Announcing the formation of the Professional Climbing Instructors’ Association
January 18, 2008
January 13, 2008 - Press Release
The Professional Climbing Instructors' Association (PCIA) is a non-profit, member-based organization offering educational innovation and instructional choice for climbing instructors. The PCIA's mission is to provide technical and educational content to all levels of the instructional climbing community and to teach best practices that improve the safety, quality and delivery of technical climbing instruction.
The PCIA was established to specifically serve the needs of climbing instructors--those people who introduce thousands to the sport of climbing each year whether they are in a climbing gym or in a natural environment. The PCIA strives to help create great climbing educators--people who are capable climbers, technically proficient, and passionate about teaching climbing.
Educational programs are the nucleus of the PCIA and reflect the continuing evolution of climbing instructor education in the United States. The sequentially designed courses recognize the important differences and similarities that exist between climbing instruction that takes place on artificial structures, base managed, top managed and single pitch climbing sites.
By providing a consistent, standardized approach to entry level climbing instruction the PCIA seeks to improve the safety of climbing at all levels. Available in convenient 1-3 day teaching modules, the PCIA courses are well suited to various forms of climbing instruction. The current course line-up is as follows:
The PCIA Climbing Wall Instructor™ course serves the manufactured climbing wall community while the Base Managed Climbing Instructor™program reaches out to the climbing instructor working at the cliff bottom.
The one day Top Managed Climbing Instructor™ course emphasizes essential skills for managing climbs from the top of a cliff. When lead climbing is required to set up top rope climbs, the Single Pitch Climbing Instructor™ course teaches the skills required to then either run the site from the bottom, or mid-cliff. The curriculum of the PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor course has never been offered to the American climbing instructor community until now. The course is a great bridge to more advanced guide training courses.
The PCIA offers a reciprocity option for those with other certifications and a seamless transition from other educational programs with minimal repetition of material. A certification challenge is available to practicing professionals possessing a wealth of experience and formal training. For those in need of credentialing we offer voluntary certification options and an Accreditation Program that is recognized by the National Park Service.
The PCIA, through the already well-established network of regional and national outdoor education conferences, will offer open clinics, workshops and continuing education programs designed around sharing technical ideas and innovations.
The 2008 roll out will focus on delivering the core set of courses and on building a solid instructor pool. The PCIA seeks the best of the best to serve in this group.
Visit www.pcia.us to join or to learn more - there are a wide range of membership levels starting at just $25! The PCIA welcomes your involvement.
Contact information
Email: info@pcia.us Phone: 207-461-3472
Article from OutdoorEd.com
Labels: Climbing, Education, Risk Management, Training
posted by Jay @ 1/18/2008,
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WFR Training and Recertification by WMA
November 16, 2007
WFR Course by WMA
Dec 13 - 21, 2007
Hosted by the Adventure Learning Center at Eagle Village, Hersey, MI
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Eight-Day Course Outline & Syllabus
Two-Day WFR Recertification Course Outline & Syllabus
Please contact Donna
dooms
Labels: Risk Management, Training, WFR, Wilderness Medicine
posted by Jay @ 11/16/2007,
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Climbing Wall Association Releases Third Edition of Industry Practices: A Sourcebook for the Operation of Manufactured Climbing Walls
November 14, 2007
Entire Article from OutdoorEd.com October 31, 2007 - Press Release
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The Climbing Wall Association, Inc. announced the release of the third edition of the Industry Practices:A Sourcebook for the Operation of Manufactured Climbing Walls. The purpose of the Industry Practices is to raise awareness of standard climbing practices for those operating recreational climbing facilities throughout North America. The Industry Practices can assist climbing facilities in understanding, defining, and implementing a set of responsible management, training, and operational climbing practices at their climbing facilities.
