The Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol operates under the criteria established
by the Outdoor Emergency Care Program Administrative Committee (OECPAC)
as established by the National Ski Patrol System, Incorporated. All
Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol patrollers who administer patient care are
Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) certified as specified by OECPAC.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol promotes safety and provides
emergency
medical care and rescue services to the ill or injured athlete or
spectator in Southeastern Minnesota and other invited domains.
Purpose
The purpose of the policies and procedures is to establish a
framework
for a system of personnel management and administration which will
insure that:
The mission of the Patrol is carried out in an efficient
and effective manner.
Ski patrollers may proceed with the assurance that they are
carrying out the philosophy and objective of the Patrol and event
promoters they are serving.
Ski patrollers understand the relationship to each other
and the Patrol.
There will be uniformity in matters relating to the Patrol.
Responsibility
It is the responsibility of each patroller to read and understand
the
contents of this manual.
Definition of the Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol
The Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol is a volunteer working unit
dedicated
to providing emergency medical care to athletes and spectators in
distress and promote the safety of same in organized events we choose
to serve. The Patrol and its members are registered with the National
Ski Patrol System, Inc. (NSPS). Each member of the Patrol has met or
exceeded the minimum national standards and requirements for ski
patrollers established by the NSPS, and has remitted the required
registration fees.
Definition of a Ski Patroller
A Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patroller is an individual who volunteers
his/her services and has met or exceeded the minimum national
requirements for ski patrollers established by the NSPS. Each
patroller has registered with the NSPS as a member of the Hiawatha
Nordic Ski Patrol.
The Patrol maintains a roster of members including senior,
basic, and
candidate patrollers. The Patrol Director (PD)
is the head of the patrol and appoints and uses Patrol Advisors to
complete tasks and to help keep the patrol operating smoothly and
efficiently. In addition, the patrol makes use of Event Captains to
plan
and execute patrol functions for any single event the Patrol chooses to
serve.
A Nordic Ski Patroller is an individual (15 years or
older) who
has
passed the NSPS OEC test and the Nordic skiing proficiency
evaluation. Basic Avalanche and Basic Mountaineering courses should
be completed within two (2) years of attaining Nordic Patroller status.
Senior Nordic Ski Patroller
A Senior Nordic Ski Patroller is a Ski Patroller who has been
tested
and successfully passed advanced skills qualification as specified by
NSPS.
Visiting Patroller
A visiting patroller must be a Nordic Ski Patroller, Senior Nordic
Ski Patroller, Basic Patroller (Alpine), or Senior Patroller
(Alpine). He/she must be currently registered with the NSPS and must
present current NSPS registration, OEC, and CPR cards to the Event
Captain. The Event Captain shall be the person to grant visiting
patroller status. The visiting patroller shall wear appropriate
clothing, have his/her own equipment and supplies, and be prepared to
work until dismissed by the Event Captain. Visiting Alpine
Patrollers shall not be given skiing assignments at any event, but
may be given field/trail assignments utilizing other non ski modes of
transportation. Visiting patrollers shall have no voting right
regarding Patrol business.
Inactive Status Patroller
Individuals desiring to maintain NSPS registration, but who are
unable to meet the duty/training requirements of the patrol may be
granted Inactive Status by the Patrol Director. Inactive patrollers
must complete the annual OEC refresher and pay annual dues. Inactive
status shall be granted for a period of one year from date of grant.
During that year the Inactive Status Patroller may neither wear the
patrol uniform nor participate in any patrol activities other than
social events.
Ski Patrol Candidate
All individuals who seek initial membership in the NSPS or those
former NSPS members who are reapplying for membership shall be
registered provisionally as candidates during a training period that
prepares them to take the various qualification evaluations for full
patrol membership positions.
Alpine patrol candidates seeking dual membership with Hiawatha Nordic
will be registered as candidate patroller until they qualify as
Nordic Patroller. Candidates shall have no voting right regarding
Patrol business.
Must have and maintain primary membership with Hiawatha Nordic
(National
requirement).
Elected by majority vote of attendees at meeting called
for such purpose.
Provides administrative and coordination of the Patrol.
Appoints patrollers to the various Advisor positions.
Acts as liaison with Section, Region, and Division NSPS officers.
