Logan Randolph launched CertHero.org as an easier approach to finding and completing outdoor certifications. Photo: Courtesy of Randolph
Sure, you’ve thought about what you might do if someone in the lineup starts drowning or your rock climbing partner falls and hits his head—but have you ever really thought about it?
We’re betting it was more of a “hope that never happens to me” moment. That, compounded by how logistically difficult it is to find, sign up for, and attend an outdoor safety course, is enough to make even the most well-intentioned outdoorsman just cross his fingers and hope for the best.
Finding the right training and certification is tough, but Logan Randolph is trying to solve the problem with his newly launched website, CertHero, a search platform that helps connect people with outdoor education and certification courses near them quickly and painlessly.
“We solve a specific problem that I’ve faced: Signing up for medical and outdoor certifications is painful and intimidating,” the 23-year-old San Francisco local says. “There’s too much information on some sites and not enough on others. Comparing courses is difficult. And finding a date and location that are convenient can take hours.”
Enter CertHero, which allows you to consolidate your search and find the right course almost instantly. Want to take an avalanche-safety course in New York this summer? Plug in what you’re looking for and CertHero will provide a list of locations, times, and dates that fit your needs.
Randolph says that the first person on the scene of the accident should have enough medical training to stabilize the injured person until search and rescue arrives. Photo: Courtesy of Randolph
Randolph says he saw the need to get more people trained after working as a mountaineering guide in Washington state and Alaska, and spending four winters ski patrolling in Vermont.
“I’ve seen incidents that could have been avoided,” he says. “[Sometimes] I would show up as part of search and rescue to an accident and find that someone [had] already given aid. In some cases, early medical attention was critical.”
So what’s the best course to sign up for first? Randolph says that by the time search and rescue can be notified and dispatched, it could be too late, which is why it’s crucial that the first person at the scene be prepared with proper medical training—especially in the winter. He says everyone should sign up for and complete a wilderness first aid or first responder course if they plan on spending a significant amount of time outdoors.
“After an incident [in the backcountry or front country], those involved typically freeze,” he explains. “We’re not used to seeing blood, hearing yells, or responding to accidents. [A wilderness first aid] course teaches people how to approach an accident scene and care for a patient until professionals are present.”
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