Edmonton Zone to Host Division Competition at Marmot Basin!
Greetings Fellow Patrollers from Mountain Division with the CSPS:
Wow these are exciting times for Mountain Division and it’s members. We are delighted to share with you some changes and exciting news regarding the CSPS Mountain Division Annual First Aid and Toboggan Competition. You will truly be as excited as I am in reading the opportunities that are being supported by your division. These are exciting times and this presents fantastic opportunities to network and build new friendships with our National Ski Patrol friends south of the border. You need to read on!
The First Aid and Toboggan Competition will be hosted by Edmonton Zone at Marmot Basin Ski Area on Saturday March 10th, 2012 and I am asking for Mountain Division Zone Patrollers to consider sending teams for this amazing and extremely educational experience. Marmot Basin is located in Jasper, Alberta in one the greatest Canadian National Parks west of Edmonton approx. 4 hours drive from either Edmonton or Calgary areas.
New This Year:
There have been some changes in format, costs consideration (based on feedback received from past competitions) and all new this year – we are pleased to advise that the Mountain Division Executive Members have made the decision to support sending the winning team to represent Mountain Division at the National Ski Patrol First Aid Competition hosted at Copper Mountain in Colorado in April 2012 (winning criteria is based on team results that would represent Mountain Division at the NAC competition as noted in our manual posted on our website). The successful team will represent Mountain Division with the CSPS at the NSP Annual Education Conference held April 12th ˆ 14th, 2012. Full details of the criteria and competition to be confirmed shortly.
The Edmonton Zone is Turning 50!
Edmonton Zone is celebrating their 50th Anniversary and are looking at celebrating this milestone anniversary with their fellow patrollers from Mountain Division. Let’s show Edmonton Zone and their patrollers our support for their achievements and successes. The organizing committee has been working very hard with the plans for this celebration and I am certain we won‚t be disappointed in all of their efforts.
The Objective of the Competition:
The objective of this annual competition (which started in 1969!) is to encourage all of the zones in Mountain Division to continue to upgrade and enhance their first aid skills and toboggan handling. Every year the competition is held at various ski areas throughout the Division, including in 2002, Whitehorse in Yukon Territory.
Many, many, well know members of the patrol, from various zones within Mountain Division, have competed in these competitions and many members credit the competition for getting them more interested and involved in First Aid training and evaluating, on-snow training and evaluating, Zone executive, Division executive, National Management Teams.
There are 2 sections:
1) First Aid Competition: with accident simulation including make-up to assist the victims in their role play and to make the scenario as realistic as possible. The first aid teams shoule be able to demonstrate the following:
- good accident scene approach
- good display of triage
- team leadership
- team work
- full and complete examination of the victim (s) proper first aid treatment
- continuous monitoring
- must be completed within time constraints
- appropriate loading and positioning of the victim
- appropriate descent with the toboggan from the accident site
2) Toboggan Competition: all 3 team members will be involved in handling a weighted toboggan (not with a person, but with sandbags, approx 60kg) through a giant slalom type course. The object is to ski through each and every gate, without knocking a gate over with either themselves or with the toboggan. The winning team is the fastest team after any necessary penalty deductions. This part of the competition is separate from the F Aid Competition and not mandatory. If there are teams who do not wish to participate in the race, they are not penalized for not participating. This is a fun race (controlled, timed descent, through the slalom course, with loaded toboggan).
There are 3 categories that a team can compete in:
1) Open: any team which could include patrollers from out of Mountain Division, paid patrollers or teams with more than one CSPS training personnel
2) Mountain: this team MUST include a CSPS first year patroller and may include no more than ONE CSPS training personnel
3) Rookie: this team MUST be made up of 3 CSPS patrollers who have NEVER competed in a Divsion First Aid competition – this team CANNOT include CSPS training personnel. Also , years in the CSPS may be NO LONGER than 3 years.
Every 3 years the winning team from Mountain Division is sent to the National Annual Conference with financial support from Mountain Division. In 2011 the team from Marmot Basin in Edmonton Zone representing Mountain Division attended the NAC competition. The team representing Mountain Division from Edmonton Zone were successful in achieving good results in the scenario as they demonstrated great teamwork, strong skills, and camaraderie while competing at a National level.
Our zones within Mountain Division has historically had great success at these competitions (ask Calgary, Yukon, Southern AB, Peace Zone, Edmonton, Pembina, Palliser, Drayton Valley, Watson Lake, Red Deer, or ask some of your zone members who have participated in the competition how much fun they had at competition after competition) and I am really encouraging any of you who may be interested to contact your Zone President, Patrol Leader or Education Officer ASAP – all of your costs, travel, accomodation, meals during the event are covered by your zone or division. As promised to our management team the competition liaison was asked to keep costs low in order to encourage zones and patrollers with limited budgets to have the opportunity to participate. I am pleased to advise that we have been successful in achieving this goal. Accommodations have been secured for a good price ($76.00 per night) and registration has been kept at a cost recovery level.
We would like to hear from interested members as soon as possible. Your zone will be responsible in sending in team registrations, making room bookings, and arrangements for teams to organize their equipment requirements and training support if needed. Teams can coordinate their travel arrangements (we strongly suggest car pooling to help keep costs reasonable).
This is a great opportunity to come out and meet other members of the CSPS within Mountain Division, make new friends, build your skills and of course there is that competitive spirit that lives amongst us all.
Registration form and competition guidelines are posted on CSPS Mountain Division Website at the link below.
www.mountaindivision.ca/competition
You will find registration forms, competition information and competition resources that would be helpful for teams to prepare for the event. Past results are also posted on the website for those who are interested in viewing these results.
Questions?
Thanks everyone – if you have any questions – please do not hesitate to contact your Zone President, Patrol Leader, Zone Education Officer or myself (Mountain Division Competition Liaison Coordinator).
I look forward to hearing from you and of course seeing huge zone representation and presence, at the Mountain Division Competition.
Regards
Louise Charron
Scott Young has written 50 articles on this blog.
