Free Career Consultation and Online Pre-Study

Request a free consultation with a career specialist, get unlimited access to our online pre-study, and submit any other questions you might have. We will get back to you as quickly as possible, and promise a response within 24 hours.

All emergency services, and first responders in particular, work in roles where their actions can save lives. These are high-stress, high-reward careers that require you to make decisions quickly, maintain professionalism on and off the job, and have a high degree of personal responsibility. If you think you are well-suited to such a position, than this program is for you!

Careers

First Responders fill a wide variety of important medical responder roles in our community.

If you are considering a career as a firefighter, First Responder is the place to start! Becoming a First Responder is the minimum requirement for many paid and volunteer fire departments in British Columbia, and if you are applying to a service that requires Emergency Medical Responder, you can easily upgrade to that certification with our bridge course.

First Responders play a wide variety of other roles in the community as well, including as sports coaches and athletic therapists. First Responders can also be found volunteering with university and high school emergency response teams, working at special care facilities, and as police officers.

Your First Responder license also qualifies you for Occupational First Aid Level 2 equivalency (OFA-2 is free when you train with Coast!*) which can qualify you for work as a workplace first aid attendant throughout BC.

Further Studies

Warning! All students are at risk of catching the medical responder bug from our enthusiastic and energetic instructors! If you fall victim to this phenomenon, our Upgrade to Emergency Medical Responder is just what you need. This 80 hour training program will add quite a bit of knowledge - and some exciting new skills - to your responder toolkit, while qualifying you for more work opportunities including working on ambulance and in OFA-3 positions.

Current Best Practices

Coast Wilderness Medical Training offers a nationally recognized certification founded on current best practices as defined by the International Liaison Council on Resuscitation (ILCOR), the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Paramedic Association of Canada (PAC).

BC specific regional adaptations are based on guidelines of the British Columbia Ambulance Service and the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board, ensuring that your training prepares you for licensing, and to competently perform to the fullest extent of the FR scope of practice as defined in the Emergency Health Services Act of British Columbia.

Delivery of training in these practices is delivered under the guidance of experienced practitioners who are licensed and working in professional roles with fire departments or the British Columbia Ambulance Service. Most importantly, all Coast instructors have undergone significant training in course delivery, instruction methods and techniques, and skills coaching that goes beyond the standard for first aid and professional responder instructors. This, along with their demonstrated enthusiasm for education and continuous learning, ensures that you not only receive high quality training, but will enjoy a supportive, engaging and fun environment while you do so.

Student Supports

Coast Wilderness Medical Training focus our resources on providing a higher level of student support than any other training provider. These supports include,

• Collaborative learning environments, where slides and lectures are minimized in favor of discussions, interactive practice, and creative learning approaches.

• Individual, ongoing support, with unlimited career, licensing and learning support that starts with your online pre-study and continues after your course until you meet your EMR goals.

• A Resource Repository that houses a wide range of free resources to help keep your skills and knowledge sharp.

• Flexible Assessment Options: If you have testing anxieties, or if you need a bit of time and space after your classroom portion, you can delay your practical assessments by up to 30 days from the end of your in-class learning. You have three attempts, with unlimited practice sessions to help you prepare.

• Free evening and weekend practice sessions during and after your course. These open classroom sessions let you practice with a variety of people, and get the support you need to identify and work on the areas you feel need more work.

• Learning Guarantee: If you take advantage of our supports, our Learning Guarantee is the ultimate safety net for your efforts!

Course Fee: $995

Includes unlimited access to all study materials, FREE student stethoscope, and blood pressure cuff, and unlimited access to online study materials and open classroom practice nights.

Prerequisite: Standard First Aid with BLS (Completed within one year prior to your course start date).

When you register with Coast, you will have the option of booking this training with us for no extra charge!

Location

8168 Granville St (at 66th Ave), Unit 209, Vancouver BC

Schedule

Pre-Study: 20 Hours. When registering, please allow sufficient time to complete your pre-study before your classroom portion begins.

Full Time In-Class: Thursday - Friday, 9 AM – 6 PM. Monday - Friday, 9 AM – 6 PM.

Part Time In-Class: 3 Weekends (Friday 5 PM - 9 PM + Saturday - Sunday 9 AM - 6 PM)

EMALB-FR Licensing Assessments

Coast is authorized to conduct the practical portion of your licensing assessment on behalf of the EMALB. After completion of your certification program, you will be able to book this assessment at no extra charge.

100% attendance is mandatory for successful completion of the course.

Study Materials

• Online Study Modules (Unlimited access through our LMS)

• Red Cross Emergency Care Manual (PDF)

• Red Cross Basic Life Support Field Guide

• Training Guidelines and Protocols Manual

For early access to textbooks and study materials, please contact us.

Assessments

• Written assessments are conducted daily throughout the course.

• Check-in practical assessments are conducted throughout your in-person training.

• A final practical assessment is conducted on the last day of your course.

Certification

Successful participants will receive a Red Cross First Responder with Basic Life Support (formerly CPR-HCP) certification. This certification is recognized by the Paramedic Association of Canada (PAC) and the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board (EMALB), and qualifies the holder to take the provincial EMR licensing exam in British Columbia.