Red STAR Wilderness EMS

08/26/2026

We're a training company these days, but all of our instructors remain active in rescue medicine through many different avenues. Six of our instructors are a part of this HART (Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team) program, and several others hold various other roles on KY TF-1, SAR teams, and other specialized teams. We teach what we actually do!

08/22/2026

We’re so excited for this student, and grateful for another stellar review! We work hard to make sure that your time and money are well-spent.

Our next courses will be announced here, on Instagram, and on our website. We welcome inquiries about private courses for agencies, and custom courses to meet specific needs for your team.

07/01/2026

Heat Stroke is defined clinically as a core body temperature of 104°F/40°C with altered central nervous system dysfunction- which can range from changes in demeanor to loss of consciousness. It’s a truly life-threatening emergency, and every second counts in cooling the patient as rapidly as possible.

RedSTAR members David Fifer and Eric Fuchs are both professors in the EKU Paramedic Degree Program, and produced this video on several ways to achieve rapid cooling in the field using limited supplies.

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06/20/2026

We wrapped up another Wilderness Medical Special Operations course yesterday, and the reviews are already rolling in. We’re grateful to every student that chooses us for their wilderness EMS & WP-C prep training, and can’t wait to schedule our next course!

06/18/2026

On WMSO’s field exercise last night, students encountered a (simulated) lightning strike MCI resulting from a group of hikers who sought shelter from a storm under a bridge. Some of the key exercise objectives included:

⛈️ Lightning strike triage and care

🧭 Terrain navigation

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Small team leadership

🪢 Use of mechanical advantage rope systems to move non-ambulatory patients up steep grades

The class worked hard through several hours of arduous circumstances, applying the knowledge gained from the first three days of the course. On to Day 4!

06/17/2026

Day 3 of WMSO kicked off with a wound care and closure lab, focused on wound cleaning, suturing, stapling, and appropriate antibiotics. This skill set is in the Kentucky Advanced Practice Paramedic scope for WP-C's, intended for use in disaster medicine scenarios and to address wounds in areas like the scalp and face that can often be difficult to bandage for extended operations. Each student leaves our course with their own suture practice kit to take home.

06/16/2026

Exertional illnesses, hypothermia, blood transfusions, austere airway management, and a lot of different ways to package patients: all in a day (Day 2) of WMSO.

06/15/2026

We’re back at EKU’s Maywoods Environmental and Educational Laboratory to deliver our Wilderness Medical Special Operations (WMSO) course, with students from local agencies, military units, wildland fire contractors, and major medical centers joining us for the week. We’re looking forward to four more days of hands-on, evidence-based learning designed to prepare students for the WP-C exam and for advanced practice.

06/04/2026

Join us in congratulating RedSTAR member Dr. Eric Fuchs, who was inducted today into the Kentucky Society of Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame!

Dr. Fuchs is a professor of Exercise and Sports Science at EKU, an Advanced EMT, and a veteran Athletic Trainer who is nationally renowned for his expertise in sports medicine. With a lengthy resume in search and rescue and EMS in several states, Dr. Fuchs’ skills have been particularly valuable at the numerous wilderness athletic events that we staffed when we were clinically operational. These days, he continues to be a crucial member of our instructor cadre, helping to teach WMSO, HAMR, and several of the specialized skills that are shared between the Athletic Training and Advanced Practice Paramedic scopes of practice.

05/29/2026

Reviews like this- from fellow EMS professionals- mean a lot to us! As professional instructors, our primary goal is that students leave our courses having learned things that are useful, through structured curricula that challenges them in positive ways.