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Frequently Asked Questions
GROUP DISCOUNTS & SPONSORED COURSES
I have a group of people wishing to do a course, what discount are you going to give me?
That depends on the number of people in your group as follows:
1 to 10 participants N/A
11 to 12 participants 2.5%
13 to 15 participants 3%
16 to 21 participants 5%
22 to 23 participants 7.5%
24 partcipants 10%
I have a group of people and a venue, will you come and do a course for us, at a time good that is good for us?
Yes we will! Please email your request to amanda@equip.com.au and we will email you the relevant information. We can also customise a course to suit your unique training needs.
RECERTIFICATION
I have completed a 7 day course or 10 day course. How do I re-certify my qualification?
You can re-certify your course by completing a three day Recertification Course. This needs to be done within three years of your original course, or as soon as you feel you need to. You can do a recretification twice, but when your qualification expires for the third time (up to 9 years after your original qualification) you need to re-do the original course.
I have completed a 4 day course. How do I re-certify my qualification?
If you have completed a 4 day course in the last 2 years, you can re-certify AND upgrade your qualification to the LWFA (7 day) level by attending and completing the WFA 4-LWFA UPGRADE Course. Following this you can retify your qualification on a Recertification Course twice.
It has been over three years since my last course? Can I still re-certify my course?
No, you can not re-certify your course. If your qualification has expired i.e. it has been greater than three years since the completion of your last course, then you are not eligible to re-certify and will have to complete and attend the original course again to regain your qualification level.
How often do I need to re-certify?
Courses are valid for 3 years. BUT it is up to you to update your skills if you are not confident. You may wish to recertify every two years, or even less it is up to you and how confident you are of your skills.
How long does it take for my Re-certification cards to arrive after a course?
After a Re-certification Course your re-newed certificate with attached Course and CPR cards attached will be posted within four weeks. A Statement of Attainment is not issued as you are re-certifying these competencies.
Why is re-certification required every 3 years?
Because of the level of first aid knowledge and practical skills that are taught, it is policy and we strongly believe our students should be kept as fresh as possible. With a short and easy 3 day LWFA and WFR Recertification course, it is now easier than ever to re-certify your 7 or 10 day qualification.
In reality, many people have recognized this is one qualification that if not used frequently and staying fresh and confident with your skills is important.
First aid curriculum changes with research and updates occur frequently. Maintaining your first aid knowledge and skill is vital to being a certified wilderness practitioner of first aid. Remaining current gives you, your patient, your clients, staff, friends and employer peace of mind that you are able to provide high level care and make excellent decisions under often stressful situations.
After a re-certification course your re-newed certificate with attached Course and CPR cards attached will be posted within four weeks.
Do I have to complete the entire course again at any stage?
You can do a Recertification Course twice. When you are due to expire for the third time, it will have been up to 9 years from your original qualification, and we deem it necessary for you to re-do the complete course again. If you are super confident of your skills 9 years after the original course, you have the option of doing a shorter course as a refresher (but we wont recertify the original qualification)
LOST CERTIFICATE OR STATEMENT OF ATTAINMENT
I have lost my Certificate or Statement of Attainment. How do I get these documents re-issued to me?
Write an email requesting the required document i.e. Certificate or Statement of Attainment, with your full name and current postal address to amanda@equip.com.au, and we will generate these documents at a cost of $49.00 per document. Payment is expected prior to posting the document. We will need your name, current mailing details, a contact number and most importantly the date you completed the course.
THE COURSE IS FULL AND THAT IS THE ONLY COURSE I CAN FIT INTO MY SCHEDULE! WHAT CAN I DO?
If the Bookings/Course Calendar reads that a course is full, you are able to be 'wait listed' for a position on course by emailing your request and best contact details to amanda@equip.com.au If a position becomes available for you - you will receive a phone call and an email requesting that you contact the office to accept the position on course within 24 hours of receiving the course details. If no response is gained after 24 hours, the next person on the list will be called and offered the position on course, and your position will not be held.
TRANSFER AND CANCELLATION POLICY
I have booked a course, but have since discovered I cannot attend. What is the Cancellation & Transfer Policy?
All cancellations/transfers from a course, MUST be in WRITING but may be sent by fax, email (from the students email address) or via letter.
A cancellation received 30 days or more prior to the start of the course shall receive a full refund. A transfer received 30 days or more prior to the start of the course will not incur a transfer fee.
The deposit is non-refundable when a cancellation is received between 14 and 29 days prior to commencement. The deposit, however, may be transferred to another course if requested in writing.
Cancellations & transfers received less than 14 days prior to course commencement shall forfeit 100% of the full cost of the course.
Where a course is cancelled by Equip a full refund or transfer shall be provided at no cost.
What are the fees for a transfer
There is no fee if the transfer is more than 30 days before the start of the course. Between 30 and 14 days before the start of the course the transfer fee is $99. Each subsequent transfer after the initial transfer will attract a further $149.00 Please choose carefully!
Where a course is cancelled by Equip a full refund or transfer shall be provided at no cost.
COURSE ACCREDITATION
Are you a Registered Training Organization (RTO)?
Equip Health Systems P/L trading as Equip Wilderness First Aid Institute is a Registered Training Organization and most of our courses have Nationally Recognized Units of Competency associated with them. Click here for our NTIS profile.
GENERAL
What is wilderness first aid?
If you find yourself providing patient care one hour or greater from definitive medical care, you are in the realm of wilderness first aid. Wilderness first aid (also known as wilderness medicine AND remote area first aid) is characterized by extended patient care time, extremes of environment and the need to improvise resources to be able to manage and treat your patient well.
What does Equip teach?