The Industry Practices have been developed through a collaborative effort by members of the climbing wall industry over many years in an effort to provide a critical element of industry self-regulation and to defend against onerous and expensive external regulation. The current edition was revised by the CWA Operations Standards Committee in cooperation with CWA members, industry representatives, manufacturers, and other experts. Members of the public were invited to review and comment on the draft, an industry first for this successful publication.
According to Bill Zimmermann, Executive Director of the CWA, the third edition is a major revision of the previous edition. "The third edition of the Industry Practices was re-written from cover to cover and contains a great deal of useful material not included in previous editions." he said.
The Industry Practices is provided free of charge to current CWA members, and was shipped to its members last week. The Industry Practices is available to the public via the CWA web site here: http://www.climbingwallindustry.org/order.php. On-line ordering is now available.
About the Climbing Wall Association, Inc.
(CWA) is a 501(c)(06), non-profit, industry trade association incorporated in May of 2003. The CWA is the only trade association addressing the needs and interests of the climbing wall industry and climbing wall operators. The mission of the Climbing Wall Association is to support the development of the climbing wall industry, to promote the sport of climbing, and to advocate for the interests of our members.
An OutdoorEd Article
Labels: Climbing, Equipment, Risk Management, Training
posted by Jay @ 11/14/2007,
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Baltimore Teen Drowns During School Backpacking Trip
April 05, 2007
Kenneth, 17, and seven other students from Independence School Local 1 in Hampden - an alternative public school for students who have struggled in traditional classrooms - left Baltimore on Tuesday morning. That night, they slept under tents pitched deep in the Monongahela National Forest in Elkins, W.Va.
"He entered [the water] on his own accord," Teter said of the teen. The officer said it did not appear that Jones was knocked unconscious in the water. He said that other students were in the immediate area and that teachers were nearby."
Forty-five students attend the school, which is technically an extension of the Samuel L. Banks High School. The camping trip is part of the school's alternative curriculum designed to empower students who struggle in traditional academic settings.
Kenneth enrolled in the school last year after he was expelled from Benjamin Franklin Middle School for being involved in a fight, his father said."He didn't want to deal with thugs," Jones said. "I stayed on him about being straight."
"He was great," said Jones, the father. "[On] a scale of 1 to 10, he was a 13."
For complete story go to http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-te.ci.drown31mar31,0,3392108.story?page=1&coll=bal-local-headlines
Labels: Backcounrty Swimming, Drowning, Risk Management, Safety, Swimming
posted by Jay @ 4/05/2007,
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Developing Best Practices in Backcountry Swimming
Contributed by Todd Miner
In the AEE Northeast & Mid-Adlantic newsletter, Mid-Atlantic Currents
Volume 4, Issue 3 Page 3, December 2006
Swimming in remote locations has traditionally been a part of adventure programming. The benefits of backcountry swimming are recognized and celebrated and should be preserved. However, it is also one of the more dangerous activities that occur in a backcountry program. Over the last 10 years a number of fatalities and serious accidents (paralysis, brain damage, etc.) have occurred during backcountry swimming taking place in organized programs. Better trainings, practices and policies need to be developed to ensure backcountry swimming can continue. National organizations such as Red Cross have backed away from developing such tools, leaving it to the adventure education field to step up and improve safety and programming for our participants. There is a large and significant gap that begs to be filled.
To address this gap, several programs (Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Eastern Washington University, Hamilton College, Harvard University, Princeton University, Sterling College and VisionQuest) have joined together with invited representation from Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School. The working title of this group has yet to be decided. Consideration is between the Committee Reviewing Adventure-Based Backcountry Swimming (CRABS) or the Committee on Backcountry Swimming (COBS). The goal of this committee is to enhance the safety of backcountry swimming through education and sharing of best practices.
Many adventure programs have developed strong trainings, practices, protocols, or standards to address the risks of backcountry swimming, but there is no one place where best practices or standards have been brought together. With this in mind, the committee will try to gather, identify and disseminate best practices.