Coordinates the NSPS registration of the Patrol.
Establishes policies and procedures for the Patrol.
Handles all patrol personnel issues.
Schedules and chairs the the Patrol Annual Meeting.
OEC Supervisor
Must have and maintain OEC Instructor status.
Coordinates the annual OEC refresher.
Completes and submits the
appropriate forms to NSPS at the completion of the OEC refresher.
Advises potential candidates on the availability of OEC courses
in
Southeastern Minnesota.
Advises Patrol members on opportunities to
become OEC instructors.
Candidate Training Supervisor
Must be a Nordic or Senior Nordic Ski Patroller.
Coordinates the candidate trail training program.
Assists the Section Chief as necessary with candidate
qualification evaluation.
Assists the Senior Training Advisor with annual trail
refresher.
Senior Training Supervisor
Must be a Senior Nordic Ski Patroller.
Conducts the Patrol annual trail refresher.
Secretary -Treasurer
Must be Nordic, Senior Nordic
Patroller, or Inactive Patroller.
Collects annual NSPS membership dues.
Maintains the Patrol's financial records and accounts.
Pays duly authorized bills of the Patrol.
Assists Patrol Director with annual patrol and
membership processing.
Awards Supervisor
Must be a registered active member of Hiawatha
Nordic.
Assure membership service milestones are recognized.
Draft and submit
Patrol and/or member recognition recommendations to the Region Awards
Supervisor.
Equipment Advisor
Must be Nordic or Senior Nordic Patroller
Maintains current equipment inventory.
Advises Patrol of any equipment purchases required.
Assists Training Advisors in
demonstrating use of new and/or existing equipment.
Public Relations Advisor
Must me registered active member of Hiawatha
Nordic.
Establish communication channels with local newspapers,
radio, and television media.
Invite and host NSPS officials to Patrol events.
Event Captain
An Event Captain is responsible for the total operation
of the Patrol at any event that he/she chooses to serve. The Event
Captain may be appointed by the Patrol Director or be self appointed.
He/she is responsible for pre event planning and staffing and the
smooth operation of the Patrol on the day(s) of the event. Event
captains must be a Nordic or Senior Nordic Ski Patroller. His/her
activities include, but are not limited to:
Assure the Promoter of
said event understands that the Patrol is providing he/she with NSPS
trained emergency medical staff, but that NSPS is not the care
provider.
Notify appropriate EMS responders that the Patrol is
working within their jurisdiction. Establish the process by which they
may be called and assure the location(s) of the event is known to the
EMS responder.
Develop a operational plan for said event assuring adequate
coverage for participants and spectators.
Recruit patrollers for the specific event.
Specify Patrol dress uniform for the event.
Specify minimal patroller equipment requirements.
Immediately following the
event, collect any and all patient accident forms filled out by
patrollers and submit them to the Promoter or his/her designated agent.
The primary responsibilities of all ski patrollers are the
prompt and
proper medical aid, transportation of injured skiers, and accident
prevention.
Ski patrollers assigned to any event may not participate in any
or all of said event without pre approval of the Event Captain.
Under no circumstances can the drinking of any alcoholic beverage
or consumption of other than prescription or over-the-counter drugs be
permitted prior to or while on ski patrol duty.
Cooperate with the Event Captain to ensure the the Patrol
functions smoothly.
Seek additional events for Patrol participation and serve
as Event Captain for same.
Patrollers are encouraged to communicate with the skiing and
non skiing public to promote public relations.
Dues and Certification
In order to patrol the patroller must have:
Current American Heart
Association "C" level CPR card or a Basic Life Support for the
Professional Rescuer card from the American Red Cross.
Current OEC card and completed OEC refresher requirements.
Completed Trail Refresher requirements as specified by the Senior
Training
Advisor.
Paid dues as require by the Patrol and NSPS.
Duty Requirements
All Hiawatha Nordic patrollers are expected to (1) maintain a fitness
level to accept ski assignments up to 15 kilometers and (2) work a
reasonable number of Patrol events in a given year. To maintain
fitness, patrollers are encouraged to train at public Nordic centers
and have first aid supplies available for use. Patrollers may credit
such training time towards Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol duty hours.
