Carrying Identification Can Help The Ski Patrol Help You.
Credit: Deer Valley
Accidents happen. And when they do, the ski patrol will likely be your savior. But the patrol needs your help. Here’s what you should have with you every time you ski or ride–just in case.
Carry identification. If you’re injured and can’t speak for yourself, the patrol will have to figure out who you are. Chris Erkkila, assistant ski patrol manager at Deer Valley resort in Utah, said: “We’re trained to look for ID and medical necklaces and bracelets.”
Emergency ID tags from Ecosperformance can be worn as bracelets, plastic tags or as stickers that can be applied to a helmet or even stuck on a phone.
Credit: Ecosperformance
EIDs store identification, emergency contact and important medical information. When the QR code on the EID is scanned by a Ski Patroller’s smartphone, a skier’s Emergency Profile appears. A seven-digit EID number that can be entered into Ecosperformance website is a backup.
Other times patrollers have to be Sherlock Holmes to find even the most basic information about you—your name. They’ll look for a season pass that carries your name or look for your driver’s license. Sometimes they have to search your cell phone for information. “Often skiers don’t know each other very well, but a ski companion can tell us that the phone is in his injured friend’s right pocket,'” he said.
Carry a list of medications. “Seniors typically take more medications than others,” he said. Based on your condition, it might be vital for the patrol to know what prescriptions you’re taking. Same goes for allergies to medications
“Be sure to carry this information every time you go skiing,” Erkkila said. “Very basic things help us the most.”
And one more thing.
If you’re part of an accident, stay and identify yourself. And then there’s another aspect of accidents, he said. Sometimes there’s a collision between several skiers. Erkkila pointed out that the local city’s ordinance requires you to stay on the scene and identify yourself. And, “We’re trying to educate the public about this,” he said. For those of us who are veteran skiers, staying on the scene after a collision seems to be common sense courtesy. But it’s also an official part of some resort areas’ regulations.