Equip courses evolved from need. Some thirty years ago folks who were working and playing in wilderness areas were noticing that their urban first aid training was not suitable to the environments that they were venturing into. The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS), a society of medical professionals, was formed and commenced researching and recommending emergency first aid care suitable for a first aider to utilize and know in a wilderness environment.
We have a list of medical professionals from Australia who advise us on what we teach. Our instructors who teach our courses are not only some of the best educators available in Australia, they have worked with and treated patients in urban and wilderness environments and made the same hard decisions out there in the wilderness. We have the best people teaching you the best and most relevant information.
What career experience and training background do your Instructors have?
Our Instructors are dynamic and gifted educators. They strive for excellence and quality in all areas of the courses they facilitate. Working as an Instructor is a constant process of feedback, discussion and searching for the new and quirky scenario idea...
All of our instructors have commenced their career as Ambulance Officers, Ski-patrollers, Paramedics, Doctors, Registered Nurses, Outdoor Professional Guides and Leaders and have extensive wilderness leadership experience. What an amazing combination for the student to be soaking up all that knowledge and experience.
Many of our Instructors are drawn to the excellence and fun of educating enthusiastic adult learners in an outdoor setting!
Are there pre-requisites for your courses?
No. We do not require any prior experience or qualifications to attend our courses (with the exception of recert and upgrade courses). We take you through the basics at each course level.
How old do I need to be to attend a course?
We ask that our students be at least 16 years of age.
Is there some sort of pre-course reading I need to do?
When you register for a course you will be emailed an excerpt from the course work book that you will receive on course. We suggest you read this to become familiar with the terminology and content. On course, there is plenty of time after class for study and consolidation of the content and skills you have learnt.
What happens if I lose my Course Certification Cards and/or Statement of Attainment?
Just send an email to amanda@equip.com.au, or call us, and we will replace the lost items at the cost of $99.00. We will need your name, current mailing details, a contact number and most importantly the date you completed the course.COURSE ACCREDITATION
Are you a Registered Training Organization (RTO)?
Equip Health Systems P/L trading as Equip Wilderness First Aid Institute is a Registered Training Organization and most of our courses have Nationally Recognized Units of Competency associated with them. Click here for our NTIS profile.
Are your courses Level 2 or 3 in Victoria?
The Victorian Level 2 and 3 First Aid Certifications apply more so to urban workplaces than the wilderness environment. A level 2 course is known as "Senior First Aid" elsewhere in Australia.
They are not legislated or mandated in any way, rather being an "Industry Standard" amongst urban First Aid providers. Thus, our courses may teach topics over and above a "Level 3" but they are a different course to "Level 3". Examining the Units of Competency associated with each course may provide some clarity.
Are your courses Workcover approved in NSW?
Currently, only our 7 day LWFA is a NSW Workcover approved course.(Approval # FA 9008)
Are you affiliated with the ARC (Australian Resuscitation Council)?
We are subscribers to the ARC and teach their guidelines. As some of what we teach goes a little beyond the scope of some ARC guidelines, we have a Medical Advisory Board that advises us on deviations from ARC guidelines.
COURSE CONTENT
Do you teach specific wilderness protocols?
We train people in wilderness first aid but we don't license people to practice medicine. Our students don't leave a course with an advanced medical qualification, but training and know-how. We teach treatment principles and guidelines, but we are not a protocol issuing body.
An organization that requires their staff to have our qualifications should have well-documented standard operating procedures or written Medical Protocols from a Doctor of Medicine in order for them to practice some of the "wilderness only" guidelines we teach. This ensures consistency in training and well-informed patient care. From a legal perspective, written protocols from a Doctor would be best practice.
Remember, very little of what we teach is outside the scope of urban (and therefore, widely accepted) first aid practice. Only reduction of fractures/dislocations, focussed spine assessment, discontinuing CPR after 30 mins and drug administration are considered unusual and would require further documentation to justify.
If you were to come across a patient in a wilderness environment and you were not in a professional capacity, you would need to exercise prudence and gain well informed consent from your patient if you were going to practice a "wilderness only" guideline.
Much of what we teach is purely patient care and evacuation decision making. As long as you act in a "reasonable and prudent" manner within the scope of your training, you'll be doing the right thing.
How do your courses differ from St John's/Red Cross/other First Aid Providers of urban first aid courses?
Our courses focus on thorough patient assessment, treatment and evacuation guidelines for people in the wilderness or a remote area. Our students are taught to recognise, treat and manage a variety of illnesses and injuries in the field. A wilderness first course will teach you to manage a patient for extended periods of time because an ambulance will not arrive for at least for an hour or more, whereas most urban first aid courses will teach 20 minutes of first aid because in the rely on an ambulance arriving within 10 - 20 minutes.
OTHER
I have completed one of your accredited courses and my Employer/SES/Queensland Ambulance Service won't recognise it as being equivalent to (or more than) a Senior First Aid course. What can I do?
A Senior First Aid course (Level 2 in Vic) is mapped to the Unit of Competency HLTFA301B - apply first aid. Any one of our courses above the 3 day WFA level will gain the Unit SRXFAD001A. We have a relationship with St John Ambulance Australia Inc that acknowledges the equivalency of SRXFAD001A and HLTFA301B. Thus, if you show your Statement of Attainment from us with that Unit on it, it has been deemed equivalent to a St John Senior First Aid course.
If you are in NSW or SA you will need to show that the course was workcover approved.
NSW - If you got SRXFAD001A from our 7 day LWAFA course, the course approval code is FA9008. Our other courses are not approved so you might not have much joy pursuing this avenue.
SA - We are not currently Workcover approved, so you may not get very far this way.
All other states - The unit SRXFAD001A is equivalent to a St John's Senior First Aid course.
If you are still hitting a brick wall after explaining this, have the people contact us in the office or contact us and we will ring them on your behalf.
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