Okay, I'm interested. What are the steps? (last updated: December 3, 2007)

Planning:

Preparation is the key to success with the Senior Program. Become familar with the scope of the program by studying two NSP resources:

You can pursue the Senior certification aggressively, at a relaxed pace, or at any rate in between; and the components can be completed in any order. Most patrollers prefer to focus on completing the Emergency Mgt. core component one year, and the Ski & Toboggan or Nordic core component in a separate year. The three Senior electives can even be completed before you formally file your application for enrollment. Completing the electives ahead of time has the added advantage of alleviating possible scheduling conflicts with training, precourse, and evaluation sessions for the core components. Once you do enroll in the Senior Program (acceptance is almost always automatic if your Patrol Representative approves your application), a three-year time period begins, by the end of which you should try to have all of the required Core Components and three Senior Electives completed. Once the initial application has been approved by your PR, you do not need to reapply each year that you wish to work on the Senior Program.

Our Region calendar lists the dates when the Senior precourses, evaluations, and electives are being offered. See the "Education / Programs" page for descriptions of the popular programs which most patrollers use to satisfy the Senior electives requirement.

Getting Started:

• Obtain the Ski Patroller's Manual and the forms associated with the Senior Program.
  
  In addition to the forms listed above in the "Planning" section, the following forms are available through our Western Region and Central Division Web sites, which you can display and print directly from your browser. (Forms listed with an asterisk "*" were prepared using 800x600 (SVGA) display screen resolution. For best results, have your browser window maximized to full-screen.)
  • Sign up on-line
  • Senior Candidate Application*   (PDF format courtesy of Stephen Thomas, Alumnus Afton Alps Patrol)
  • Worksheet for an Emergency Mgt. (OEC) Senior Scenario*
  • Activity Record - Senior Core and Elective Components*
  • NSP Central Division Release of Liability Form (waiver)
    
  
  
• Fill out the Patroller Information section of the Activity Record for Senior Core and Elective Components, and retain this form to record your progress. If you have completed one or more of the required Senior electives already, enter the date when the event was completed, and fill in the name of the instructor.



• When you are ready to formally enroll in the Senior Program:
  1. complete the Senior Candidate Application,
  2. obtain your Patrol Representative’s signature,
  3. mail the completed and signed application to the Senior Program Coordinator (unless your Senior trainer(s)¹ have other instructions.) Note that an annual enrollment deadline exists and it is usually in December. (see the Region calendar.)
  4. Sign up for the appropriate precourse(s) and evaluation. (see the Region calendar.)

You are responsible for your own paper work and documentation of your progress by updating the Activity Record for Senior Core and Elective Components. As you complete each requirement, remember to get the proper signature:

• Documenting the completion of the basic skills and practice scenarios requires the observing OEC instructors' signatures.
• Documenting the completion of the Emergency Mgt. (OEC) Senior evaluation, Alpine Skiing/snowboarding and Alpine Toboggan-handling (or Nordic Skiing and Toboggan-handling) Senior evaluation(s) requires the evaluation coordinators' signatures.
• Documenting the completion of each elective requires the elective’s instructor’s signature (if possible.)

"Emergency Management" (OEC) Senior Core Component:

First, a clarification for the term "Emergency Mgt. (OEC) Senior..." There is only one standard of emergency medical care within the NSP, and that is OEC, regardless of a patroller's certification level. In other words, there are no new or additional OEC procedures or OEC skills taught in the training sessions which prepare candidates for the Emergency Mgt. (OEC) Senior precourses and evaluation. Senior training in general, focuses on tuning skills, and enhancing a patroller's decision making, problem management, and leadership abilities.

Before officially commencing work toward completion of the Emergency Mgt. Senior core component, a patroller should be formally enrolled in the Senior Program. A patroller should not, for example, seek to complete the log for OEC basic skills performance, prior to enrollment. However, assisting your Patrol's Senior trainer(s) as a patient or in some other capacity, and volunteering as a patient or bystander at a Region precourse, are terrific ways to become acquainted with what is expected.

Once you are enrolled, the general steps to follow would be:

• Contact your Patrol's Senior trainer(s) and set up a training schedule.



• Demonstrate the basic OEC skills outlined in the Completion Log for Basic Skills Performance Check-off. These must be signed-off by an observing OEC instructor as they are demonstrated successfully either as separate tasks, or within the context of your scenario work.



• Using the worksheets for Emergency Mgt. Senior scenarios, complete three written, Senior-level scenarios from the written scenario section of Appendix G of The Ski Patroller’s Manual. Indicate the equipment, decision making, problem management, and leadership skills needed to successfully manage the patient(s) and available resources. Completing these scenarios on paper will help you approach scenarios the way they will be evaluated at the Emergency Mgt. Senior precourses and evaluation.



