Senior Outdoor Emergency Care

  The Senior OEC program is designed to hone the patroller’s problem management skills.  We all have OEC training but how we react at an accident may need fine-tuning.  The solution is practice to develop confidence in problem solving and leadership.  The more professional we are as patrollers, means we are better able to serve the skiing public. 

Encourage your fellow patrollers to join you in training exercises so we will be better prepared when we are dispatched to major accident.  This years Senior OEC clinics are scheduled for January 28^th at Royal Mountain in the southern part of the region and February 10^th at Gore Mountain in the northern part, with the evaluation at West Mt. on March 3.  Please express interest by responding to: 

Jerry J. McGraw                                                                  

20 Sleepy Hollow Dr

Clifton Park NY 12065

518-371-3762

donna1nsp@aol

REGIONAL SKI & TOBOGGAN PROGRAM

Senior Ski & Toboggan Program - A Closer Look

  The NSP Board of Directors, the National Senior Committee, and division ski and toboggan advisors have developed a national-level ski & toboggan training program that provides consistency, standardization, and quality in a supportive environment. The senior ski & toboggan program has nationally established guidelines and requirements, which neither division advisors nor regional ski & toboggan administrators can impose additional requirements to.

  The following are the goals of the Senior Ski & Toboggan Program:

• To provide a training and evaluation environment which encourages all patrollers to participate.

• To expand and improve the NSP member’s patrolling knowledge and skills through a national program of training and evaluation.

• To provide NSP members with the opportunity to obtain quality upper level training.

• To improve the image of patrollers and National Ski Patrol.

• To provide a method for members to obtain personal improvement and achievement through definable goals.

• To prepare patrollers for leadership positions in National Ski Patrol.

  Are you qualified to participate in the Senior Ski & Toboggan Program?

Patrollers may apply for participation in the senior program at any time after becoming a NSP member, obtaining patroller status, and obtaining their patrol directors recommendation. Skiing and toboggan handling skills should be proficient on “More & Most Difficult ” terrain. Participation can be with alpine skis, telemark skis or snowboard. Applications for participation in the regional senior ski & toboggan program can be obtained by contacting the regional ski and toboggan administrator.

  Components of the Senior Clinic / Evaluation and Senior Challenge:

The senior ski & toboggan program is broken down into three separate stations for clinic and evaluation purposes; they are skiing skills, patroller skills and toboggan skills. For skiing skills the candidates are trained / evaluated on their ability to perform carved short, medium and long radius turns on varying terrain. For patroller skills candidates are trained / evaluated on their snowplow, sideslip and transition skills, and also equipment carry and crud skiing. The toboggan skills station clinics / evaluates candidates skills at loaded toboggan front and rear, and empty toboggan run. Clinics and evaluations will be held on senior rated hills with more to most difficult terrain.

Evaluation Format:

There are two formats which the regional ski & toboggan trainer-evaluators use to evaluate senior candidates, they are the Senior Clinic / Evaluation and the Senior Challenge. The Senior Clinic /Evaluation is a two day event in which senior candidates participate n clinics and evaluation over a two day period. The advantage of this format is that it gives candidates an opportunity for practice and improvement over the two-day period and gives the trainer-evaluators a longer time to evaluate the candidates. This format also reduces the possibility of the candidate being unsuccessful in a station due to a “bad run”, misunderstanding, nervousness, etc. The Senior Challenge is a one day event in which senior candidates are shown demonstrations of the required skills by regional trainer-evaluators then asked to perform the skills themselves. This format takes on more of a testing atmosphere with little time for practice and training due to time constraints. The challenge format is not for everyone, but if you are competent and confident of your senior ski & toboggan skills it can be a challenging and rewarding way to be successful in the program.             

Keys to being successful in the Program:

Training! Training! Training! It is unrealistic and inadvisable to participate at a senior ski & toboggan evaluation and expect to pass without practicing in advance. To prepare for the senior evaluation candidates are encouraged to participate in regional Senior Ski & Toboggan Clinics. These clinics are held on senior-rated hills with terrain and conditions which will be used on the day of the formal Senior Clinic / Evaluation. It is best to participate in a senior clinic early in the ski season so that you are aware of the required skills and skill level expected of you. Also, obtain a recent copy of the Senior Program Manual, it outlines the all aspects of the senior program thoroughly and clearly states the evaluation criteria for each component.

Leonard Cronin, Regional S & T Administrator

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