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Senior Program

The Senior Program is designed for NSP members who aspire to the upper levels of skiing/snowboarding and outdoor emergency care proficiency. It provides a forum in which patrollers can enhance personal skiing/snowboarding and toboggan-handling proficiency, improve their ability to manage OEC scenarios, and expand their patrolling knowledge and skills. The Senior Program is also excellent preparation for patrollers looking to move into leadership roles in the NSP.

The Senior Program consists of core and elective requirements that must be completed within three years of entering the Senior Program. It is designed for alpine, Nordic, and auxiliary patrollers, with variations for each discipline.

Training is an essential part of the program. Senior candidates are expected to spend a significant amount of time reviewing senior criteria and using the required knowledge and skills to practice scenarios on challenging, senior-level terrain under various conditions in the patrolling environment. Senior candidates can also take advantage of clinics in which they receive constructive and corrective feedback on their performance.

Training varies throughout the system, depending on the resources of time, personnel, locations, and equipment, but its purpose is the same in all divisions: to provide suggestions for improvement, an understanding of the required level of performance, and increased awareness of advanced patroller skills.

SENIOR CORE MODULES

SENIOR OEC

 

SENIOR ALPINE CORE MODULES

  • Alpine Skiing/Snowboarding
  • Alpine Toboggan Handling

 

SENIOR NORDIC CORE MODULES

  • Nordic Skiing
  • Nordic Extended Ski Tour
  • Nordic Toboggan Transport and Belay

 

SENIOR PATROLLER CORE MODULE

  • Patroller Enrichment Seminar

 

SENIOR ELECTIVES

Each division has the option to require one of the following electives for its members. These electives represent the approved education* and leadership** credentials.

  • Instructor Development, Phase 1*
  • Instructor Development, Phase 2*
  • Basic Mountaineering*
  • Advanced Mountaineering*
  • Introduction to Avalanche Safety and Rescue*
  • Standard Level 1 Avalanche*
  • Level 1 Avalanche for Rescue Personnel*
  • Level 2 Avalanche for Rescue Personnel*
  • Patroller Enrichment Seminar**
  • NSP Instructor Certification (any discipline)**
  • NSP Instructor Trainer Appointment (any discipline)**
  • American Heart Association Basic Life Support CPR instructor or instructor trainer (documentation required)**
  • American Red Cross BLS CPR instructor or instructor trainer (documentation required)**
  • Equivalent education programs or division-option elective (submitted in advance through an NSP board-approved application process with review by the National Education Committee).

Senior Alpine

Prerequisites:

  • NSP membership status - patroller (alpine)
  • Patrol director's recommendation
  • Senior Candidate Application

Time Commitment:

  • Each core component includes local and division training clinics
  • Evaluation clinics - time commitment varies by division

Fees:

  • National - None
  • Division - Varies
  • Cost of Materials

Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement

Continuing Education/Refresher Requirement:

  • Varies with component. (A patroller who does not complete the continuing education requirements for alpine ski and toboggan must retake those core components to regain senior status. The Senior OEC component need only be completed one time, but as part of NSP membership, OEC is refreshed on an annual basis.)
  • Completion of an on-the-hill/trail refresher at the senior-performance level on a senior-rated hill once every three years. Senior alpine skiing/snowboarding and toboggan handling skills recertification (administered within the division).

Instructor of Record:

  • NSP division-trained senior instructors
  • Division-trained senior evaluators

Required Text: The Ski Patroller's Manual, 14th edition

Core and Elective Requirements Recertification
Alpine skiing/snowboarding Continuing education review once every three years
Toboggan handling Continuing education review once every three years
Senior OEC Satisfied by completing annual OEC refreshers
Three electives from senior elective list Not required to maintain senior status

 

Senior Nordic

Prerequisites:

  • NSP membership status - patroller (Nordic)
  • Patrol director's recommendation
  • Senior Candidate Application

Time Commitment:

  • Each core component includes local and division training clinics
  • Evaluation clinics - time commitment varies by division

Fees:

  • National - None
  • Division - Varies
  • Cost of Materials

Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement

Continuing Education/Refresher Requirement:

  • Varies with component. (A patroller who does not complete the continuing education requirements for Nordic ski and toboggan must retake those core components to regain senior status. The Senior OEC component need only be completed one time, but as part of NSP membership, OEC is refreshed on an annual basis.)
  • Completion of an on-the-hill/trail refresher at the senior-performance level on a senior-rated hill once every three years. Senior Nordic skiing/snowboarding and toboggan handling skills recertification (administered within the division).

Instructor of Record:  

  • NSP division-trained senior instructors
  • Division-trained senior evaluators

Required Text: The Ski Patroller's Manual, 14th edition

Core and Elective Requirements Recertification
Nordic skiing Continuing education review once every three years
Toboggan transport and belay Continuing education review once every three years
Extended Nordic ski tour Continuing education review once every three years
Senior OEC Satisfied by completing annual OEC refreshers
Advanced Mountaineering Course Not required to maintain senior status
Two electives from senior elective list Not required to maintain senior status

 

Senior Patroller

Prerequisites:

  • NSP membership status - patroller (auxiliary)
  • Patrol director's recommendation
  • Senior Candidate Application

Time Commitment:

  • Each core component includes local and division training clinics
  • Evaluation clinics - time commitment varies by division

Fees:

  • National - None
  • Division - Varies
  • Cost of Materials

Credential: NSP Certificate of Achievement

Continuing Education/Refresher Requirement:

  • Varies with component. (The Senior OEC component need only be completed one time, but as part of NSP membership, OEC is refreshed on an annual basis.)

Instructor of Record:

  • NSP division-trained senior instructors
  • Division-trained senior evaluators

Required Text: The Ski Patroller's Manual, 14th edition

Core and Elective Requirements Recertification
Patroller Enrichment Seminar Continuing education review once every three years (satisfied by fulfilling one of the following requirements):
  • Hold a leadership position.
  • Complete an additional senior elective.
  • Complete a special project (approved and documented by division leadership supervisor).
  • Retake PES.
One education course or one leadership course from senior elective list Not required to maintain senior status
Senior OEC Satisfied by completing annual OEC refreshers
Three additional electives from senior elective list Not required to maintain senior status

 

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