IGLULIK
Alex Arnatsiaq found something he loves to do when he participated in last winter's Nunavut Youth Leap Ski Adventure Leadership Training in Iqaluit.

Alex Arnatsiaq, left, and Larry-Guy Ijjangiaq carry Andrea Panimera during a remote responder training course in Iglulik in late March. - photo courtesy Sephan Guenette.

He learned some wilderness first aid. One of the instructors told him about the remote responder course offered by Rocky Mountain Adventure Medicine, a company that trains in first aid practices, remote medicine, rescue and outdoor safety.

"I did the course last year and it made sense for the town to have a wilderness first responder course," said Arnatsiaq.

He proposed bringing the three-day, eight-hour-a-day course to Iglulik.

"He wanted more," said Victoria Perron, Iglulik's recreation co-ordinator. "And I said, 'Sure, we'll try it.'"

The course was open to anyone in the community. Four people completed the course.

"We tried our best to encourage as many people as possible, but they didn't have time," said Arnatsiaq.

But while the instructors were in the community, they also offered basic first aid.

"Forty-four Iglulingmiut are now trained in CPR and first aid," said Denis Thibeault, one of the instructors.

Stephan Guenette, who travelled from Calgary, was the lead instructor.

"The course is basically helping people get the confidence and skill sets to be able to understand how to apply everyday things in many different ways, how to be versatile," said Guenette.

"How can you turn a sweater into a cervical collar? How can you turn it into a lower-leg splint? How can you turn a belt into a pelvic brace?"

Thibeault adds, "It's getting people to think of ways to increase the time needed in an emergency. So if you can stabilize a situation with what you have, that gives you more time to seek further help."

The skills open the window of opportunity to get the wounded person to more advanced care.

"Using those techniques helps people. You practice outside and you try your best to be as realistic as possible to make it as complicated as possible for the learner. And there's time to learn," said Arnatsiaq about the course.

"What I learned is how to move an unconscious person that might have a spinal injury, or a person with a broken arm or a broken leg safely out of the cold land, moving them to safety," said Arnatsiaq.

He offers the example of a snowmobile accident.

"And they have a spinal injury or a broken leg, you have to be careful moving them. You could hurt them more or make it worse. But with these safety precautions you can move them - safely - rather than making it worse. "

Day one focused on personal care, communicable diseases, basic CPR skills, as well as musculoskeletal injuries, or wound care. The focus on day two was medical emergencies and scenarios. The third day was the wilderness component, although Guenette says the skills and exercises are mixed throughout the three days. The final day is the big test.

"Now that we understand the principles of care, how do we apply that to a wilderness context. Now it's minus 30, what are your priorities? Is it the fact that the person has a shattered knee or it is the fact that it's minus 30 and the wind is blowing? Which one is going to kill you first?"

Arnatsiaq says that people generally travel on the land safely but, in case of an accident, remote responder training adds a level of confidence.

"A snowmobile accident, that's scary. That's what we practiced. Although we don't have much high grounds here, we had a falling injury ... like missing a step. There was plenty of situations we had to deal with."

Arnatsiaq wants to continue pursuing this line of training.

"I recommend highly that other communities take this course. They should apply for funding to get these people into their community to help others," he said.