The Snow Creek Ski Patrol

Training

Outdoor Emergency Care

Outdoor Emergency Care Program Outdoor Emergency Care® is the NSP’s award-winning training program for patrollers and others in the recreation community who deal with emergency situations. This nationally recognized program is designed to help you manage the toughest emergencies, in all seasons. Developed in the late 1980s for the 26,000 members of the National Ski Patrol, Outdoor Emergency Care is a training program that is tailored to the nonurban rescuer. Over the years, OEC has evolved to address the needs of other outdoor-based emergency care providers too, including wilderness medical technicians, river rafting and mountaineering guides, members of search and rescue groups, mountain bike patrollers, and parks and recreation employees. Today, OEC is considered the standard of training for emergency care in the outdoor environment and is recognized by resorts and recreational facilities in all 50 states.

OEC News: A list of classes, including Outdoor Emergency Care and OEC refreshers, is available. Courses are continually being registered, so this list will be updated frequently. OEC training is also open to non-members.

Guidelines and Resources Available:

  1. OEC 11 Elements of the National Program Standard
  2. CPR, AED, and First Aid Guidelines
  3. OEC Evaluation and Challenge Criteria


Mountain Travel and Rescue

In 1951, there were 15 reported accidents and three fatalities related to mountain travel in the U.S. In 2008, the number of mountaineering-related accidents was 112, with 15 fatalities, according to Accidents in North American Mountaineering 2009. With the rise in the number of people participating in outdoor activities such as skiing, climbing, mountain biking, and hiking, outdoor accidents and fatalities will also rise, based on statistics. NSP released its new Mountain Travel and Rescue Manual in fall 2012.The book is published by The Mountaineers Books, and is also available at Amazon.com and many outdoor stores like REI. An addendum has been created, which can be downloaded here.

Attendees taking Mountain Travel and Rescue (MTR) courses will learn a variety of skills, including nutrition and how the body performs in a wilderness environment, weather patterns, survival skills, working with group dynamics, an introduction to search and rescue, rope rescue skills, improvised toboggan construction, and land navigation with map, compass, and GPS. The MTR courses are taught in classroom and field sessions, including mock scenarios to ensure the attendees can apply what they have learned to real life situations.

Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast looking to expand your survival and travel skills in the backcountry environment or a ski patroller preparing for one of the worst possible scenarios a parent can face at a ski area (a lost child), the MTR courses can help you get prepared.

Guidelines and Resources Available:

  1. MTR 11 Elements of the National Program Standard
  2. Mountain Travel and Rescue Fundamentals (MTR F)This course provides students with basic knowledge and skills to travel and work in reasonable comfort and safety in an outdoor environment. Field practice includes basic navigation, travel, and survival, and an introduction to search and rescue. This course does not include an overnight campout.

    Prerequisite: None Time Commitment: Adequate classroom instruction to prepare students for a field session. There is no overnight campout included in this course curriculum. Fees: National—none; Division—varies; Local—varies Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement Continuing education/refresher requirement: Attend local on-the-hill/trail refresher, audit/retake course, or attend continuing education seminars offered by MTR instructors. Instuctor of Record: NSP Mountain Travel and Rescue instructor Required Text: Mountain, Travel, and Rescue 1 (MTR 1)This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to travel and work in reasonable safety and comfort in the outdoor environment and to assist a search and/or rescue team, including possible overnight operations. Field practice includes practice in navigation, travel, survival skills, basic search and rescue exercises, and an overnight campout.

    Prerequisite: None Time commitment: Adequate classroom instruction to prepare students for a field exercise that lasts through one night. Fees: National—none; Division—varies; Local—varies Credentials: NSP Certificate of Achievement Continuing education/refresher requirement: Attend local on-the-hill/trail refresher, audit/retake course, or attend continuing education seminars offered by MTR instructors. Instructor of record: NSP Mountain Travel and Rescue instructor Required texts: Note: Mountain Travel and Rescue Fundamentals and Mountain Travel and Rescue 1 are parallel rather than sequential courses. Students may select one or the other course, depending on area needs and requirements.

    Mountain, Travel, and Rescue 2 (MTR 2)Mountain Travel and Rescue Level 2 is designed as a follow-up course to MTR F and/or MTR 1. This course provides more in-depth training and field work in land navigation, search and rescue, rope rescue, improvised toboggan construction, survival skills, and emergency shelter construction that students can utilize during the length of the course.

