The National Ski Patrol Southern California Region

The annual Southern California NSP Awards Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 2008, at the Kellogg West Center, on the Cal Poly Pomona Campus.

This year is a special year as we are honoring our fallen comrades.  The theme for this year’s banquet is “A Celebration of Life” in honor of the patrollers that have passed away this year and to celebrate the life they lived.

We are looking for a great turn-out this year, so please don’t delay purchasing your ticket. For those of you who would like to extend the celebration, overnight accommodations may be reserved at the nearby Shilo Hotel (909) 598-0073

Music will be provided by the infamous Dr. DJ Waller. Email your song requests and suggestions to skipatrol@gptag.mobi

Tickets are available via PayPal for $41.50 or by check payable to “So Cal NSP” in the amount of $40. Mail your checks to: Gil Estrada 2206 W. Silver Tree Rd. Claremont, CA 91711.

Order tickets by visiting the 2008 Banquet page.

We are in need of raffle and door prizes. We also need 25 ski boots to be used as table decorations and pictures of patrollers at work and at play. If you can help with any of the above, contact Jeff Pierce at pierce_group@msn.com.

More info to follow.

The annual Southern California NSP Awards Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 2008, at the Kellogg West Center, on the Cal Poly Pomona Campus.

Baldy is in the running for Patrol of the Year, so a big showing from our hill would be great. And besides that, we are one of the hosts this year and it’s a great, fun event! So plan to come.

Tickets will be going on sale soon, and additional information will be forthcoming. available shortly.

Please help us: We need of photos of patrollers at work and at play as well as and door and raffle prizes.

New patrol candidates wanting to get a jump on next season should sign up now for Outdoor Emergency Care course. We’re launching a new “gas efficient” format for the OEC class: participants will participate in web/phone conferences (lectures) and then receive hands on training at training at satellite locations based on student density. We fee this will be easier on both sutdents and instructors. Best of all, we’ll be visiting a couple of resorts on weekends for additional “on hill” training.

Regardless if you have any previous first aid training, this non-urban training program will provide the skill set required for emergency situations in the recreation community.

Today, OEC is considered the standard of training for emergency care in the outdoor environment and is recognized by resorts and recreational facilities in all 50 states. It’s application extends beyond skiing and snowboarding, to wilderness medical technicians, river rafting and mountaineering guides, members of search and rescue groups, mountain bike patrollers, and parks and recreation employees.

Course start date is Wednesday, May 7. All interested patrol candidates should sign up as soon as possible so training locations can be finalized. Pre-admission is required so instructors can order materials for you. Class registration, facilities fees and materials cost will be $150.00.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Denise deVines at denisedevines@aol.com, 714-840-4133; or Ivan Eason at ivaneason@aol.com.

Most medical professional wishing to join patrol, may qualify to take the abreviatedl Outdoor Emergency Challenge Course (versus a full course). Course date, times and location will be determined on number of sign ups. Special note to any Paid Patrollers who do NOT yet have their OEC cert, this is time to get it — especially if you are considering transferring to a major destination resort in the future.

Challenge prerequisite include: Current license in medicine (MD, DO, nurse, or physician assistant); any level of EMT or paramedic in accordance with US DOT curriculum; previous OEC certification, provided the expired OEC certification date has not exceeded three years; or other certifications as approved by the national education director, based upon and after submission and review of appropriate curriculum materials.

Initial class cost is $30 to $50, depending on location fees. You will also need to purchase the OEC Manual ($49.50) and Workbook ($24.50); the instructor will order materials for you.

To master the objectives, a candidate typically needs to devote 80 to 100 hours of class and study time to the course. Total class hours vary with the candidate’s emergency care background, specialty, and experience.

Anyone interesting in a Challenge Course should contact Denise deVines, OEC Regional Advisor at denisedevines@aol.com, 714-840-4133; or Frank DeLeo, OEC Regional Co-Advisor at frank.deleo2@verizon.net.

By JUDI BOWERS
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 11:08 AM PST
Reprinted from the BigBearGrizzly.net

The red building is the existing Ski Patrol bump shack at Snow Summit Mountain Resort. Behind the shack, the brown building is the new Jay Otto Patrol Station under construction. The new patrol building is being built in honor of long time National Ski Patrolman Jay Otto who died in March 2007.

Jay Otto loved life. He loved skiing, his wife, his kids and his family. He loved the ski patrol and Snow Summit and the patrollers he worked with.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get to love them long enough.

Otto died in March 2007 at the age of 37 from melanoma. But his memory will live forever at Snow Summit Mountain Resort.

Otto was barely able to walk when he started skiing. When he turned 15 he became a junior ski patroller at Snow Summit. He worked along side his father, Jim, who joined the all-volunteer National Ski Patrol force at Snow Summit in 1969, the year Jay was born. Father and son worked every season together until Jay’s battle with melanoma took his life.

The Ottos, along with every ski patroller at Snow Summit, paid and volunteer, work from what’s called the bump shack. It’s at the top of Snow Summit near the View Haus. It’s small, about 600 square feet.

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