Interested in joining the Canadian Ski Patrol?
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What we’re all about
The Canadian Ski Patrol (CSP) is a premier safety and first aid organization serving outdoor sports and recreation across Canada. We are a not-for-profit, volunteer-based organization whose primary goal is to promote safety and injury prevention, and to provide the highest possible standards of education, certification and delivery of first aid services.
CSP Gatineau is the third largest Zone in Canada, with over 350 patrollers who serve our local sports Areas in the National Capital Region, the Outaouais, and the Ottawa Valley. Our dedicated team of volunteers is highly trained in advanced first aid procedures, which ensures that the public can enjoy winter sports safely and with confidence, knowing that our volunteers are there to help when the need arises. While we remain an organization that services winter sports at Areas in the region, we provide other first aid services. Our patrollers take pride in volunteering within local communities over the spring, summer, and fall months. We provide quality first aid services for a variety of events including concerts, festivals, charity events, marathons, and many different types of sporting events.
What we get out of it
Every Area we service is different, but all offer fair exchange for your services in the form of a free lift ticket or season’s pass. The yearly commitment is typically 12-15 shifts at an Area. Most patrollers are assigned to the Area of their choice. However, due to capacity concerns, we may assign patrollers to a neighbouring area. We do our best to accommodate special considerations, such as family members in ski lessons.
All patrollers from the CSP Gatineau, regardless of where they patrol during the winter are invited to be part of events that occur year round. This is a benefit to the Zone, our Areas, and provides important services to our community. Providing first aid services at various events is a way for the Zone and Areas to generate revenue, which enables us to purchase essential equipment and supplies. Special events are also a benefit to our patrollers: they give us an opportunity to practice and keep our skills fresh over the non-winter months.
There are several other benefits to being part of the CSP, including discounts on outdoor brands and from local ski shops. The leadership skills and sense of community you’ll gain as member of the Canadian Ski Patrol will be invaluable on and off duty.
Training
From the moment you join the Canadian Ski Patrol, you’ll be volunteering, learning, and skiing in a team environment. Our Advanced First Aid course (+/-70 hours, both online and in-class) will give you unparalleled training in managing and treating injuries. This training includes Healthcare Provider (HCP, also called BLS) level CPR. You’ll be learning from other patrollers, who will provide advice and insight into the realities of administering first aid. We run Advanced First Aid (AFA) courses every year, in the fall and in the spring. Once the snow begins to fall, you will also learn to safely move injured winter sports enthusiasts from an accident site to the end of a trail or the bottom of a hill.
Some of our Areas offer the On-Snow Rescue First (OSRF) Program that gets recruits on the hill with the patrol, where they start training with toboggans and get familiar with patrol activities, before they complete the Advanced First Aid course. The OSRF Program is a great option for those who want to get a taste for the patrol and begin training in the winter months.
Requirements
The only requirements to be a patroller are that you must be 18 years or older and you have to be comfortable on skis, telemark, or a snowboard (intermediate level).
Cost
It costs $250 for your first year of patrolling. This includes the Advanced First Aid course, the manual for the course, your first aid kit (provided on the first day of the course), and supplies. After your first year, the annual fee is $200 and you receive a discount for every special event shift you complete. Some returning patrollers pay $0 in annual fees!