    Prerequisites:
    1. Mountain Travel and Rescue Fundamentals, Mountain Travel and Rescue 1, or a basic search and rescue course from an approved agency may substitute, as determined by the division MTR supervisor.
    2. Level 1 Avalanche, Avalanche Fundamentals and Rescue courses, or any equivalent avalanche course from an approved agency, as determined by the MTR division supervisor.
    Time commitment:
    • Adequate preparation training prior to field session.
    • Minimum two days and one overnight with adequate practice for field session.
    • Up to two additional days and nights may be used, not necessarily consecutively, to better prepare students for the final field exercise.
    Fees: National—none; Division—varies; Local—varies; Permit fees—if applicable Credentials: NSP Certificate of Achievement Continuing education/refresher requirement: Attend local on-the-hill/trail refresher, audit/retake course, or attend continuing education seminars offered by MTR instructors. Instructor of record: NSP Mountain Travel and Rescue instructor Required texts: Note: Mountain Travel and Rescue Fundamentals and Mountain Travel and Rescue 1 are parallel rather than sequential courses. Students may select one or the other course, depending on area needs and requirements.

Mountain Travel and Rescue Enhancement Seminar The MTR Enhancement Seminar is designed to provide patrollers with the ability to acquire additional and more in-depth training in specific topics within the MTR program. The extended training of specific skills taught in Mountain Travel & Rescue courses allows the patrollers and instructors to focus on one to two topics based on their area needs.

This course provides patrollers and their areas of operation a source to customize their training based on their needs. If an area of operation is prone to having more guests lost on trails, such as backcountry skiers or snowshoers, the patrollers may require additional training in Search & Rescue techniques or the area may have more ravines or gullies and require patrollers to be more skilled at rope rescue and need deeper training in Low Angle Rescue.

The premise of the course is to allow one to two topics to be taught. If only a single topic is needed, then the course will last eight hours covering field and/possibly class work. If two topics are desired then the course will be divided over the two topics covering field and/possible class work. The extended training will allow a more in-depth study of the topic(s), allow more hands on practice, additional practice scenarios, and more real-life experiential knowledge transfer and discussion from instructor to student.

Potential Course TopicsSearch & RescueLow Angle RescueLand NavigationSurvival SkillsExtended Backcountry Care
Prerequisite: None Time Commitment: Eight hours of class and field exercises Fees: National—none; Division—varies; Local—varies Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement Instuctor of Record: NSP Mountain Travel and Rescue instructor Required Text: Mountain Travel & Rescue Manual

TEXTS Mountain Travel and RescueThe required text is available on the NSP website catalog, or can be purchased from Mountaineer Books, Amazon, or REI. NSP members receive a 25 percent discount.

Mountain Travel and Rescue Instructor’s Manual This manual is available as a PDF under MTR Instructor Resources. If you are mentoring a candidate please download the Instructor Manual for the instructor candidate.

Senior Program

The Senior Program is designed for NSP members who aspire to the upper levels of skiing/snowboarding and outdoor emergency care proficiency. It provides a forum in which patrollers can enhance personal skiing/snowboarding and toboggan-handling proficiency, improve their ability to manage OEC scenarios, and expand their patrolling knowledge and skills. The Senior Program is also excellent preparation for patrollers looking to move into leadership roles in the NSP.

The Senior Program consists of core and elective requirements that must be completed within three years of entering the Senior Program. It is designed for alpine, Nordic, and patrollers, with variations for each discipline.

Training is an essential part of the program. Senior candidates are expected to spend a significant amount of time reviewing senior criteria and using the required knowledge and skills to practice scenarios on challenging, senior-level terrain under various conditions in the patrolling environment. Senior candidates can also take advantage of clinics in which they receive constructive and corrective feedback on their performance.

Training varies throughout the system, depending on the resources of time, personnel, locations, and equipment, but its purpose is the same in all divisions: to provide suggestions for improvement, an understanding of the required level of performance, and increased awareness of advanced patroller skills.

SENIOR CORE MODULES OEC MODULE FOR THE SENIOR PROGRAM

  SENIOR ALPINE CORE MODULES

  SENIOR NORDIC CORE MODULES

  SENIOR PATROLLER CORE MODULE

  SENIOR ELECTIVES Each division has the option to require one of the following electives for its members. These electives represent the approved education* and leadership** credentials.

Senior Alpine Prerequisites:

Time Commitment:

Fees:

Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement

Instructor of Record:

Required Text: The Ski Patroller’s Manual, 14th edition

Core and Elective Requirements   Alpine skiing/snowboarding   Toboggan handling   OEC Module of the Senior Program   Three electives from senior elective list

Senior Patroller Prerequisites:

Time Commitment:

Fees:

Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement

Continuing Education/Refresher Requirement:

Instructor of Record:

Required Text:The Ski Patroller’s Manual, 14th edition

Core and Elective Requirements   One education course or one leadership course from senior elective list Not required to maintain senior status OEC Module of the Senior Program   Three additional electives from senior elective list Not required to maintain senior status

Additional programs from the National Ski Patrol System, Inc.

Click here to go to the National Ski Patrol Website