Patrollers are required to maintain a log of their duty activity
and submit said log to the Patrol Director upon request. (This is also
an
IRS requirement for tax deductibility and a metric required for
most NSPS award applications.)
The Patrol recognizes that snowfall levels in SE Minnesota are
unpredictable. However, the need for trained emergency medical
personnel in the area is not limited to snow covered terrain.
Patrollers are required to seek year-round activities where the
presence of emergency medical treatment is essential for the safety
of athletes and spectators alike.
There may be a limited number of hardship or mitigating cases where
patrollers cannot work a reasonable number of events and/or hours.
These individuals must contact the Patrol Director for special
consideration to remain on the Patrol. The Patrol Director will
review patroller duty activity in June of each year.
Dress Code
The official Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol dress code includes wearing
the NSPS "rusty parka with blue yoke" or NSPS red parka. Pants shall
be one of the following:
Lycra tights, single color with racing
stripe optional.
Knickers and socks for the traditional look.
Wind pants, single color with racing stripe optional.
The only
patches to be worn
on the NSPS parka are the NSPS "circle" patch and patroller's name tag
located on the left front, a single "area" patch or emblem on the
right front, and the NSPS cross on the back. The Patrol jacket
and/or patrol belt should not be worn in an bar or lounge area unless
the patroller is responding to a call for medical assistance.
The Patrol recognizes that the above defined uniform is not
necessarily appropriate for all Patrol activities, particularly for
summer events, or events where the Patrol is an invited guest, such
as the American Birkebeiner.
In those instances, either the Event Captain shall specify the
uniform of the event or the inviting Patrol's specified uniform shall
take precedence. Additionally, any and all tasteful advertising
offered by a promoter or inviting Patrol shall be deemed acceptable
for the duration of said event.
The coverage at any event shall be determined by the Event Captain.
If sufficient patrollers are not available to meet the predetermined
minimal coverage, the Event Captain shall make no patrol coverage
commitment to the affected promoter.
Promoting Safety and a Positive Image
The Ski Patrol should promote safety on and off the trail. The
following items may prove helpful:
Advise participants when equipment
is unsafe and may need repair or replacement, e.g. ski poles without
baskets or bicycles without functioning brakes.
Alert the promoter regarding safety hazards.
Advise promoters and participants of the advantages of
using safety equipment pertinent to their sport (such as bicycle
helmets).
Participants who do not comply with safety requests should
be reported to the Promoter. Promoters are solely responsible for the
safety of their participants and the only authority to disqualify
participants.
Release of Information
Information, written or verbal, shall not be released to anyone
(lawyers, insurance agents, chaperones, etc.) regarding an accident
or course/trail conditions without the approval and/or instructions
from the affected promoter and/or Patrol Director
Complaints and Concerns
Any participant complaints against the event
or another participant should be referred to the promoter or his/her
designated agent.
All concerns regarding ski patrollers at any event should be
directed to the Event Captain.
The Event Captain should then take
appropriate action(s), document the complaint and action(s) taken, and
notify the Patrol Director.
Transferring Patrollers
Any ski patroller requesting a transfer from another patrol to
Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol should present to the Hiawatha Nordic
Patrol Director a dated letter from his/her former Patrol Director
stating his/her abilities, contributions to the Ski Patrol, and
Ski Patrol record.
Annually, the Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol offers or joins with another
Patrol to offer a OEC refresher course according to the NSPS
requirements. An On-the-Trail refresher will also be scheduled
annually contingent upon the prevailing snow cover and conditions.
Each Patroller is responsible for attending these refreshers either
with the Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol or with another NSPS affiliated
patrol to meet NSPS requirements. Each patroller must certified on
an annual basis in CPR at the American Heart Association "C" level
CPR card or a Basic Life Support for the Professional Rescuer card
from the American Red Cross.
Candidate Training
Pre-requisites
Each applicant must have a current OEC card and CPR
certification card as defined above issued within the past year.
He/she must be 15 years of age.
Procedure for Applying
The applicant must contact either the Patrol
Director or Candidate Training Advisor for information and request
membership in the Patrol.
Pre Training Evaluation
A pre training evaluation may be requested by
any candidate prior to starting the formal Nordic training schedule.
