# Anyone a NSP Ski/Snowboard Patroller?



## PNWMedic (Aug 20, 2008)

Just wondering if anyone is a ski patroller in addition to EMT/Paramedic/what have you? I'm taking the OEC course right now, so I can become a volunteer patroller for this year, when I'm not teaching (been a professional ski instructor for the past 6 years). Anyways just wondering if there are any other patrollers out there?


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## yowzer (Aug 26, 2008)

WildEMT said:


> Just wondering if anyone is a ski patroller in addition to EMT/Paramedic/what have you? I'm taking the OEC course right now, so I can become a volunteer patroller for this year, when I'm not teaching (been a professional ski instructor for the past 6 years). Anyways just wondering if there are any other patrollers out there?



Wild guess here: Are you looking to join SPART?


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## mikie (Aug 26, 2008)

TO change the subject...(not the OPs)

How proficient of a skier do you have to be to get that kind of job? 

Do they only hire medics?


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## PNWMedic (Aug 26, 2008)

Hi Yowzer, probally not although I'm not sure. I have had a lot of problems with the KCSAR, especially KCESAR and Rescue1 in the past. I have been thinking about joining a SAR team outside King County, but just not sure right now.


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## PNWMedic (Aug 26, 2008)

Hi Mikie, Well you do not have to be an expert Skier or Snowboarder or have prior medical experience, but it doesn’t hurt. As for employment, most Ski Patrols are actually volunteer, although there are some ski patrols that pay, but many are volunteer. The Patrol I am joining is a Volunteer Ski Patrol, so when I am not teaching at the mountain (I am a professional ski instructor), then I am going to patrol. As for requirements for joining a Ski Patrol, skill wise in order to patrol on the mountain, you have to be fairly proficient in skiing or snowboarding, in other words you don’t have to be an expert, but able to get around the mountain on skis or a snowboard. And experience wise anybody can apply to join the Ski Patrol, whether you are an MD, PA, RN, Paramedic, EMT or have no experience what so ever, but all patrollers must take and pass an OEC course. The OEC course is kind of like an EMT-B course with emphasis on outdoors medicine. And for folks that already have education or experience above the OEC course, you can take a “Challenge” which is what I am doing, which involves going to several Ski Patrol specific classes, but not required to go to the OEC EMT type classes and then taking the written and practical tests to prove you already know the skills.


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## Jon (Aug 26, 2008)

OK folks... lets keep this on topic. Other discussion was moved to the MPIC thread.

Here's the NSP's website about joining:
http://www.nsp.org/1/nsp/About_NSP/JoiningNSP.asp


As I recall from a visit to the local mountain back in my days with the Explorer post - the "full" ski patrollers need to be able to handle the sled on all the slopes... including the black diamond ones... this requires a significant amount of skiing ability.


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## KEVD18 (Aug 26, 2008)

jon im confused(not suprisingly). which topic do you want us to saty on? you merged two completely different threads and then swoop in and demand that we stay on topic.

the original thread was about ski patrol or something. then there was a post about mpic so we went back to that(causing you to merge the original mpic thread) and now you want to get back to ski patrol......


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## PNWMedic (Aug 26, 2008)

Jon, there are different levels in the National Ski Patrol, it's not a matter of "full" its a matter of what level of training and capacity a ski patroller works on the slopes. What I said was for a normal patroller you have to be a proficient skier or snowboarder. If you want to do transport then you have to be more proficient in skiing/snowboarding and take training in toboggan transport, which is what I am doing. Just because you don't transport someone on a toboggan doesn't make you any less of a ski patroller.


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## Jon (Aug 26, 2008)

I stand corrected... as I said... this was from a discussion several years ago at the local, "small" mountain.


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## marineman (Sep 3, 2008)

My father in law is a volly on the ski patrol here. He has somewhere between a first responder and EMT-B training level provided by the ski patrol. He does both downhill and cross country for some of the big CC races we have each year. I would love to join ski patrol however my method of stopping is what keeps ski patrol busy so I don't think I qualify.


