Outdoor First Aid Devon

Our Outdoor First Aid courses are delivered at our Dartmoor training venue in Devon, where you’ll learn to assess, manage, and treat casualties in genuinely remote environments. You’ll work with limited resources, unpredictable weather, and delayed emergency response, the same challenges outdoor professionals face.

We also offer on‑site delivery at your premises anywhere across the South West. Whether you’re an outdoor instructor, Duke of Edinburgh leader, adventure guide, or responsible for groups in remote terrain, this course gives you the practical skills and confidence to keep people safe.

This Outdoor First Aid course prepares you to manage emergencies in:

• Remote moorland and tough terrain
• Coastal and cliff‑side environments
• Woodland and Forest School settings
• Rural areas with limited access
• Outdoor education and activity sites

If you work or lead groups outdoors in Devon such as Ten Tors our DofE, this qualification provides the skills and confidence you need.

Who this course is for

This qualification is ideal for:

• Forest School Leaders (meets FSA requirements)
• Outdoor instructors and activity leaders
• Duke of Edinburgh supervisors and assessors
• Teachers delivering outdoor learning
• Hikers, wild campers, and expedition groups
• Mountain bikers and trail runners
• Bushcraft instructors
• Anyone working in remote or rural environments

For those needing a higher clinical qualification, our FREC 3 course in Devon provides advanced pre‑hospital care training.

Content – Outdoor First Aid

Outdoor Incident Management

• Assessing incidents in remote environments
• Managing multiple casualties
• Communication and emergency planning
• When and how to call for help

Environmental and Outdoor‑Specific Injuries

• Hypothermia and cold exposure
• Heat illness and dehydration
• Bites, stings, and environmental hazards
• Blister management and foot care

Trauma and Medical Emergencies

• Bleeding control and wound management
• Fractures, sprains, and dislocations
• Head, neck, and spinal considerations
• Asthma, anaphylaxis, seizures, diabetes

Improvised Techniques

• Using outdoor kit to stabilise injuries
• Improvised splints and slings
• Casualty movement on uneven terrain

Remote Evacuation

• Planning safe evacuation routes
• Monitoring casualties over time
• Lone working considerations

Training content is fully aligned with the UK Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2025.

Accreditation and Certification

• Fully accredited 16‑hour Outdoor First Aid qualification
• Recognised across the UK outdoor industry
• Accepted by the Forest School Association for Level 3
• Valid for 3 years
• Includes practical assessments and scenario‑based learning

Why train with Optimal First Aid?

Our Outdoor First Aid programme is developed and overseen by a former military medic with extensive operational experience in outdoor environments, outdoor education, and mountain leadership. This ensures the course reflects real‑world challenges and practical, effective solutions.

Delivered on Dartmoor, Devon, or directly at your premises, this accredited course provides practical, hands-on training from experienced instructors.

You benefit from:

• Training built on real‑world trauma and outdoor experience
• A consistent, high‑quality syllabus across all instructors
• Clear, practical teaching focused on confidence and competence
• Small groups for maximum hands‑on time
• Realistic outdoor scenarios tailored to Devon’s terrain
• Trusted by schools, outdoor centres, and Forest School providers across the Southwest

Join us at our Dartmoor training centre, or we can bring the Outdoor course to your site anywhere across Devon, Exeter, Torquay, Newton Abbot, as well as North Devon locations such as Barnstaple, Bideford, and Ilfracombe.

For those working in exposed environments, we also deliver remote and coastal first aid training in Cornwall, designed for incidents where access, weather, and terrain significantly affect casualty care