• Compose one complete Senior-level Emergency Mgt. scenario; including the accident description, and the equipment, decision making, problem management, and leadership skills needed to successfully manage the patient(s) and available resources.



• Successfully lead four environmentally suitable, Senior-level Emergency Mgt. scenarios (degree of difficulty > 5), comparable to those presented in Appendix G of The Ski Patroller’s Manual. These can be completed and documented under the direction of either your Patrol's Senior trainer(s) or by evaluators at the Region precourses. See the Region calendar for Emergency Mgt. Senior precourse dates. These will help you prepare for the Emergency Mgt. Senior evaluation.



• Sign up for and attend one or more of the Emergency Mgt. Senior precourses. (Some really good suggestions are found in the "Tips on Taking the Emergency Management Senior Evaluation" handout.)   Please note that Senior Alpine and Emer. Mgt. candidates are required to attend at least one precourse.



• When you feel ready, sign up for and attend an evaluation. See the Region calendar for the precourse and evaluation dates.



• Note: A Senior candidate need only complete the Emergency Mgt. Senior component one time. In other words, a candidate who completes the Emergency Mgt. component but does not complete the skiing/snowboarding, toboggan-handling, or Nordic skiing/toboggan-transport component need not repeat the Emergency Mgt. component in the next effort to achieve Senior certification.

Alpine Ski/snowboarding & Toboggan-handling Senior Core Component:

As with the Emergency Mgt. Senior core component, before officially commencing training toward completion the Ski/snowboarding core component, a patroller should be formally enrolled in the Senior Program. A Basic patroller should not attempt self-training of toboggan-handling skills in Senior-level terrain while not under direct supervision of Senior trainers. As with Emergency Mgt., assisting your Patrol's Senior trainer(s) and observing a Region Senior Alpine precourse can be terrific ways to become acquainted with what is expected.

Once you are enrolled, the general steps to follow would be:

• Contact your Patrol's Senior trainer(s) and set up a training schedule.



• Sign up for and attend one or more of the Alpine ski/snowboarding Senior precourse instructional sessions.   Please note that Senior Alpine and Emer. Mgt. candidates are required to attend at least one precourse.



• When you feel ready, sign up for and attend an evaluation. See the Region calendar for the precourse and evaluation dates.

Nordic skiing, toboggan transport and belay, and extended nordic ski tour Senior Core Components:

As with the Emergency Mgt. Senior core component, before officially commencing training toward completion the Senior Nordic core components, a patroller should be formally enrolled in the Senior Program. As with Emergency Mgt., assisting your Patrol's Senior Nordic trainer(s) and observing a Senior Nordic workshop or evaluation can be terrific ways to become acquainted with what is expected.

Once you are enrolled, the general steps to follow would be:

• Contact your Patrol's Senior trainer(s) (or the Western Region Nordic Supervisor) and set up a training schedule.



• Sign up for and attend one or more of the Nordic Skiing Enhancement Seminars (SES) conducted at the Western Region Nordic Workshop and the Central Division Nordic Skiing Enhancement Seminar.



• When you feel ready, contact the Western Region Nordic Supervisor to arrange for an evaluation. See the Region calendar for the workshop and evaluation dates.

Senior Electives:

• Complete three Senior electives as outlined in Chapter 18 of the Ski Patroller’s Manual. Have fun with these interesting and very useful NSP educational programs. As mentioned earlier, the Senior electives may be completed prior to formally enrolling in the Senior Program.
  
  The Mountain Travel and Rescue II course is required for Senior Nordic. Two additional Senior electives are required.
  
  The Leadership Development Seminar (LDS) (formerly Patroller Enrichment Seminar) is required for Senior Auxiliary. Two additional Senior electives are required. (The LDS is classified as an elective for Senior Alpine or Senior Nordic.)

Wrapping Up:

• Obtain the Patrol Representative’s signature under Final Certification on the Activity Record for Senior Core and Elective Components, and request that your Patrol Representative file a Change of Status document on your behalf. Be sure to keep a copy of the completed Activity Record for Senior Core and Elective Components for your records. You should also retain the documents which provide proof of completion of your basic skills, written scenarios and practice scenarios for the Emergency Mgt. (OEC) Senior core component.

Congratulations, you've done it!

Finally, let me offer a disclaimer. This material has been posted with the best of intentions to be of help to you in your quest for the Senior certification. Hopefully, nothing presented here will disagree significantly with other information you already are receiving or will receive, regarding the NSP Senior Program. However, it is possible that your Senior trainer(s) or your Patrol may have different ways of doing things. If you are already working with a Senior trainer in your Patrol, Section, or somewhere else, and something stated here doesn't agree with what you have been told, you should be following their instructions.

Refer to the NSP Policies and Procedures for the most current components, electives, requirements, etc. relating to the Senior Program. Click here to access the NSP Policies and Procedures via the NSP On-line Member Services.

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