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## Luno (Sep 3, 2008)

WildEMT said:


> Jon, there are different levels in the National Ski Patrol, it's not a matter of "full" its a matter of what level of training and capacity a ski patroller works on the slopes. What I said was for a normal patroller you have to be a proficient skier or snowboarder. If you want to do transport then you have to be more proficient in skiing/snowboarding and take training in toboggan transport, which is what I am doing. Just because you don't transport someone on a toboggan doesn't make you any less of a ski patroller.



Uh, I'm gonna have to disagree with this one...   If you can't transport, you can't be an alpine or nordic patroller.  NSP does designate that both alpine and nordic must be qualified to transport, if not, you are designated an "auxillary" patroller.  Secondly, I'm not sure where you plan on patrolling, but you should be able to just challenge the OEC rather than taking additional courses if you already have at least a NR EMT-B.  Finally, again, it's a mistake especially in WA to state that the majority of patrols are volunteer.  While there are a significant amount of volunteer patrols, and it would be nearly impossible to run a mountain effectively without them, oversight at the larger mountains in WA State is done by professional patrollers (not a designation of skill, but rather implying a paid status).  That being said, where are you going to be patrolling this winter?  Oh, yeah, I guess in this thread it's appropriate to state I'm a snowboarder...


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## KEVD18 (Sep 3, 2008)

luno: be advised sir that trying to argue your case with facts and personal knowledge might fall on deaf ears in this case. just a guess....


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## Luno (Sep 3, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> luno: be advised sir that trying to argue your case with facts and personal knowledge might fall on deaf ears in this case. just a guess....



Oh, it's okay, I'm just interested to see if he shows up at my mountain...


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## PNWMedic (Sep 4, 2008)

Yes that is what I said, for alpine, toboggan use is not required, for alpine and nordic toboggan use is required. And as for the classes, the SP I am volunteering with requires for the challange that I attend a few classes such as the first class, the SP procedures/protocols class and a few other related classes for the challange. And I am going to have disagree with you on paid/volunteers, there is a majority of volunteers as to paid patrollers in Washington state, I'm not saying there are not quite a few paid volunteers, just according what was taught when I attended the first class/registration the instructor said the majority of WA patrollers are volunteer, but I agree that it wouldn't work without paid volunteers aswell. As to KEVD get a life already!


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## KEVD18 (Sep 4, 2008)

WildEMT said:


> As to KEVD get a life already!




i wrote a wonderfully eloquent response to that. then, just as i was about to hit "submit reply", i remembered the old adage "if it felt good to say it, you probably shouldnt have" so i deleted it and wrote this instead.

i have a delightful life and i truly appreciate your concern for my emotional well being.


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## Luno (Sep 5, 2008)

Okay, I'm just gonna assume that you were the victim of bad intel, or possibly there is something else going on here... The majority of patrollers are volunteers, not the majority of patrols.  I'm not sure what to make of your statement of "paid volunteers" but I can check with some of the vollys, and I'm pretty sure they aren't paid.  That being said, I've never been a volunteer patroller, so I could be entirely wrong...


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## KEVD18 (Sep 5, 2008)

still trying facts and logic, huh? silly luno....


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## PNWMedic (Sep 6, 2008)

Hi Luno, Sorry I meant paid patrollers instead of volunteers and what I was trying to say was that the instructor of the OEC course for our patrol team said there were a majority of volunteer patrollers in washington. It's been a long week lol. I'm not trying to argue with you or challange you on anything, I was just wondering if any other EMT's in here worked or volunteered as patrollers in the winter. have a good one!


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## PNWMedic (Sep 6, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> still trying facts and logic, huh? silly luno....



KEVD, these forums are not here for you to criticize folks, or make snide comments. Please just get off my case, and stop harassing me and posting snide comments in regard to me. If I said something that you disliked or disagreed with, I'm sorry, but lets try to act like adults in here KEVD.


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## KEVD18 (Sep 6, 2008)

WildEMT said:


> KEVD, these forums are not here for you to criticize folks, or make snide comments. Please just get off my case, and stop harassing me and posting snide comments in regard to me. If I said something that you disliked or disagreed with, I'm sorry, but lets try to act like adults in here KEVD.



Alright, here it is. The explanation of why I'm on your case, as you put it.

You bother me. Not because of your inexperience or your naivety. It’s your complete unwillingness to look past yourself and see the big picture for what it is. People here, myself included, have tried to provide you with accurate and reliable information in response to your posts and you have continually thrown that away with bluster and evasion. Everything about you so far has bothered me. 

