2024 Wilderness Risk Management Conference

Successful critical incident management requires a significant amount of both individual and organizational capability, and all at a time when we are at our most vulnerable. Multiple studies and first-hand experience confirm that during a crisis, we simply cannot rely on ourselves believing that we or our colleagues will make the same quality decisions and calls that we would on a normal day at work. The irony is that the need for adaptability, clear decision-making and leadership is never greater than when it is exactly the most difficult time to assure it. The good news is that it is possible to pre-prepare and plan for critical incidents. This workshop will provide attendees with a contemporary, practical, and research-informed overview of the key principles and elements of optimal critical incident management for outdoor and adventure programs. Attendees will leave with the capabilities to develop and enhance their own fit-for-purpose plan.

How well do you understand the myriad legal issues that outdoor recreation organizations face? This presentation provides an overview of the fundamental legal issues all owners and program managers need to understand: The do's and don't of collecting medical information, how to satisfy your duty to appropriately inform and warn participants, common errors in marketing materials, important considerations with waiver and assumption of risk forms, contract basics (including indemnity), insurance, and critical incident response.

The program will ask audience members to consider their capacities to assess, support and manage a broad range of escalating mental health challenges. Drawing from wilderness first aid foundations, the presenter will provide an overview of steps and strategies for prevention and intervention. Organizations can utilize this information to evaluate current strengths and gaps and develop programming, culture, and staff skills.

In this hands-on workshop, participants will be introduced to a simple but effective process for developing an impactful staff training program that develops essential skills, behaviors, and performance expectations to achieve greater programmatic impact. Participants will be guided through a case study from “Project Kindred,” a youth development program in Milwaukee where this approach has been developed and tested. Participants will have the opportunity to practice each step as they begin to apply the framework to their organizations.