By Tom Carr, VP Patrol Operations (tom.carr@skipatrol.ca)
There are always a number of questions asked about the various insurance policies carried by the Canadian Ski Patrol. Here is some basic information about them.
The CSP carries two insurance policies that cover patrollers: general liability, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
The general liability policy covers the CSP and its members should someone sue the CSP or a member. The national office pays for this policy and the cost is not reflected in membership fees as a separate item. As a regular, life or associate member you are covered by this policy any time you are acting on behalf of the CSP, including at fundraisers such as swaps, meetings and non-skiing events. When a zone participates in an event other than regular patrolling, the zone should be requesting an insurance certificate from Gougeon (our carrier) and from the event organizers. There is no cost for this, nor does it impact our insurance, as it is included. The practice in the insurance business is to use insurance certificates to keep a record of events and include information to ensure our coverage for all events. The only time a patroller may not be covered by the general liability policy would be if they were found grossly negligent, hence why we are so detailed and demanding in our training and procedures. Follow the manuals and the training we provide; that protects all of us.
The accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) policy is the one that is the least understood. It is a large, low-cost group policy that divisions opt into. Currently the cost per member per year is between $5 and $6. Fees to pay the policy are paid by each zone on top of registration fees based on the zone’s prior year membership numbers. The policy is posted in the members’ section of the CSP web site. It covers a range of medical benefits and has a $400 weekly lost wage supplement. It is important to note that prior to receiving any benefits from the AD&D policy you must have used 100 per cent of your personal or work insurance or not have any personal insurance.
All insurance claims must be made through Renee Thivierge at the national office. More information on CSP insurance policies is on the national website in the members section, including a question and answer section and the full AD&D policy for reference. If you do not find the information you need, please contact VP Patrol Operations Tom Carr at tom.carr@skipatrol.ca.