Your rampant collection of specialty “certifications” screams whacker. Most people start with EMT, become experienced and proficient at that and then start to specialize. You seem to have skipped that day in EMT school. You’ve just gone straight to building the never ending stream of letters at the end of your name and it seems like you actually think that the more cards you have in your wallet, the better an emt you are. I'm all for increased education. But just taking a class because it sounds cool is ridiculous. Taking a class just to add more abbreviations is equally asinine. Oh, and please don’t even try to pretend like that's not what you’re doing. You have your CPR certification in your credential trail. Every EMT has a professional rescuer card. Every single one. Listing a credential that is a given accomplishes nothing more than make your list of cards longer. The only AHA card that's worth listing, and it really isn’t, is regional faculty or above.

You want me to get off your case? Act like a professional. Ask intelligent questions and actually listen to the responses. There are people here that are true professionals with more years of experience in ems than I have in breathing. When they tell you you’ve gotten some of your facts wrong and correct you, they’re probably right. Blustering at them and trying to defend an indefensible position is childish.

In the spirit of “if it felt good to say, it wasn’t the right thing to say”, I actually expect to get spanked for this post. My only hope is that you read it before it gets deleted.


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## ffemt8978 (Sep 6, 2008)

And that's enough of this one.


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## ffemt8978 (Sep 7, 2008)

This thread is now reopened provided everyone follows the rules.


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## KEVD18 (Sep 7, 2008)

that was a relatively short time out...


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## rjz (Sep 10, 2008)

I have worked as a pro patroller for 10 seasons. I have also belonged to the NSP for about 8 seasons. At my resort we can do both and many times we hire from the NSP ranks. I started out working, as an EMT then became a paramedic about 5 years ago. We don't perform ALS on the hill, however the increased knowledge base and refined assessment skills have really helped me treat injured guests over the years. I also have a close working relationship with the majority of the medics that do transport from the resort (I went to school with a lot of them and of course have worked on the ambulance with many more.) I have to maintain my OEC cert just as everyone else and attend the yearly update to continue as a NSP member. I love the job and it is a great way to ski for free, meet new people, (captive audience on the chair lift) practice femur fracture treatment, and hang out with long time friends that share similar interests away from the "fire crowd." The ski industry is a different culture that I don't get to be part of outside of the winter months and I love the friends and experiences I have there. I have found nothing but positive things being a Pro/Volley patroller all these years and usually we all work together really well.


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## flhtci01 (Sep 16, 2008)

I have patrolled for over 20 years.  First 14 as a volunteer, the last 6 as a paid patroller.  I became an EMT after becoming a paid patroller.   Since I live in the area I patrol/volunteer paramedic, there is a good working relationship with the EMT crew.  Due to the remote location of the ski area we have a 20-25 minute wait time for a rig or helo.  I agree that while I am patrolling I cannot do much more than a basic, our level of care has increased by the increased knowledge base.


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## rjz (Sep 16, 2008)

I like the old school cascade tobbogon poster...we also have long wait times for MICU's to make it up the hill. on storm days or busy holiday weekends sometimes an hour plus. Other times of the season much like you with 20-30 minutes. I have always felt that this is the best job in the world it is just too bad that I never figured out how to make it full time and support my life style on the wages. Of course I do it for much more then just the pay as the paycheck pretty much pays for my fuel to get there and sometimes a little of my gear costs. It is my dream when I retire to live in a ski town and just ski whenever I want to.


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## emtskibum (Sep 16, 2008)

I will be taking my 'on snow' exam as soon as we get trails open in the catskill region of NY. It makes you think a little outside the box in comparison to straight EMT 911 work.


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## rjz (Sep 17, 2008)

We start our refresher "on the hill" training in about a month. It doesn't really start snowing in the central sierra until after thanksgiving. But maybe we will be lucky and be skiign by holloween again. We did that about three years ago and it was an awsome year.


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## flhtci01 (Sep 25, 2008)

emtskibum said:


> It makes you think a little outside the box in comparison to straight EMT 911 work.




I agree, I have taught many patrollers including EMT's, nurses and MD's.  Take them out of their rig, office or ER and they are lost until they learn to think outside the box and work with basic items.


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