Connecticut Trails. Inside this. Notes from the Regional Director: Burt Mitchell. Points of Interest:

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1 National Ski Patrol Connecticut Region VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 DECEMBER 2004 Inside this Notes from the Regional Director: Burt Mitchell In the patrolling business at this time of year in what I like to call the refresher time, we spend time refresher in OEC (medical), CPR (medical) Lift Evacuation and generally preparing for our jobs as ski patrollers at our various areas. But all too often we forget about reviewing the public relations factor of patrolling and its importance to the areas we serve. So here is a little refresher on Public Relations. At all ski areas the customer is the most important visitor. The customers are not dependant on the area; the area is dependent on them. They are not outsiders but are the vital part of the area. Without customers, no ski area and no need for patrollers. We as patrollers must share the common goal with the areas to foster a passion for the sport of skiing and snowboarding with each person we meet and assist. A day at a ski area should be a safe, fun and fulfilling experience for all, encouraging customers to want to ski and snowboard more. We as patrollers can help do this by adhering to a few public relation basics when interacting with customers in medical situations or just meeting them on a trail or lift chair. Always provide a warm smile and a happy hello. Be polite at all times with customers and fellow employees. Smiling, making eye contact and Please and Thank You s are a must. Always be ready to offer a helping hand. That goes without saying for medical situations but assist customers with requests and address their concerns. Find a way to resolve a problem. If the customer is not satisfied get management to assist. Snow Sense: Be Enthusiastic! Answer every question like it is the first time you have ever answered it. Learn your area s information, i.e. hours, meal area, trails, rentals, etc. in order to answer questions knowledgably. If you don t know an answer, tell the customer you don t know BUT that you will find out and then tell them. Be the Ski Area s Ambassador. Always say Thank You and we hope you had a great time. Always speak positively in and outside your area. Take pride in your actions and in your personal appearance. Come to patrol happy and share It has been said that the amount of snow storms in a season will be equal to the date of our first storm. If this is true we should have 13 storms this year. Snow crystals are really soil particles that have been dressed up in ice. Scientists think that there are really four different shapes of snow crystals. Notes from the Regional Awards Advisor Marygale Division Level II Avalanche Just a Reminder from Dick Points of Interest: OEC Enhancement Clinics start in December What a great way to get ready for the season and The Emergency Management Module. Check dates on

2 A Message from our Awards Advisor; Marygale Bouldin RECEIVING AN AWARD IS ONE BIG WAY TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION. Do you remember when you received an award? Do you remember the emotions that you felt? Total surprise, shock, wonder, elations? Do you know of someone deserving one of these awards? Purple Merit Star: The Purple Merit Star is given for saving a human life through emergency care. The Purple Merit Star is awarded to members who individually save or are primary responsible, in conjunction with others, for saving a human life. Blue Merit Star: The Blue Merit Star is awarded to members for outstanding or heroic use of ski patrol skills in an attempt to save a human life, but whose efforts have not met the Purple Merit Star criteria. Green Merit Star: The Green Merit Star is awarded to members for an outstanding act of heroism that does not meet the lifesaving requirements of the Purple Merit State. It is given for arduous and/or hazardous rescue work in which the recipient uses ski patrol training. (e.g., at ski areas, air crashes, and mountain rescue Showing your appreciation for your patrollers is easy Page 2 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

3 2005 Eastern Division Level II Avalanche Course By now you may have heard about the success of the Level II Avalanche Course at Whiteface Mountain in 2003 and read Roger Damon s article about it in Ski Patrol magazine. Want to sign up for the next course? The 2005 Eastern Division Level II Avalanche Course is scheduled for March 17 through 20(Thursday through Sunday) at the Atmospheric Science Research Center and Whiteface Mountain, NY. The course will run four consecutive days in order to minimize time and travel commitments for those involved. Participants should plan to arrive Wednesday evening, March 16. The purpose of the Level II course is to help prepare the patroller and backcountry user for all aspects of avalanche hazards and rescue operations. More information describing the course will be available on the Eastern Division Website. During the first two days of the course, participants will complete the indoor program by attending a wide variety of presentations and activities, and by direct involvement in a rescue simulator session. The simulator is an indoor mock up of a rescue problem designed to provide realistic situations and decision-making typically encountered in avalanche rescue operations. The next two days include the outdoor portion of the course in which participants will complete field exercises including snowpack and terrain analysis, rescue beacon use, companion and organized avalanche rescue operations. Accommodations during the indoor session will be at the Holiday Lodge ( ) near Whiteface with meals in the restaurant located at the Lodge. Registration cost for the course for NSP members will be $175 and $225 for non- NSP members. Lodging will be at a group rate of $69.00 per night, double occupancy, or there are two bunk rooms sleeping 6 and 8 for single participants. Meals will be available at The Holiday Lodge at a very reasonable cost, and. catered lunches will be available at ASRC each day at a very reasonable price, including trail lunches at the outdoor sessions. Completion of the Level I Avalanche or Avalanche Fundamentals and Rescue Course and Level 1 Mountain Travel & Rescue or Mountain Travel & Rescue Fundamentals courses within the last three years is required as a prerequisite. Winter hiking experience and proper outdoor clothing and equipment are also essential. Interested participants should understand that the outdoor field work is done in a winter mountain environment that involves physical exertion and sustained exposure to winter elements and hazards. Interested participants with physical or medical restrictions must consider these factors before applying. Attendance is limited, so sign up early! To register for the Level II Avalanche Course, please complete and return the form below with a check for $ NSP members, $ non-nsp members made out to Eastern Division NSP by February 3, For information, contact Level II Avalanche Instructor of Record Chuck Boyd at (lc2boyd@cs.com) or Level II Avalanche Assistant Instructor of Record Rich Hartman at (rchrdhrtmn@earthlink.net) ***************************************************************************** 2005 Level II Avalanche Course Whiteface Mountain, NY March 17-20, 2005 Name NSP Reg. # Patrol Address City State Zip Page 3

