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Joining Patrol - The French way

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Idris

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Update. I know that France is the land of bureaucracy, I've lived here for 20 years and I have everything bar a French passport (future work in progress). But today we went over just the basic stuff for a ski resort, it's a wonder ANYTHING is allowed to function, there is a rule for everything! Although one interesting one, the Mayor of the community who is an elected politician, is Ultimatley responsible for safety and CAN go to jail when things go south! BUT suing isn't realy a thing here because if you do your I's and cross your T's and then plain and simple just fuck up by accident, your arse is covered and there will be no court case.
 

Après Skier

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Very interesting. Thank you for bringing us along on your journey. Comme on dit en français, Bon courage !
 
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Nobody

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Update. I know that France is the land of bureaucracy, I've lived here for 20 years and I have everything bar a French passport (future work in progress). But today we went over just the basic stuff for a ski resort, it's a wonder ANYTHING is allowed to function, there is a rule for everything! Although one interesting one, the Mayor of the community who is an elected politician, is Ultimatley responsible for safety and CAN go to jail when things go south! BUT suing isn't realy a thing here because if you do your I's and cross your T's and then plain and simple just fuck up by accident, your arse is covered and there will be no court case.
Welcome! Italy isn't any different. As an example a town mayor can order a ban (for a definite perido of time) on off-piste activities if and when it sees fit.
 
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Idris

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Survived the first week and my first written exam in French (my first aid courses all had practical exams).
I now have a CGMM BPS 1ere Degre (yes the french system loves its achronisms).
Onto next week, still (mostly) indoors but with more practical stuff, or so we have been prommised.
 
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Idris

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Comming to the end of week 2. A few things that may be different in other parts of the world.
There are quite specific about the difference between simple (knee, ankle, lower leg, forearm, wrist, elbow, ilness, shoulder (without deformation) none with serious pain/swelling) and serious rescues, all of which need medical intervention and or extraction, which means doctor and or helicopter. We are somewhat spoiled in that all the alpine departments have 2 or more medical helicopters and normaly 3 or more private ones that can also be called in.
Official text says simple needs 2 and serious requires 4-5 patrolers, but also our instructors are explaining that post exam reality is 1 and 3, but hitting the help/panic/advice (we have a sysytem in place to ask for direct medical advice) button is still set at the same level.
We did a whole day of psychology - what clients/management/patrol wants for their perspective, what definds a persons perspetive and dealing with emergency situations form a patroler and from a patient standpoint and the conflict advoidance/mitigation.
I think our day with an emergency room doctor giving us his view of our world (he is one of the mountain specialists that jumps in a heli and comes to help) should be familiar to alt least some others?
Now we are getting into Avie procedures, Beacons etc.....but for many, because of their background/age is quite unfamailiar ground.....luck for me I have tought this stuff, just not in French.
 

Rod9301

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Generally speaking (for Italy), yes, one can.
Either as an employee to one of the resort ski schools (which are not part nor usually associated to the "resort" aka the lift company) or as an indipendent. The only requirement is to be (legally) certified. A "small" caveat, one needs also be affiliated with the region of choice Ski Instructor's Council, and then will only be allowed to teach only in that regon. Despite the title being nationwide valid, to move from one region to another, it requires a bit of bueraucratic work As for patrolling...In Italy patrolling, either inbound or outbound is done by the army (mountain troops - the "Alpini") or law enforcement mountain branches (Police, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza). Outbound is also done by the CNAS (Corpo Nazionale Alpino e Spelologico - Alpine and "Cave" National Corp, its members are mostly Alpine guides, on a volunteer basis). Inbound some volunteer organizations are also starting to appear (as Idris explain, one need to pass the basic "first responder" volunteer coursee, 80 hours on first aid, procedures and standards, then the real patroller course starts)
Yes, same everywhere in Europe.
And because the resort doesn't have s monopoly on teaching, prices are a lot lower.
In my resort in France, a private hour is 45 euros and the instructor keeps 40 euros.
 
