Marten Lakes Wilderness Camp, Alberta (May 20, 2022): The Northern Lakes College Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) class recently participated in a wilderness survival camp where they learned basic survival skills. The activity was held at the NLC Marten Lakes Wilderness Camp, located 90 kilometres northeast of Slave Lake off highway 754.

Wilderness survival camp is part of the ACP program and prepares students to work in remote locations. Many graduates of the program work in heavily forested rural areas of Alberta and on medical flights transporting patients from rural locations to urban medical facilities. In the uncommon event that a practitioner might need to do so, the survival camp ensures they would know how to keep themselves and the patient warm.

The location of the camp, surrounded by Boreal forest, provides students with an opportunity to disconnect from technology and connect with each other, fostering friendships that will assist students as they enter the demanding field of paramedicine. Topics discussed during the camp include the stresses of the emergency medical field, post-traumatic stress disorder, and tools for coping.

Over the course of the week, students participate in a series of activities, including fire building, knife and axe safety, saw building, and preparing water from natural sources for drinking purposes. Students also learned to build beds and shelter from the elements, and a stretcher to move a patient. These activities were achieved using materials from the surrounding forest.

Comments Doug Higginson, Chair, Paramedic Programs, “Advanced Care Paramedics must often provide care in less than ideal circumstances. They must be capable of treating patients at the site of the injury or accident. Those who work in rural areas must be ready for the unexpected and able to use the resources at hand, should the need arise. The students enjoy challenging themselves to envision providing care in wilderness environments.”

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A distance learning college, Northern Lakes College provides the most accessible and flexible educational opportunities through innovative delivery. Utilizing its unique Supported Distance Learning (SDL) model, NLC assists 5,000 students annually to continue their education, improve their employment opportunities, and enhance their quality of life. Committed to its communities in northern Alberta and to its students, wherever they may be, NLC collaborates with business, industry, and other post-secondary institutions to benefit students and communities. Explore at www.northernlakescollege.ca.

For additional information contact:
Rachel Ouellette
Director, External Relations, Marketing & Communication
Office of the President
Northern Lakes College
news@northernlakescollege.ca