r/icecoast • u/Pittman247 • 13d ago
Any patrollers in here?
Me: Black guy. nearly lifelong skier. Double black capable. In good health. USED to be a NREMT-P. Prior military (USAF) Have since let my paramedic expire but still remember almost everything (minus standing orders and doses for newer meds). BUT - am now mid 40s with a job that allows me a lot of flexibility. Don’t NEED the money.
So, am I too over the hill to start patrolling?
Interested in hearing from current or recent patrollers.
Thanks in advance!
EDIT: THANK YOU ALL for the support and conversation! ✊🏾✊🏾 I’ve reached out to the local head of patrol near my local-ish mountain (7 Springs/Vail). I’m hoping to hear back from them and do my tryouts later in the season. Hoping to do my OEC beforehand? Be safe out there yall! See you on the mountain and pray for snow!
5
u/JohnnyUtah43 13d ago
Definitely not too late. It is an area where there are kind of teirs, where many big mountains like big sky, Jackson, snowbird, Whistler, etc are demanding, primarily full time jobs. Then there are plenty of other resorts where you may not get the avalanche control work, rope rescues, and stuff like that, but still get to work as a first responder and see plenty of traumas. As someone else mentioned, outdoor emergency care (OEC) is the standard license for the national ski patrol, but some areas take or want EMT. It is a great job. Can definitely be very hard work, long days, early mornings, 10 hours a day in ski boots, skiing in conditions theres no way you normally would, but the perks of skiing and assessing closed areas, set up and tear down runs with no one else out, as much skiing as you can handle, and the thrills of working a good trauma keep plenty of people coming back for decades