This evaluation will be scheduled at a time mutually agreeable to the
requesting candidate, the Candidate Training Advisor, and either the
Senior Training Advisor or the Patrol Director. The candidate who's
skiing proficiency is deemed lacking shall be told specifically what
skills he/she needs to work to improve. He/she should be encouraged to
continue to develop his/her skiing proficiency and return the next
season for formal training.
Training Schedule
The training schedule will be designed by the
Candidate Training Advisor. After completing the training, the
candidate will take a Nordic skiing proficiency evaluation organized
and administered by the Western Region Nordic Supervisor. After
successfully passing this evaluation, the candidate will be classified
as a Nordic Patroller.
Senior Patroller Training
Nordic Patrollers are encouraged to improve their leadership
and
skiing skills. The Senior Nordic program offers a great resource to
meet that objective. The Senior Nordic candidate must:
Have actively patrolled
for a full season as a Nordic Patroller.
Be 18 years of age or older.
Currently be an active Nordic Patroller
Have completed both Basic Avalanche and Mountain Travel &
Rescue - I courses.
Must be approved with a signature from the Patrol Director on the
Senior
Testing Application form.
Training Schedule
Senior level OEC and ski
proficiency training will be scheduled and conducted by the Senior
Training Advisor. Subsequent evaluation will be administered by
the Western Region Officials.
The following protocols are informative only and represent
that
which
is the highest standard of care relating to any set of circumstances.
It is the intention of the Hiawatha Nordic Ski Patrol that these
protocols be used as consultative material in striving for optimal
care. It is recognized that any specific procedure or care is always
subject to modifications depending on the circumstances of a
particular case. Further, these protocols may be deviated from after
consultation with any medical control physician.
Supplies
The following are recommended supplies to be carried by each
patroller depending upon the location/terrain:
Recommended Basic Medical Supplies
Latex gloves - 2 pair
Scissors
Cravats - 4
Safety pins
4x4's & 2x2's -- 5-7 ea.
Adhesive tape
Accident forms - 2
Wire Splint
Band Aids - 10
Small flashlight
Butterflies - 8-10
Cord: 2-5 meters
Tongue blades - 2
Ink pen
Plastic bags - 3
Plastic bags - 3
Antiseptic towelettes
Space blanket - 2
Pocket mask w/ 1-way valve
Items for Far Off Road Event Ski Consideration
Additional Medical Supplies
Moleskin
2,3,4" Kling rollers
Heavy compresses
Fiber glass tape
Hard candy
Seam ripper
Swiss army knife
Traction split pole adapter
3 packets sugar
Wide Ace bandage
Tweezers
Additional cravats
Items to Assist Ski Race Participants
Wool socks
Kick wax
Water proof matches
Wool mittens
Hat
Steel wool & extra screws
Philips head screw driver
Duct tape
Personal Protection Items
Garbage bags
Lunch /snacks
Sun glasses
Sweater/vest
Water
Energy drink
Poncho or rain gear
Ground cloth
Mittens/gloves
Hat
Glove liners
Compass
Trail Procedure
The first patroller at the scene is generally in charge, unless
he/she designates another patroller to take over.
Communicable/Infectious Disease Control
Ski patrollers are at risk to exposure to
communicable/infectious
disease. The following guidelines are an attempt to outline
procedures which will reduce that risk. Universal precautions will be
used by all patrollers. Treat all human blood and certain body
fluids as if known be be infectious for human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV - the virus that causes AIDS), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and
other blood borne pathogens.
Personal Protective Equipment
Gloves - wear any time it is
anticipated to have contact with blood, potentially infectious
material, mucous membrane, or nonskid contact.
Mask, Eye Protection,
Face shield - wear whenever patroller is in a situation where splashes,
spray, splatter or droplets of blood or other potentially infectious
material may be generated and eye, nose or mouth contamination can re
reasonably expected. Remove or replace as soon as practical when
contaminated.
Gowns - should be worn in situations where gross
contamination can be anticipated. Remove as soon as feasible if
penetrated by blood or other potentially infectious material.
Hand Washing
Wash hands with soap and water immediately after as soon
as possible after removal of gloves or other personal protective
equipment. Use antiseptic towelettes as a temporary measure while on
the
trail.