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Idris

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Well I've survived another week. Mosty set piece first aid cases, some minor and most major and each had a few goes at being team leader.
Had a breakthrough yesterday, finaly figured out how I (everybody else is french and more importantly french educated) am going to handle radio calls, especially the "billand de secourus" or what everyine else might call case/patient details, this is VERY important, because its based on this you get your heli or not. I can't think what to say, calculate and then speak to someone in french all at the same time. But I can write it out longhand and then just read it!

I thought I'd go through most of our kit as it is standardized accross France in all most tipes of rescue service (of course we have some patrol specific stuff.

Patrol pack - Shovel Probe and prety basic but large pieces first aid kit, radio (but ski area specific)

Sledge either a uni directional on person rig like this. "Traineau"

alpy300.jpg


Or a doubble ender 2 person rig like this "Barquette"

View attachment 116771
For almost all imobilisations a large vaccum mat. Along with arm sized one and a leg sized one.
We also have some "aluform" arm splints that work a bit like a sam splint and some shoulder sling/wrap sets with lots of velcro that do the same job as triangular bandages.
Backboards with head block and KED's for extracting people form difficult corners.
One and two piece (come in a range of sizes and are way easire to put on people) neck imobilising collars.
A oxy bag, that comes with an oxy bottle and all the mask bits you need, a manual ventalator, Airwway opening device (sorry don't know the name) mucuse vac pump, Blood preasure machine, oxy saturaton meter (goes on the end of a finger), glucose meter and needles.
I'll add stuff to the list as I remember it, but this is it so far.
Week ended with beacon practice.....some people are rather green and I am NOT taking them touring.
 
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Idris

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Yesterday I had my final exam - I passed.

PisteurSecuriste.jpg


Graduating class

WhatsApp Image 2020-12-11 at 16.14.23.jpeg


(More training info to follow) Our final exam was over 2 days, 1 practical, 1 theory.

Day one Beacon search, area 100m by 80, 2 beacons, 10 points if you get under 3min20, progesively less after that (I was under 2 min).
Sled decent of 200m vert with single ender with brakes, Sled decent with double ender no brakes 400m+ vert, stop n swap ends part way down. Max 20 points each
Simple first aid case (suspected broken humerus in my case) 10 points
Complex first aid case + extraction (Severe lumbar pain, lower limb paralysis on uneven ground is what I got) 40 points
Day 2
3 questions, Snow, Weather, Legalities, 10 min to prepare 10 min or so to answer (verbaly), some were grilled for 20 min...6 for me.
The jury were a mix of Ski Patrol instructors, First aid instructors, Mountain Specialist doctors, heads of Patrol, City administrators, PGHM (Mountain arm of the police), CRS (normaly know for thir SWAT style teams but also do mountain rescue). I got 90.5 out of 120 which puts me squarely in the middle of the pack, max score was 105 and 3 failed, 1 only just on the points and the other 2 for first ad responses that would probably have killed somone.
 
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Idris

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We had a half day of major avalanche exersize along with a do team, a couple of mountain doctors and a few others, Basicaly how our skils fit into working as a big team. Beacons first + Recco, then dogs then probe line. Dig teams and doctors to elp with extraction. Team leader, secratary and radio control to keep it all orgonised. Idea to go from aleart to everyone found in under 5 min and everyone evacuated in 30. We were not that quick but we understood how it could be done.
WhatsApp Image 2020-12-15 at 13.59.54.jpeg


Recco, I played with one of those 10 kg huge board things 20 or so years ago, this is the current one. Works about as well as a beacon of 25 years ago - analoge and 20m max range BUT it works without the victim wearing a beacon, so good for finding idiots....sometimes dead idiots.

WhatsApp Image 2020-12-14 at 12.04.49.jpeg


Brand new rescue sleds vs low tide off piste + rough traineeies. Luckily I know a thing or 2 about fiberglass repair - took me best part of a wekend to fix, they all go bashed up again next day, but only one got properly destroyed.

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Almost without exeception every serious case gets extracted in a vaccum matteres, this was one of our early attempts outside...I France an unconicious victim gets put in a Vac mat in the recovery positon, then if no medical evac available (weather, major road acident/other disaster) put in a doubble ender and carted down the hill.

