Ski Resort Preparing To Assist Skiers And Snowboarders
You probably never think about the people who work on the ski patrols at the ski resorts, and that’s a good thing, of course.
But it’s also good thing to know they are there when you need them, and they are undergoing training now on the eve of ski resorts opening around the globe.
At Big Ski Resort in Montana, this is no small task. Big Sky has the biggest ski area in the USA with more than 5,800 skiable acre. There’s also a 4,350 vertical drop. To keep an eye on things and to help out skiers and snowboarders in trouble, its ski patrol is one of the biggest in North America with 105 professionals 140 volunteers.
The two weeks before the resort opens on Thanksgiving weekend, the resort hosts an annual event called the Big Sky Medical Refresher for all members of its ski patrol team.
“It’s so important for such a large organization to get our members together to bring everyone up to speed on our standard of care,” said Steve Emerson of the Big Sky Resort Ski Patrol.“The medical refreshers we conduct are required training for our members, but also count as Continuing Education to go toward their license renewal.”
What sets Big Sky Resort’s training apart from other ski resorts is all Big Sky Resort Patrollers must have an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license, whereas, most ski areas only require an Outdoor Emergency Care Certification. The refresher training is a 24-hour program over three days designed by the National Education Standards of the original EMT course.
The training started last weekend at Big Sky Resort for Big Sky Resort Ski Patrol with almost 300 people in attendance including Big Sky Fire Department, Summit Air Ambulance, Gallatin Gateway Fire Department, American Medical Response, Bozeman Health Group, and other local Medical, EMS, and Fire agencies.
For more on this resort, with lodging and lift tickets, go to BigSkyResort.com
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