Outdoor Emergency Transportation (OET)  Program Mission Statement

OET’s mission is to create an environment of learning that elevates the skills, ability, and techniques needed to safely transport guests to a higher level of care.

The following are the goals of the Senior Patroller Outdoor Emergency Transportation 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 the 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 Patroller Outdoor Emergency Transportation Program? Patrollers may apply for participation in the Senior Patroller program at any time after becoming a NSP member, obtaining Patroller status, and obtaining their Patrol Director's 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 Patroller ski & toboggan program can be obtained by contacting the Regional OET Advisor.

Components of the Senior Patroller Clinic/Evaluation and Senior Patroller Challenge: The Senior Patroller OET program is broken down into three separate sets for clinic and evaluation purposes. Those are skiing skills, patroller skills and toboggan skills. For skiing skills the candidates are trained and evaluated on their ability to perform short, medium and long radius turns on varying terrain. For patroller skills, candidates are trained and evaluated on their snowplow, sideslip, and transition skills, as well as equipment carry and crud skiing. Toboggan skills evaluate candidate skills at loaded toboggan, front and rear, and empty toboggan. Clinics and evaluations will be held on Senior Patroller-rated hills with more to most difficult terrain.

Evaluation Format:The Senior Patroller OET evaluation is a one-day event in which Senior Patroller candidates are shown demonstrations of the required skills by Regional Trainer-Evaluators then asked to perform the skills themselves. The evaluation is broken into three components as described above. A candidate may pass either patrollers skills, including toboggan, or ski skills, or both. A candidate who only successfully completes half of the senior OET exam will coordinate with the region advisor to establish a date and location to re-attempt the second half. Senior candidates should be comfortable in a variety of most-difficut terrain and spend as much time as possible running toboggans outside the handles through mogul terrain.