Outdoor Emergency Care

Outdoor Emergency Care Technicians
Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) is a course for certification in first aid, CPR and other pre-hospital care and treatment for possible injuries in non-urban settings. Outdoor Emergency Care technicians provide care at ski resorts, wilderness settings, white-water excursions, mountain bike events, and in many other outdoor environments.

Basic emergency skills taught include using airway adjuncts, assisting patients with medications, splinting and bandaging, providing emergency care for environmental illnesses and injuries, using special equipment and techniques particular to non-urban rescuers, and managing prolonged transport.

Training
The standard of training and actual procedures and requirements for OEC is very similar those of the EMT-Basic course and the curriculum contains the skills identified in the US Department of Transportation (DOT) 1994 EMT-Basic National Standard Curriculum, although training is specific to needs in outdoor scenarios. OEC technicians are first responders and have the knowledge to care for and treat patients, but not to diagnose them.

Technicians must attend annual OEC refresher courses in order to maintain their certification. OEC technicians are trained to understand medical, legal and ethical issues, to use innovative methods to perform their tasks, and to be mindful of consent and refusal of care. OEC technicians are able to effectively interface with the next level of care for their patients, usually EMTs and hospitals.