Training
The Fairbanks Ski Patrol, under direction of area management, provides all on-hill emergency services at Mt. Aurora Skiland. We also assist in area safety and operations. To accomplish this mission successfully, and provide the best service possible to our clients, the Fairbanks Ski Patrol and it’s members train year round.
Patrolling requires a unique skill set. We work in an environment where motorized transport is at best difficult, but often impossible. Despite this, we have three basic requirements, 1) we must be able to respond to accidents and injuries on the hill, 2) we must be able to render appropriate aid at an accident site, and 3) we must be able to transport non-ambulatory patients safely off the hill and continue their care until they can be referred to higher levels of care as appropriate.
1) Responding on the Hill
Because of the environment in which we work, patrollers carry the medical supplies and equipment they need to do their job on their back 0r in a rescue toboggan. Every Basic Patroller at Mt. Aurora Skiland must be able to negotiate every run at the area in a safe and controlled manner while carrying basic first aid supplies and equipment. Despite this, during Basic Patroller recruiting, skiing or riding skills is only a small part of how we evalute potential new candidates. Learning new ski skills is part of our ongoing training process. In addition to the NSP Transportation Instructors in our patrol, the Fairbanks Ski Patrol brings several excellent ski instructors from outside Alaska each year to help us improve our skiing and riding skills.
In addition to responding to accidents on the hill, we must also be prepared to respond to accidents above the hill. Although lift stoppages are rare at Mt. Aurora Skiland, all patrollers and candidates are required to successfully complete lift evacuation training. This training must be refreshed annually. In the event of a lift stoppage, if area management is unable to restart the lift, the Fairbanks Ski Patrol has the tools and skills necessary to safely and efficiently get clients back on the ground.
2) Rendering Appropriate Aid at an Accident Site
All Basic and Axillary patrollers on the Fairbanks Ski Patrol have successfully completed the National Ski Patrol’s Outdoor Emergency Care course. This course is similar to the Department of Transportation’s Emergency Medical Technician Basic course, but more focused towards the work we do, and the environment we do it in. In addition to being certified OEC technicians, all patrollers must successfully pass an approved Health Care Provider CPR course. Both of these courses, OEC and Health Care Provider CPR are refreshed through classroom and practical exercises annually.
3) Safely Transport Patients Off the Hill
One of the core skills of a ski patroller is toboggan handling. At Mt. Aurora Skiland we use Cascade 110 Toboggans for most of our rescue and area maintenance work, and a 4-handled Akio to respond in especially rugged terrain. Handling a toboggan is not intuitive. When loaded with gear and equipment, and/or a patient, a rescue sled can weight well over 400 lbs.
All of our patrollers are trained in toboggan handling and the ski skills necessary to safely negotiate a heavy, fully-loaded toboggan through any terrain at Mt. Aurora Skiland. Since we are an upside down ski area (meaning the aid room and parking lot are at the top of the hill), all of our patrollers must also be able to pull a loaded toboggan with a snowmachine from the bottom to the top of Mt. Aurora Skiland along a designated route in any conditions. Snowmachine operation is part of our training requirement at the Fairbanks Ski Patrol.
Other Training Opportunities
The National Ski Patrol offers numerous opportunities to learn new skills under the guidance of qualified instructors following nationally recognized training curriculum.
The Fairbanks Ski Patrol has several qualified instructors on our patrol that can teach Outdoor Emergency Care, Avalanche courses, Lift Evacuation, Transportation, and many other skills.
Patrollers also have ample opportunity to attend courses hosted by other patrols as well as local, national, and occasionally international patroller conferences to learn new skills and techniques.
January 13, 2010 at 9:25 pm | Uncategorized | No comment
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