Safety and Medical Standby Services for Remote Entertainment Productions & Industry
Rob Gowler, Lead Camera Operator, Survivalists
“Not only were Anthony, KC, Chris and the rest of the crew an absolute pleasure to work with…they were professional, competent, confident and truly understood what it meant to work in unison with a large film crew! They were always there in an instant when we needed their safety advice or medical expertise, but when they were standing by, they did so in a way that allowed us to safely and easily film a logistically challenging adventure TV show in a technical, rugged and very remote location.”
On location Safety and Medical Staff
If your upcoming production takes you off the grid to remote locations, we can provide critical risk management, safety, support and emergency response. We pride ourselves on the ability to be fully self-sufficient while providing these services in challenging remote locations around the globe.
If your production needs are only rural in nature, our team is still available or can consult with you through the entire process, ensuring nothing is overlooked.
Working on a small production and budgets don’t allow for the full array of our services? We offer training and certification to your crew in wilderness and remote first aid, swiftwater rescue, rope rescue and more.
Our goal is to minimize interruptions to production due to injuries and illness, keeping both cast and crew in good health, so they can finish the job.
We provide risk management and travel in many environments:
Mountains (Summer and Winter)
Rivers and Swiftwater
Motorized and non motorized boats on rivers
Frozen water bodies
Lakes
Deserts
Caves
Canyons
On Rope
Extended remote productions
Film and TV- Safety Team Lead services
Our safety team leaders offer pre-production assessment, planning, and consultation.
Pre-production risk assessments
Cast pre-production medical screening
Pre production Location risk evaluation and risk mitigation
Safety and Medical crew staffing
Emergency response and action plan development for productions
During production safety team leaders focus on prevention, safety and response.
Daily safety briefings and education for cast and crew
Oversee and coordinate response if an incident occurs on location
Communicate with on call Medical Direction, specializing in delayed care settings, Search and Rescue, and travel medicine.
Remote Consultation or on set coordination for injury evacuations
International evacuation coordination
Field Safety and Medical staff services
Cast and Crew pre-departure baseline health assessments
Cast and Crew on location injury prevention and ongoing health monitoring
Cast safety briefings, pre-departure and on location
In field weather, and dynamic risk monitoring
Immediate and timely emergency response in delayed care locations
Ongoing care for minor injuries for both cast and crew
Large carnivore protection services
Personal protection services
Adam Paul, Producer / Survivalists
“I worked with Wounded Bear Medicine on the TV Series "Survivalists." Each production team had one of their medics embedded with us and THANK GOD! We had to deal with SO MANY variables in keeping both cast and crew safe, and they delivered. I will definitely be working with Wounded Bear Medicine again.”
Past TV and Film projects
Mount Rainier Washington, USA | Baja California Del Sur, Mexico | Moab Utah, USA | Jackson WY, USA
Mount Rainier, Washington USA
Wounded Bear Medicine's Safety and Risk Management on Mount Rainier, Washington
Wounded Bear Medicine had the opportunity to assist INE Productions with safety and response expertise in another awe-inspiring project. This time, the slopes of Mount Rainier, Washington, served as the backdrop for an incredible reality TV production.
In a landscape as majestic as it is treacherous, the Wounded Bear Medicine team was entrusted with a big responsibility – ensuring the safety of the crew and cast members. The remote and unpredictable environment demanded a strong commitment to safety. We knew that with roads not being an option, often tenuous communication, and tricky evacuation routes that only a strong and experienced team could handle this production.
We were able to assemble a strong team who could provide the skills, strength and knowledge to ensure that the teams on the mountain would have the best chance of success and safety.
Underpinning our approach was our partnership with our medical advisors. Their oversight and knowledge enabled us to tailor our medical kits with essential medications and supplies for mountain climbing. This gave us the ability to respond to a variety of medical challenges, ensuring that the cast and crew could pursue their creative endeavors with more confidence.
Our safety team covered a number of crucial services:
Safety Team Excellence: Our safety team was able to navigate several challenges and and provided the cast and crew the backup they needed.
Medical Oversight: Our medical advisors lent their expertise, overseeing many of the medical needs of the team and production.
Outdoor Proficiency Training: Ensuring the cast and many of the crew were equipped with essential skills to traverse the steep snow covered terrain safely.
Real-time Safety Consulting: Our on-location presence ensured risk management implementaion during each phase of production.
Evacuation Contingencies and Response: Our evacuation strategies and immediate response skills provided a solid plan had any thing not worked out.
Wounded Bear Medicine – Providing safety to remote productions worldwide.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
Wounded Bear Medicine: Safety and Response Expertise Tailored for Reality TV and Feature Film Projects
Wounded Bear Medicine assisted INE Productions once again, this time embarking on a six-week international journey for the 3rd season of Survivalist. Set against the awe-inspiring and rugged backdrop of Baja California Sur, Mexico, the production location promised to provide a solid challenge to cast and crew alike. Filming on location was the only way to capture the incredible scenery and provide the physical and emotional challenges needed for this unique reality TV series.
