Recertification

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College Credit | Recertification | Continuing Education

 

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We strongly encourage you to maintain a current certification. Frequent refresher courses will help ensure you are prepared to respond in the event of an emergency. To assist you in maintaining your certification, we've provided guidance for the most common situations.

Certification Length
Upon successful completion of your WMI course, you will receive a NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute certification card that is current for two years. You have a one year grace period after the expiration of your wilderness certification. During this grace year you are eligible to participate in a recertification program, however your certification is not current. If you exceed your grace year, you must retake the entire course.

Recertification of Your Wilderness Certification

WFA
To recertify your Wilderness First Aid certification you must take another Wilderness First Aid course.

WAFA
Recertification of your Wilderness Advanced First Aid certification is identical to recertification of a WFR.

WFR
The preferred way to recertify your Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification is to enroll in a WMI Wilderness First Responder Recertification course. This three-day course is specifically designed for students needing recertification. This training is built around scenarios and case studies crafted to reinforce evacuation decision-making. It also provides you with the latest updates in wilderness medicine and includes Adult and Child CPR. You will be required to pass a written and practical exam.

You must possess a current (unexpired) WFR certification of at least 70 hours to recertify through a WFR Recertification course. It is your responsibility to make sure that your certification meets this standard. If you are unsure, please contact WMI before enrolling in a course. WMI certifications will be afforded a one-year grace period within which to recertify. This course will also recertify those who hold a valid WEMT (wilderness portion only) or WAFA certification.

We ask WMI certified students to bring their certification card to the course so that the instructor can verify the expiration date. Students certified by any other organization are REQUIRED to submit a photocopy of their certification card on the first day of the course. Please note: We cannot issue you a new card until we have verified your previous training.

WMI graduates may take a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course to recertify their WAFA, WFR or WEMT. The Wilderness First Aid course is an introductory course for individuals with no prior knowledge and generally does not include CPR. You may choose to take a Wilderness First Aid course to recertify your WAFA, WFR, or WEMT, BUT ONLY if you hold a certification from WMI. Participants using the WFA to recertify need to pass both a written and a practical exam.

WFR Recertification Preparation
We suggest you prepare for your Wilderness First Responder Recertification course by studying prior to the course start date. Students who are the most successful, report that they reviewed their textbook and studied their notes from their previous course. In addition to this tip from students, we have resources on our website that we highly recommend you review prior to your course.

WMI Student Resources

WEMT
Recertification of the wilderness component of a Wilderness EMT is identical to recertification of a WFR.

Another great option for recertifying the wilderness portion of your Wilderness EMT is the Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professionals course (WUMP). This is the best choice for students who are also seeking Continuing Education Units.

You are required to submit a photocopy of your Wilderness EMT card and complete the on-course CEU roster with your name, EMT certification number, jurisdiction (e.g. county, state or national) and expiration date, on the first day of the course.

Be advised that most WMI courses offer EMT Continuing Education Units (CEU's). Your recertification choices offer the following CEUs:

Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professionals: 48 CEU hours (Assessment, 5 hrs; Trauma, 19 hrs; Environmental, 7 hrs; Search and Rescue, 6 hrs; Medical, 11 hrs)
Wilderness First Responder Recert: 18 CEU hours (Assessment, 2.5 hrs; Trauma, 8.5 hrs; Environmental, 2.5 hrs; Medical, 4.5 hrs)
Wilderness Advanced First Aid: 32 CEU hours (Assessment, 4 hrs; Trauma, 13 hrs; Environmental, 6 hrs; Medical, 9 hrs)
Please note: NO CEUs are available for the Wilderness First Aid.

National Registry EMT Basic Recertification
The NREMT Basic is a two-year certification. Your certification is expired on the date of expiration. There are two separate paths to recertification; successful completion of either option 1. or 2. will lead to recertification.

1. Recertification by Continuing Education: Complete all of the following:

• Obtain 48 hours of documented CEUs (continuing education units or hours). Hours accumulated during your initial training course may not be applied to this 48-hour total. (See your National Registry Recertification information for a list of acceptable CEU sources.)
• Attend a 24-hour Urban Refresher Training Program.
• Demonstrate urban practical skills competence.
• Hold a current Professional Level CPR card.

2. Recertification by Exam: Complete all of the following:

• Successfully pass the NREMT Computer Based Test. Please follow the instructions posted on the NREMT website.
• Demonstrate urban practical skills competence.
• Hold a current Professional Level CPR card.

Note: The supervisor signature on your National Registry application must come from an individual who oversees or requires you to maintain urban EMT certification for employment, training, or activity record. As a training organization, WMI does not serve in this role for our students.

If your NREMT-B certification is expired, please visit the National Registry website for information

State EMT Recertification or Reciprocity
For information about how to use your National Registry EMT Basic certification for reciprocity in each state, please visit the National Registry of EMTs website and click on your state. You will be directed to the appropriate contact information for the EMS office in that state, including a Home Page for that State’s EMS website.

Each state sets their own recertification requirements. Please contact your state's EMS department for more information.