4 Just a reminder From Dick Gardner... There will be a Avalanche and Mountaineering weekend on February 12 and 13. These are separate courses, and you can take either one or both. They both count as senior electives. Avalanches happen in a lot of places you might not expect, and that includes the East too. We would like the opportunity to teach you how to avoid them, and how to maximize you chances of survival if you do get caught. Getting out in the woods and hills in the winter is a whole different thing from getting out in the other seasons, You know that, you're skiers! Mountain Travel and Rescue moves getting out to another dimension and shows you how to get along when you don't have an indoors handy to duck into when the going gets tough. These courses are taught by fellow patrollers who enjoy all this outdoor stuff and love to show others about it. This makes for an enjoyable weekend all around. Come join us! Call or Dick Gardiner 860/ dickgardiner@aol.com Connecticut Region Programs Dec 1 EMM Amanda Cannon Dec 4 or 11 or 18 OEC Enhancement Bob Cassello Jan 6 Jan 8 Jan 15 Jan 29 Jan 16 Jan 29 Senior S&T Walt Behuniak Skier Enhancement Eric Strom Snowboard Enhancement Keith Nappi Women s S&T Enhancement Marge Thorpe Toboggan Instructor Clinic Walt Behuniak Telemark Clinic Roger Stevenson Feb 12 Feb 13 Mar 11 Mar 18 April 16 June 4 Aval, MTR Dick Gardiner Toboggan Enhancement Eric Strom Alumni Day Jack Flynn Student Seminar Al Levesque Instructor Development Dick Gardiner Banquet Marygale Bouldin Page 4

5 From The Desk Of: Connecticut Region O.E.C. Administrator NATIONAL SKI PATROL CONNECTICUT REGION Newsletter Editor Paula Knight 255 Copper Ridge Southington, Connecticut Phone: Website; Connecticut Region is committed to excellence in education and rescue The 2004 CT. Regional Refresher has come and gone. Through the criticisms of many patrollers over the past few years, we have developed and presented a refresher that was said, by many patrollers, to have been the best Refresher that they could ever remember. We refreshed over 45 Instructors in September and over 275 patrollers in October. This could not have been done without the dedication of all the instructors who worked so very hard to create quality, learning, teaching stations. It s ALL the instructors who deserve recognition for their exemplary efforts, especially their creativity. Instructors are challenged every year with new topics for presentation at the refreshers. I am amazed every year with their creativity for all the stations. I am also impressed with the atmosphere of learning exhibited by all the instructors throughout all the refresher stations. YOU, THE INSTRUCTOR, make the refresher work. For that I thank you all. OEC Enhancement is a great way to fine tune your skills! Newsletter Deadlines I sat back one evening thinking about the refreshers as they were in the planning stages. It was then that I realized all the hours of time that would be spent by all the instructors, not only in the preparation of the stations but also in the presentation of all the refresher stations. I estimated that our O.E.C. instructors for these 2004 refreshers (instructor refreshers as well as patroller refreshers) spent a total of 800 hours. March 2, 2005 July 6, 2005 Send info to Paula THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Bob Cassello LOST & FOUND: Found: Old Navy fleece sweater - color - olive, size: Large. Back Pack: Prosport, color Grey, black, cobalt If they are yours, please contact me at: worldheadquarters@rcn.com Things to Remember: Emergency Management Module start in December Dates are posted on the Web Site and are in the Calendars given out at the refresher. Call Amanda Cannon for details Senior S&T Clinics start in January They are posted on the Web Site and are in the Calendars. Call Walt Behuniak for details Page 5