As in past seasons, the remote and rugged backcountry locations were a solid challenge for the crew and cast members alike. Roads were scarce, and evacuation routes challenging, facilitating the need for unparalleled safety oversight and incident response. This season, however, marked a significant milestone – the production's international debut beyond the United States, in the dynamic landscape of Mexico. This geographical shift amplified the complexity of the production, demanding meticulous planning and adaptable solutions.
Guided by past experience, the Wounded Bear Medicine team started early, meticulously drafting a comprehensive risk assessment and management plan. In it we addressed the unique array of medical challenges presented by the desert and marine environments during the production. Drawing on our past experience along with insight from our medical advisors, we prepared our field med kits, with additional medications and equipment tailored to international travel, TV and Film productions, and challenging desert and marine environments.
Our goal, as always, was to ensure the safety and endurance of cast and crew for minimal interruptions to the production:
Safety Team Staffing: Our lead safety team again identified and worked to assemble a solid field team. We wanted team members we could rely on, bringing backgrounds in SAR, wilderness medicine, guiding, and risk management. We needed to know they could mitigate risks and ensure a safety for cast and crew. We got lucky and pulled a great team together who had plenty of experience in the terrain and type of overland travel involved. Everyone did an amazing job mitigating risks from the range of things the production encountered. Just a few of these included marine life, paddle craft and motorized boats, venomous reptiles, wild domestic animals, desert environment, rugged terrain, aggressive desert plants, mountain bikes, insects, OHV’s, and long days in excessive heat.
Physician-led Medical Oversight: Our skilled medical directors provided expert guidance, overseeing medical protocol implementation and consultation.
Cast Medical Pre-screening: Rigorous assessment assured the cast's readiness to confront the demands of the harsh Baja del Sur desert.
Cast Skills Orientation: Prior to departing for each location our safety team delivered safety briefings, empowering each family with essential outdoor skills to better navigate Baja del Sur’s trail-less dry washes, mountains, beaches, and dunes.
On-location Safety and Risk Consulting: Wounded Bear’s Lead Safety team member ensured real-time risk mitigation and incident oversight, Working closely with both executive and field production staff in each phase and in each new location.
Evacuation Planning and Search & Rescue Response: Operating internationally, accident and rescue response is quite varied and with unique ways of doing things . Our evacuation plans and rapid response had to account for this, being robust and executable with the team we had, while ensuring seamless integration with local rescuers if needed.
Read the full report on our blog post.
Moab, UT, USA
Safety and Medical Excellence in the Desert Southwest
We continued a remarkable partnership with INE Productions in the captivating desert landscapes of Moab, Utah. Wounded Bear Medicine seamlessly integrated our expert medical and risk management teams with TV and film production crews to ensure the success of the exhilarating show, Survivalists. This groundbreaking series features family teams battling it out in the stunning desert southwest.
Our approach involved deploying adept field-based medics who accompanied field producers, camera operators, and sound crews on their high-paced quests to capture every enthralling moment of each family's wilderness expedition. Our collaboration extended beyond just field support. Wounded Bear Medicine provided:
Embedded Safety and Medical Expertise: Our skilled safety team members worked side by side with the production team, guaranteeing immediate medical assistance, staying out of the way of the production.
Safety Sourcing: We tapped our network to find safety staff we knew could provide appropriate risk management and safety specific to the desert environment.
Physician-led Medical Oversight: Supervised by experienced physicians, our medical protocols maintained the highest standards of care.
Comprehensive Cast Screening: Thorough medical assessments to ensure the cast members were ready for the environmental and physical challenges.
Pandemic Response: Took proactive measures which prioritized health and safety in the face of the pandemic.
Outdoor Proficiency Training: Equipped the cast and some of the crew with needed outdoor skills to navigate the rugged terrain safely.
Ongoing Safety and Risk Guidance: Our lead safety continued to advise the production, ensuring ongoing risk assessment, mitigation and safety for cast and crew.
Strategic Evacuation Planning and Execution: We devised evacuation strategies to address any unexpected situations effectively.
Wounded Bear Medicine, more than a medical and risk management company – we are partners. Contact us to explore how we can help you mange and mitigate real risks and make your next production a reality
Home: Jackson, WY
Wounded Bear Medicine is based in Jackson, Wyoming. When we are not teaching wilderness and rescue skills we make a habit of getting out and enjoying the amazing local backcountry as often as possible. We volunteer on the Teton County Search and Rescue team and feel that serving our community members in their time of need is an amazing way to give back. We especially love sharing our passion for the outdoors with our families and friends.