The committee considers "backcountry swimming" to mean "putting people in water that is not a pool or a designated, lifeguard-protected swim area outdoors." Backcountry swimming would include lakes, rivers, streams, the ocean, hot springs, and would not be defined by proximity to roads, type of shore, etc. “Incidental” relates to the spontaneous nature and is secondary to the expected objectives of the planned activity such as hiking.
In trying to gather and disseminate best practices for backcountry swimming the committee operates using the following values, goals and principles:
- There is value in backcountry swimming.
- The process and effort will be as inclusive as possible. We seek partners and insights from any and all adventure programs and/or organizations focused on risk management and safety.
- The results will be freely and openly shared.
- The main focus is on incidental or purposeful wading or swimming (as opposed to accidental swimming related to boating or stream crossing).
- The general goal is to promote backcountry swimming that is as safe as possible.
- The preferred method for enhancing backcountry swimming safety is through sharing and educating.
- That enhancing safety should not have to mean adding a lot of training time or cost.
- That priority is placed on common sense, lowtech ways to make swimming safer.
- That raising the swimmer's consciousness is imperative.
The committee requests input from other organizations. We seek protocols, practices and accident data that you are willing to share. This will allow the committee to examine how accidents and injuries are occurring and what risk management measures could be instituted to prevent further loss. Please forward information to Dennis Call, dennis.call@vq.com
Labels: Backcountry Swimming, CRABS, Risk Management, Safety
posted by Jay @ 4/05/2007,
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WFR Training
April 04, 2007
Wilderness First Responder 
Katie Hodgdon
(231) 861-2262 ext 1112
katie.hodgdon@ayf.com
Miniwanca Labels: event, Risk Management, Training, WFR, Wilderness Medicine
posted by Jay @ 4/04/2007,
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Twinject two-dose Epinephrine Autoinjector
January 11, 2007
The Only Available Auto-injector With 2 Doses in 1 Device
Twinject: The confidence of knowing a second dose is always there
Unique 2-in-1 device eliminates the need for 2 single-dose injectors
Auto-injector enables rapid delivery of epinephrine
Prefilled syringe provides manual delivery of second dose
Available in 2 weight-appropriate doses: 0.3 mg and 0.15 mg
Clear window indicator confirms viability of medication
Twinject: The convenience of 1 lightweight device
Slim, crush-resistant case protects Twinject in handbags, backpacks, and travel kits; includes metal pocket clip for added security
Thin, 25-gauge needle
Permanently attached WrapLabel? ensures that step-by-step instructions are immediately available to patients or caregivers anywhere, anytime
For more information on Twinject and Anaphylaxis including online videos showing how to administer Twinject go to the Twinject Web site at www.twinject.com
Labels: news, Risk Management, Training, Wilderness Medicine
posted by Jay @ 1/11/2007,
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Twinject Review
From Rick Curtis at Outdoor Ed.com
According to medical students 35% of patients may experience anaphylactic reactions requiring more than 1 dose of epinephrine. In the past the only product available has been the Epi-pen manufactured by Dey Pharmacuetical. The Dey Product is a one-dose unit which means that a second unit would need to be available to give a second dose.
The Twinject product is a unique departure from the Epi-pen in that it has two doses in each injector. The first dose is given with an autoinjecting needle similar to the Epi-pen. Removal of a cap allows for a second dose to be administered manuallt. Since 36% of patients who end up receiving epinephrine for anaphylaxis require a second dose the Twinject offers significant advantages over the Epi-pen. The Twinject is available in both adult (0.3 mg Epinephrine) and child (0.15 mg Epinephrine) units. With a retail cost comparable to Epi-pen. Programs who carry multiple doses will see considerable cost savings for first aid kit purchases.
For the entire article go to http://outdoored.com/anm/templates/template1.aspx?articleid=1979&zoneid=16
Labels: news, Risk Management, Training, Wilderness Medicine
posted by Jay @ 1/11/2007,
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