The concept of consistency in the content of Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) programs is receiving much attention. Tod Schimelpfenig from the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS and Dr. David Johnson of Wilderness Medical Associates have been talking for several years about this question of curriculum consistency. In order to address this issue they have taken the step, with input from peer groups including Aerie, SOLO, Wilderness Medicine Training Center, Wilderness Medicine Outfitters, Landmark Learning and Desert Mountain Medicine, of drafting a Scope of Practice (SOP) for WFA and WFR. Scope of Practice is medical jargon for a job description, a statement about what a WFA or WFR should be able to do, and not do.

Tod has posted a draft of the Wilderness First Aid Scope of Practice document on the Wilderness Medicine Blog for open comment. This is an important opportunity for programs who utilize these levels of first aid certification to comment. Read the Scope of Practice draft and comment on the draft at the Wilderness First Aid Forum.

With the Wilderness Risk Management Conference, the Association for Experiential Education Conference, and the Association for Outdoor Recreation and Education Conference now complete, this is a great time for conference presenters to post their conference handouts and PowerPoints online at the Outdoor Ed Community. I've already posted both of my presentations on the Risk Assessment and Safety Management System and on the International Incident Database System.

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Parents Can't Sign pre-injury Releases for Their Children? Who Thought They Could?
by Reb Gregg and Catherine Hansen-Stamp

The Florida Supreme Court ruled that a parent cannot sign a pre-injury release on behalf of a child. Why the surprise and alarm? Only a few states allow such releases, is yours one of them or not? This ruling has caused real concern in a state whose economy depends significantly on recreation and tourism for minors. Make sure you understand case law relating to minors.

Electronic Releases of Liability – What's the Scoop?
by Reb Gregg and Catherine Hansen-Stamp

Are you using electronic forms to capture signatures on release of liability documents? A court has dismissed an injury case based upon an electronic release form that couldn’t be found! Critical legal doctrines apply when converting your organization to electronic release forms. Make sure you understand all the ins and outs of online legal documents...

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