There are two major steps to becoming a patroller...

1. Take an OEC (Outdoor Emergency Care) Course in your area. Courses are offered all year in Southern California; however most courses begin in late Spring or Early Fall, so that they complete in time to begin training at a ski hill in December. The longer courses typically meet once a week. The shorter ones meet 2-3 times a week.(For those with advanced medical training (experienced EMTs, Nurses, Doctors, etc., an abbreviated challenge course is available.)
2. Take a Ski Area Patroller Proficiency Course. This is the practical training concerning skiing in-the-snow rescue, toboggan handling, and the specific techniques used at ski hills to manage an area accident, including documentation, EMS transportation, radio protocols, equipemnt caching and scene/resource management. At Snow Summit, this is our FYP (First Year Patroller) program and training is scheduled on specific weekend days to conclude in the late-January to early March timeframe, depending on snow conditions.