Frequently Asked Questions

All new patrollers must successfully complete the Canadian Ski Patrol recruit course. This ensures that we all follow the same procedures and is required for insurance purposes. However, some medical professionals may be permitted to take a special condensed course with approval from CSP Gatineau vice-president of education (Education.Gatineau@SkiPatrol.ca).

If you completed the course more than two years ago without completing the Canadian Ski Patrol annual recertification, you must successfully complete the recruit course again.

You are allowed to take a re-test of the exams; however, the passing mark is increased. The training can be overwhelming, but if you put in the effort to learn the material and study, the instructors will assist you. All new members must successfully pass all exams prior to the on-snow training. We do not offer refunds for unsuccessful participants.

There are four components to the first aid exams. All of these exams must be successfully completed before proceeding to the on-snow training.

• Written Exam: An 80 question, multiple choice, exam on the Canadian Ski Patrol First Aid manual content.
• CPR/AED Exam: A 20-question multiple choice exam.
• Diagnostic Exam: A real-time evaluation of your patient assessment skills, diagnosis of the problem and how you would treat the patient.
• Skills: A series of practical assessments of your first aid skills (splinting, bandaging, etc.).

We understand that we are all volunteers, we have busy schedules and circumstances can change. Absences from the classroom sessions are evaluated on a case by case basis and require approval from the PCS Gatineau Vice-President of Education (see Contacts). Please send an email outlining the dates you will not be able to attend.

You can register yourself through another certified provider for a CPR course that fits your schedule; however you will be responsible to cover this cost. You must take the Basic Life Saving (BLS, formerly Healthcare Provider or HCP) level and the certificate must be valid until May of the upcoming winter season. You must also provide a copy of your certificate to the VP of Education (see Contacts).

If you already have a valid BLS level CPR certification that is valid until the end of the upcoming  season, you can provide a copy to the VP of Education (see Contacts) and miss this day of the recruit course. Note that patrollers must requalify their CPR annually (even if their external CPR certification is valid for longer than 1 year).

Qualified on-snow instructors will evaluate your skiing, telemarking, snowboarding, or nordic skiing level and provide toboggan handling exercises and training. This training typically takes a few days to complete and is organized at each Area in December and January.

We try our best to accommodate requests from recruits who wish to patrol at a specific Area and take into consideration specific situations. However, sometimes it is necessary to assign recruits to their second choice in order to maintain patrol staffing numbers at each Area. Each Area is unique and has its own benefits, and it is important to select one that works the best for you. There will be opportunities during the recruit course to speak with Patrol Leaders to get a better idea of what it is like to patrol at their Area. CSP Gatineau Areas include Camp Fortune, Sommet Edelweiss, Mont-Cascades, Mont Chilly, Mont Ste-Marie, Mount Martin, Mount Pakenham, Nakkertok Nordic, and Centre Vorlage.

An online scheduling system is used. Since the schedule pattern varies by Area, we encourage you to talk to the Patrol Leaders before deciding at which Area you want to patrol. At some Areas you might patrol Saturday and Sunday every second weekend; at others you might patrol every Saturday or every Sunday; at others the schedule might be more flexible.

Shifts during the week (Monday-Friday) or in the evenings (where there is night skiing) are filled by paid patrollers. These patrollers are typically members of the CSP who are hired by the Area. Most Areas hire paid patrollers who have at least one year’s experience.

Each Area has different benefits and may offer lift tickets or a season’s pass to their patrollers. During patrol shifts, you get to enjoy the Area without purchasing a lift ticket. There are also added benefits such as discounts on equipment or prioritized tuning services.

A patrol jacket, waist pack, and basic first aid supplies are provided for recruits choosing to patrol at a ski area within the Gatineau Zone. Recruits need to supply their own black snow pants and ski/snowboard equipment. Some alpine Areas will require patrollers to wear a helmet (preferably black).

Is the patrol welcoming to families?

Patrollers and their families are welcome in our patrol huts. We offer many opportunities to socialize in the patrol including pot luck dinners, chili cook-offs and game nights. Young and old, we always have fun together!

What are these Special Events I hear about?

As a recognized emergency first response group, we also use our first aid skills for many special (non-skiing) events throughout the year.  These include events at TD place including the Ottawa Charge (PWHL), Redblacks Football, Atletico Soccer, Ottawa Rapid (women’s soccer), BlackJacks Basketball, as well as all concerts and comedy shows.

We also cover first aid response for larger sporting events such as the Tamarak Ottawa Race Weekend, Ottawa Ironman, CN Cycle for CHEO, Canada Army Run, and for many musical events such as Bluesfest, Escapade, City Folk Festival, and Nostalgia Festival. So if you would like, you can be busy patrolling all year round.