Ski patrol and how to join them

During skiing a large number of people often get injured and that is when ski patrol act. Some of injured skiers are usually not physically prepared well enough, the other are just a part of an accident caused by some strong forces of nature, like avalanches.

Some people are passionate freerider skiers that ski backcountry on a dangerous terrain, such as glaciers, rocks, and forests. Weather conditions that can change in a blink of an eye are also a great enemy of freeriders. Ski patrol is an organization that rescues people captured in a deep snow, people that fell of the cliffs, or some other injured people, not only in a backcountry, but also on regular slopes.

Depending on a location of an injured man, ski patrol uses different ways of transport. They usually use skimobile, toboggan, snowcat or helicopter. Ski patrol also check terrains before skier go on out on a snow. Ski patrollers are very well-trained to act properly in avalanches and other dangerous situations. They promote ski safety.

If you want to be a part of a ski patrol, you must be trained in Basic or Advanced Life Support, just like paramedics. If you are about to join them, you have to be EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), and/or Paramedic, OEC technician (Outdoor Emergency Technicians), or EMT-I (Intermediate Emergency Medical Technician).

The most of ski patrol members are excellent skiers and snowboarders, with great Nordic and Alpine skills. Some others are not skier at all, but they must be paramedics.

At the end of a skiing day, patroller goes on a terrains and slopes to check and clean the mountains.

How to join the ski patrol

If you for a ski patrol jobs, get informed in the ski centers of your country. You should be a paramedic, but it is desirable to be a good skier, too. You can be paid member or a volunteer; it depends on your skills and commitment.

Depending on a ski resort, it may be required to possess different skiing levels, which is compatible with difficulty of a mountain terrain. A ski patrol candidate must ski over the whole mountain easily and to manage all kinds of terrains on that mountain. In some areas you must pass a skiing test, to determine if you are ready to do this serious job.

National Ski Patrol has standardized the first aid training. There are evaluations for medical care skills for every ski patrol candidate. You have to pass these evaluations, too.

To join the ski patrol, you will also need to get insurance requirements, ski patrol and employee polices, depending on a ski area or the ski patrol system of your country.

Some basic tips before you join the ski patrol

Before you even think to join any ski patrol training, you must get yourself in an excellent physical condition. You must increase your fitness and endurance in order not to get injured, or killed in the mountain! Psychological part is also very important! You must be emotionally stable, calm, but ready to work under great pressure.

You must be prepared for extreme weather conditions, for severe injuries that you must take care. All the stuff about how to prepare adequately for this job, you can find in our skiing system. Do not even think to do it by yourself and not to educate in this field! You can easily endanger all around you, including yourself if you are not prepared with knowledge. In our skiing system, you can also find how to recognize the level of a terrain danger, so before you take any evaluation in your resort (to join ski patrol), read through this; it will facilitate the process of becoming a great ski patroller!