Spring Volunteer Trainings

They say that confidence comes from being prepared. UMA wants to be sure our volunteers feel as confident as possible going into the wilderness with our kids and one of the ways we prepare them is by offering training opportunities. So this past month we spent a day at Liberty University's Camp Hydaway illustrating and enacting scenarios that could possibly come up while hiking, rafting, or during other adventures away from urban medical care. 

During this training, volunteers were split up into three groups, which allowed each group an ample amount of time to learn about potential problems, how to prevent them, and how to remedy the situation. They rotated through learning how to create a splint for a patient with an injured limb, building a litter to safely carry a patient out of the wilderness, and also treating a hypothermic patient. At the conclusion of the day, our newly trained volunteers were sent into the woods for their final scenario. They had to find an injured hiker and use what they learned to stabilize and get their patient to safety! Everyone who attended was able to walk away with practical tips and solutions that they didn't just learn about in the classroom, but through a hands-on approach that our volunteers really appreciated!  

Our dedicated volunteers also spent another Saturday in March on the chilly James River being trained in how to properly fit a PFD, guide a raft, and even pull a fellow rafter back into the boat! It was cold and long but everyone returned with huge smiles on their faces and for that we are grateful!