with flexible scheduling and volume pricing, and we've trained over 200,000 people across BC.

Request a Group Quote

FAQs

What is remote first aid?

Remote First Aid is a course designed for people who live, work, or play in areas where Emergency Services might not be immediately available. This is a 20 hour course that will focus on learning how to assess situations, determine priorities, and devise care plans that utilize a basic first aid tool kit, and your ability to improvise. Typically these courses are offered over a weekend - Friday evenings will be spent in a traditional classroom environment where participants get oriented with concepts and practice basic skills. Saturday and Sunday will be spent practicing skills and simulated scenarios at an outdoor location where you will be encouraged to use what’s available to solve practical problems. Key learning concepts include: Planning, prevention, and situational awareness, wound care, and environmental emergencies.

What do you learn in wilderness first aid?

Wilderness First Aid is a course designed for people who lead work teams or recreational groups in overnight or multi-day wilderness settings where Emergency Services might not be immediately available. This is a 40 hour course that will focus on learning how to assess situations, determine priorities, and devise care plans that utilize a basic first aid tool kit, and your ability to improvise. Typically these courses are offered over two weekends - Friday evenings will be spent in a traditional classroom environment where participants get oriented with concepts and practice basic skills. Saturdays and Sundays will be spent practicing skills and simulated scenarios at an outdoor location where you will be encouraged to use what’s available to solve practical problems. Key learning concepts include: Prevention, the health and wellness of the group, leadership skills, assessment, extended care and decision-making around additional supports required.

Who can teach wilderness first aid?

To teach Red Cross Wilderness First Aid you must complete the Red Cross First Aid Instructor Development steps. Depending on whether you are already a Red Cross Instructor, or teach first aid courses for another agency, you may have some of these requirement steps completed already! Alert First Aid is a Red Cross Instructor Development Center so please give us a call and we can discuss these steps with you.

What is the difference between the wilderness first aid and wilderness first responder?

Wilderness First Aid is a 40 hour course designed for people who lead work teams or recreational groups in overnight or multi-day wilderness settings, so that they can be prepared to care for people until Professional Responders arrive. Meanwhile, the Wilderness First Responder course is an 80 hour course meant to prepare people to become the Professional Responders themselves. Wilderness First Responders will have a more advanced set of tools for assessment and treatment of injured people, and will also be trained to use professional packaging and transportation equipment for evacuating people.

Does Wilderness First Aid include CPR?

Yes Wilderness First Aid includes CPR C training.

Certification

Successfully complete this 40-hour course to earn a Canadian Red Cross Wilderness First Aid certificate, valid for 3 years. You'll receive a temporary certificate at the end of the course, then a permanent virtual certificate by email. Your certificate and the virtual Canadian Red Cross Comprehensive Guide to First Aid stay in your MyRedCross account, and you'll keep a printed Wilderness & Remote Field Guide. 

Training Schedules & Locations
There are no certification classes at this time. Please check back.

Recertification

If you have a current and valid Wilderness First Aid (formerly Advanced Wilderness First Aid) certificate, you are eligible to take a shorter, faster-paced Wildernss First Aid recertification course. Please be prepared to show proof of certification. Please note that Remote First Aid certification (formerly Wilderness & Remote First Aid) does not make you eligible for recertification, only the 40-hour Wilderness First Aid (formerly Advanced Wilderness First Aid) will. 

Training Schedules & Locations
There are no certification classes at this time. Please check back.

Materials

First Aid Course Materials for Wilderness First Aid

The Wilderness First Aid course includes the following materials:

  • Canadian Red Cross Wilderness & Remote Field Guide (hard copy)
  • Canadian Red Cross Comprehensive Guide to First Aid (virtual)

The Alert Advantage

Free Manual + App

Deep Discounts

3-Year Guarantee

Replacement certs

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Who should take this course?

  • Hiking & backpacking guides
  • Kayak & canoe guides
  • Park rangers & park staff
  • Outdoor educators
  • Ecotourism & adventure tourism staff
  • Summer camp & trip leaders
  • Expedition leaders
  • Backcountry ski & touring leaders
  • Outdoor recreation staff
  • Remote field researchers
  • Search & rescue volunteers
  • Multi-day trip leaders

Looking for a group class?

If you have a group of people and would like us to come to you to teach a
Wilderness First Aid course, we offer this course in the following locations:

Victoria | Langford | Esquimalt | Sooke | Cobble Hill | Mill Bay | Duncan | Lake Cowichan | Cedar | Ladysmith | Nanaimo | Parksville | Qualicum Beach | Port Alberni | Coombs | Parksville | Campbell River | Saltspring Island | Pender Island | Powell River | Gabriola Isand | Burnaby | Coquitlam | Delta | Langley | Maple Ridge | New Westminster | North Vancouver | Pitt Meadows | Port Moody | Richmond | Surrey | Vancouver | West Vancouver | White Rock | Langley |

Give us a call at 1.866.282.5378, or send us an email at to arrange a group course.

The instructor was terrific! Her passion & energy was highly commendable. I learned a lot in just one day!

Joanne Southcombe Emergency First-Aid, Victoria, BC More Testimonials

Awesome course. I've taken a course through St. John's, but I found the level of "hands-on" training more useful. The scenarios were a great learning tool and helps to reinforce the learning.

Priti Bhathella Standard First Aid, Victoria, BC More Testimonials

Nathan was funny and awesome. I like the hands on scenarios rather than bookwork and tests! Thank you Nathan!

Brittany Carriere Standard First Aid, Victoria, BC More Testimonials

"I thought the course was very well done. The instructor kept everyone very active and engaged. I would recommend this course."

Spencer Rycroft Standard First-Aid and CPR-C, Victoria, B.C. More Testimonials

Covered a lot of material and was presented in a fun way! Instructor provided great feedback and was very fun!

Katy Kerr Emergency First-Aid, Victoria, BC More Testimonials

The instructor was great, fair, never did I feel any pressure! Big Thumbs Up.

J. Hurford Standard First Aid, Victoria, BC More Testimonials

 

Best first aid course/ recert or otherwise I’ve taken. Fast. Fun. Friendly approachable instructor. Confident. Realistic scenarios. Time well used/ organized.

B.Rhan Emergency First Aid, Victoria BC More Testimonials

"Our instructor Jason was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour, which made the course fun and the atmosphere relaxing. I will be back to re-cert and recommend Alert to family and friends."

Sarah Layne CPR HCP, Victoria, B.C. More Testimonials

Loved the enthusiasm. Great teacher and lots of fun! It was helpful to have a lot of hands-on

Jennifer McNevin Emergency First Aid, Nanaimo, BC More Testimonials

I was impressed with the patience, kindness and excellent hands-on experience Nathan provided.

Catriona Black Standard First Aid, Victoria, BC More Testimonials
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