WhatsApp Image 2020-12-11 at 18.10.41.jpeg
 

Big J

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Nice to follow your journey! This test is very hard without a race background. I am French and to be honest I was surprised when I moved in US to know that you could be volunteer patroller even in resort owned by big companies like vail. I won’t talk about skills but Is there any benefit other than vail gratitude? I mean patrolling is nice but are people ok to work for free for a company that is making a lot of money.

Along the same line I have been astonished to see people here asking for ski gear recommendation because they will teach ski and were snowboarder their all life. I get that they will be assign to kids but still... In France you have to be at least at the selection level the op reached to have the ski instructor jacket.
I was Pro Patrol Garmisch Germany and volunteer at Keystone. For me I would much rather buy a seasons pass and ski when and where I like.
 

Nobody

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...snip...
Along the same line I have been astonished to see people here asking for ski gear recommendation because they will teach ski and were snowboarder their all life. I get that they will be assign to kids but still... In France you have to be at least at the selection level the op reached to have the ski instructor jacket.
I think this has been discussed over in the ski instruction area, but it's worth to explore more, I would suggest to open an ad-hoc thread...but the jist of it is...France (and Italy, for that matter; with the exception of Alto Adige/South Tirol) have a one off level, either one is a ski instructor, or is not. Other countries use a multi level approach , USA, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia just to name a few.
There is merit in both, I personally favour the multi level philosophy...because, for once it offers more flexibility in one's journey (or quest) to become a ski instructor (fully certified, I mean), both in learning, financial and time to invest aspects, not to mention that in-between one can teach and so gain direct experience at it.
 

Flo

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I think this has been discussed over in the ski instruction area, but it's worth to explore more, I would suggest to open an ad-hoc thread...but the jist of it is...France (and Italy, for that matter; with the exception of Alto Adige/South Tirol) have a one off level, either one is a ski instructor, or is not. Other countries use a multi level approach , USA, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia just to name a few.
There is merit in both, I personally favour the multi level philosophy...because, for once it offers more flexibility in one's journey (or quest) to become a ski instructor (fully certified, I mean), both in learning, financial and time to invest aspects, not to mention that in-between one can teach and so gain direct experience at it.
I see French system are a way to keep the instructor jobs for locals. The way the tests are designed, it's very hard to become instructor if you did not grew up skiing, have a racing background.... I know some who succeeded without all that but they had to live almost 2 years with close to no income, pay some trainings... I don't say one or another is bad.
 

Nobody

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I see French system are a way to keep the instructor jobs for locals. The way the tests are designed, it's very hard to become instructor if you did not grew up skiing, have a racing background.... I know some who succeeded without all that but they had to live almost 2 years with close to no income, pay some trainings... I don't say one or another is bad.
Me neither. Given my age and background, I merely expressed my preference for a multi level certification approach exactly for that reason, the time needed to reach a full certification level (and the possibility to officially teach abroad) is similar (same amount of education hours , as agreed at international level between instructors' associations) but one can
a) start working almost immediately after the first level, and get some (albeit limited) income out of the profession (or continue to work at his/her own primary job)
b)continue to train
c) progressively "learn the trade"
d)dilute the expenses needed
Whereas in the "one shot" programme, one needs to be either young and possibly an ex racer ,or have a lot of time available (roughly two whole seasons to dedicate to the programme and training, not to mention previous preparations) and a pile of €/$ ready from the beginnnig to invest in the programme and to live (survive)

As for "to keep the instructor jobs for locals"....
Again we are derailing @Idris thread about his journey as a Patroller, I'd rather stop here my post on the subject of becoming a ski instructor and again

Congratulate him for the certification reached!
 
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James

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I won’t talk about skills but Is there any benefit other than vail gratitude? I mean patrolling is nice but are people ok to work for free for a company that is making a lot of money.
Mostly free passes for dependents and spouse. Discounts on somethings like ski gear.
I suspect there’s far more patrollers/acre in the US than in Switzerland at least. Or per # of people skiing. But, would be interesting to know.
 
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