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Teaching for CWS

We receive many inquiries about becoming an instructor from individuals who want to provide low cost training solely for their own organization. We are not able to accommodate these requests. If your goal is to provide CWS courses a few times a year for your organization, please visit our sponsor information page.

In order to teach for The Center for Wilderness Safety, all instructor candidates must successfully complete both the Instructor Fundamentals course, as well as the instructor course for the course wishing to be taught: WFA-IC or WFR-IC. The WFA-IC is designed for those wishing to teach Wilderness First Aid; while the WFR-IC is designed for those wishing to teach Wilderness First Responder and the Wilderness EMT Module.

At the successful completion of the Instructor Fundamentals course; the first two days of the Wilderness Medicine Instructor Course, each instructor candidate will then choose their Instructor Course and will be asked to sign an instructor agreement with The Center for Wilderness Safety Inc (CWS). This agreement will license the instructor to be able to use CWS materials, offer courses on their own, and use the CWS name.

Upon completion of the Instructor Course, new instructors will have our ongoing support as CWS will offer to post instructor courses on our website, continual updated course curriculum to meet the latest in wilderness emergency medical care, and will offer many additional resources. By teaching a minimum of 4 to 6 courses per year, and attending annual staff trainings, our instructors are able to maintain their status as leaders in the field of wilderness medicine education and training.

WFR Instructor Qualifications

We seek candidates who are interested in teaching Wilderness First Responder, who have the following qualifications:

  • Must be at least 21 years old.
  • Current certification as a Wilderness EMT-B or higher (state or national registry).
  • Current professional level CPR/AED certification.
  • Direct experience/competency managing common injuries & illnesses in the field.
  • The ability to proficiently take care of oneself in a wilderness or outdoor setting.
  • Experience teaching others in an outdoor education or classroom setting.
  • Excellent comprehension of, and ability to speak the English language.
  • 2 or more years pre-hospital emergency medical experience.
  • 2 or more years backcountry backpacking & camping experience.
  • Pass a criminal background check.

After taking a Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness EMT Module course through CWS, CWS will offer a 75% tuition reimbursement on the condition that the staff member teaches at least four courses within the first twelve months of employment.

WFA Instructor Qualifications

In addition to the general instructor qualifications listed above, we require the following additional qualifications for those interested in teaching just the American Red Cross Wilderness & Remote First Aid course through CWS:

        • Must be at least 21 years old.
  • Current American Red Cross instructor.
  • Current certification as a Wilderness First Responder or higher.
  • Current professional level CPR/AED certification.
  • Direct experience/competency managing common injuries & illnesses in the field.
  • The ability to proficiently take care of oneself in a wilderness or outdoor setting.
  • Experience teaching others in an outdoor education or classroom setting.
  • Excellent comprehension of, and ability to speak the English language.
  • Must have successfully completed Wilderness First Aid through CWS.
  • 2 or more years backcountry backpacking & camping experience.
  • Pass a criminal background check.

After taking the Wilderness & Remote First Aid course through CWS, CWS will offer a 75% tuition reimbursement on the condition that the staff member teaches at least four Wilderness First Aid courses within the first twelve months of employment.

Instructor Application Process

Following an application review, qualified candidates will receive a phone and/or in-person interview. On the basis of the application and interview, a limited number of candidates will be selected to attend the Wilderness Medicine Instructor Fundamentals course. There will be a tuition charge to cover food, lodging and materials. As this course is very heavily subsidized, there are no scholarships available.

The Wilderness Medicine Instructor Course will be held from October 6-12, 2012. The early application deadline is August 1st (annually). If space is available, a second round of application reviews may take place in September. The second application deadline is September 7th.

The WMIC for WFA is tentatively scheduled for October 6-9, 2012, while the WMIC for WFR is tentatively scheduled for October 6-12, 2012.

Fill Out the Instructor Application Online

Please contact Shiva Afshartous with any questions that you may have. He is available via email at safshartous@wildsafe.org or call Toll Free 888-945-3402.


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