How does Mountain Rescue work in the USA in ski resorts? | Ski Insurance

Ski Patrol: The First Responders on the Slopes

Primary Role: Ski patrollers are the on-mountain first responders for accidents and medical emergencies. They are highly trained professionals, and many are paid employees of the resort, though some resorts also have a mix of paid and volunteer patrollers.

Medical Training: Patrollers are typically certified in specialised training programs like the National Ski Patrol's Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) course. This training is specific to the mountain environment and covers a range of skills, from basic first aid to more advanced procedures like splinting and patient assessment. Many patrollers also hold EMT certifications.  ( Emergency Medical Technician ) 

On-Hill Care and Transport: When an accident occurs, ski patrol is dispatched to the scene. They stabilise the injured person, provide initial medical care, and then transport them off the mountain using a rescue toboggan (or sledge). The goal is to get the patient to a medical clinic at the base of the resort or to a waiting ambulance for transport to a hospital.9

Beyond Medical Care: The ski patrol's duties go beyond just responding to emergencies. They are also responsible for:

Marking hazards on the mountain.

Opening and closing trails and lifts.

Enforcing resort policies (like the "Skier Responsibility Code").

Performing avalanche control, often using explosives, to ensure the safety of the ski area.

Conducting sweeps at the end of the day to make sure no one is left on the mountain.

Search and Rescue (SAR):

While ski patrol handles incidents within the resort's boundaries, if a skier or snowboarder goes missing outside the designated ski area (often referred to as "out-of-bounds" or "backcountry"), the situation shifts to a larger-scale search and rescue operation.

Jurisdiction: The responsibility for these rescues falls to local or state agencies, such as the county sheriff's office, and they often work with highly skilled volunteer mountain rescue teams who are members of organisations like the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA). usa 

Volunteer-Based: Unlike ski patrol, which is a paid or volunteer position for a specific resort, these mountain rescue teams are almost always made up of unpaid professionals and volunteers.

They are trained in wilderness survival, technical rope rescue, avalanche rescue, and search management.

Funding: This is a crucial distinction. In almost all cases, neither ski patrol nor mountain rescue organisations charge for their rescue services. 

The cost is typically covered by the ski resort, by volunteer organisations, or through a combination of tax dollars, donations, and grant money. 

However, there are some rare exceptions where a person may be charged for a rescue if they were found to be grossly negligent (e.g., ignoring a closed area sign).

How a Typical Rescue Works

1. Alert: An emergency call is made to the ski patrol (usually a dedicated resort number or 911).

2. Dispatch: Ski patrol is given the location of the injured person.

3. On-Scene Assessment: Patrollers arrive, assess the patient's injuries, and provide immediate medical care.

4. Transport: The patient is loaded into a rescue toboggan and carefully transported down the mountain.

5. Transfer of Care: At the base, the patient is transferred to an ambulance or a medical clinic, where they receive further medical attention before being transported to a hospital if necessary.17

In summary, ski resorts in the U.S. handle on-mountain rescue with their highly trained ski patrol.

 These patrollers are the first line of defence for medical emergencies and other safety issues within the resort's boundaries, while volunteer-based mountain rescue teams handle larger-scale operations in the backcountry.