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For Immediate Release Contact: Mary Ellen Hammond
Steve Longenecker’s Wilderness Emergency Medical Aid Book For Kids (& Their Adults)
"This book is about teaching kids how to make a difference."
On a rock-climbing trip in North Carolina in 1972, school teacher and outdoor leader Steve Longenecker took a 67-ft. fall that should have killed him. He survived because his climbing companions knew what to do in an emergency. It was a major role reversal-they had learned their basic emergency rescue skills from Steve himself. Since then, Longenecker has made it his life's work to teach children what they can do to make decisions and take positive action--perhaps even save a life--when the adult in charge is injured. His new book, Steve Longenecker's Wilderness Emergency Medical Aid Book for Kids (& Their Adults) is based on the workshops he developed to teach these skills. His book is designed not only for kids, but also for the adults who teach them: parents; teachers; and church, Scout, and youth leaders. Longenecker's book is not a substitute for a first aid course. Rather, it's designed to help adults help kids learn to stay safe and set priorities when someone they would typically depend on is hurt and a child finds him or herself in charge. The material includes topics like * The 5 most important questions to ask when someone is hurt * The most important item to include in a first aid kit * How to recognize a possible head, neck, or spine injury, and what not to do in that case * How to protect an injured person from well-meaning bystanders * What to say when calling 911 Longenecker defines “wilderness” as anyplace that feels unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or frightening. “Any child who finds herself in an medical emergency where she must be in charge is most definitely going to be in a ‘wilderness,’” he says. “WEMA skills will serve a child in the woods, on a city street, or in her own back yard. And though they may only be used once or twice, they stay with a child for a lifetime.” Today more and more children are participating in outdoor adventure activities: hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, and mountain biking. Yet few of them know what to do if their leader or parent is hurt. In empowering children to be confident and effective outdoor adventurers, Steve Longenecker's Wilderness Emergency Medical Aid (WEMA) program holds the other half of the equation. Steve Longenecker currently serves as Adventure Programs Director at Falling Creek Camp for Boys in western North Carolina. He lives in Asheville, NC. Publication Date: April 1, 2005
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