Our Staff
David Frydenlund
Founder, Senior Instructor, Course Architect, Training Center Director
David Frydenlund has an extensive background in the outdoors, in both professional and recreational settings. A lifelong outdoorsman, he has decades of experience as a water rat and a mountaineer. He has taught First Aid, Expedition Planning, Field Craft, Pioneering, Mountaineering, Orienteering, Wilderness Survival (both summer and winter courses), XC skiing, Swimming, Lifesaving, Canoing, Sailing, Marine Navigation, Emergency Communications and Marksmanship. A graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and of the National Search and Rescue School, he spent over 20 years in the Coast Guard and was involved in over 100 Search and Rescue cases. His field experience includes scientific expeditions to the Antarctic, Greenland, and the north slope of Alaska. He has been a leader on recreational expeditions in Iceland, Alaska, the Yukon, British Columbia, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, Oregon and California. He is currently a certified instructor with both the Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECSI) and the American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI).
Erik Frydenlund
Instructor
Erik has been going into the back country his entire life and has considerable skills in Cross Country Skiing, Wilderness Survival (Summer and Winter), Canoeing, Water Rescue, Camping and Backpacking. He has been on recreational back country expeditions to Iceland, Australia, British Columbia, and the San Juan Islands in Washington. He is a graduate of UCLA. In Scouting he has earned Venturing Ranger, Silver and Leadership Awards and Eagle Scout. He has served as an Assistant Camp Director, Assistant Water Front Director and as a Camp Counselor. He holds American Red Cross, ECSI and ASHI certifications in Wilderness First Aid and in CPR/AED. First certified in Wilderness First Aid in 2002, he started teaching Wilderness First Aid as an Assistant Instructor in 2004 and an Instructor in 2014.
Gary Bracken Jr.
Instructor
Gary has extensive training through Remote Medical International which led to certifications as a Washington State Registered EMT-B, a Wilderness EMT, and a US Coast Guard Medical Person in Charge. Through the International Sports Science Association he is also a Certified Fitness Trainer. In Scouting he earned Eagle Scout and the Venturing Leadership Award. He is National Camp School trained for COPE and Cub Scout Day Camp Program Director, a Summer Camp Medic, and was a National Jamboree Troop ASM (2005). Gary started teaching First Aid (AED/CPR) in 2003. He holds American Red Cross, ECSI and ASHI certifications in Wilderness First Aid and as a First Responder. He started teaching Wilderness First Aid as an Assistant Instructor in 2004 and became an Instructor in 2011.
Gary Bracken, Sr.
Founder, Senior Instructor (Deceased)
Gary Bracken spent several decades taking youth into the outdoors. He started as a First Aid Instructor with programs offered with the American Red Cross (ARC). In 2003 he brought the first ARC Wilderness First Aid programs to the San Francisco Bay Area. Recognizing deficiencies in the materials for Sierra Nevada use, he joined with co-founder David Frydenlund to revise and restructure the materials. This process ultimately led to the founding of Paratus Institute. He also trained in, and become an instructor for, Boy Scouts of America courses in Climbing, Snow Camping, and Outdoor Leadership. In addition to the certificates he held as an instructor with the Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECSI) and with the American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI), he was also recruited, trained and certified instructors for Paratus Institute.
Testimonials
“Bob, Richard and I want to thank you, Gary and Erik for the terrific instructing we received. We will not hesitate to recommend you and your course to our fellow scouters. Though we still have much to learn as you said, your course and excellent instruction have put us in a better position to deal with illnesses and injuries in the wilderness.”
“Best I’ve taken. Great Staff. Terrific knowledge base. Professional but fun.”
“Hands on scenarios. Instructors were nice. Honest feedback. Depth was just right for newbies. I really enjoyed the multiple methods of training and taking the book work before the hands on.”
“The hands on training was fantastic. David, Gary, Erik did an outstanding job.”
“It was really helpful to have the online material – I could take it at a good pace for me.”
“I just wanted to thank you again for one of the best training sessions that I have ever attended. Your knowledge, experience, and team dynamic made it very informative as well as enjoyable to attend. Please let me know when your team will be training again, so that I can encourage other parents and scouts from my Troop to sign up.”