How to Report an Accident

If you see a serious accident occur on the hill, the F.I.S. code requires you to stop and assist if possible. Ensure that the emergency services are alerted. There are two main ways to do this, depending on the circumstances and location of the accident.

1. Phone the ski patrol. There should be an emergency number on the resort map, or you may see it at the base station of the resort. Popping it into your mobile phone is a good idea.
2. Ask someone else to ski/board down to the nearest lift station where the lift attendant can be alerted and they can contact the ski patrol.

What the ski patrol will want to know

1. The exact location of the incident - try and give as much information as possible. Many runs will have numbered lift markers nearby which are a great help. If you have a GPS, you can obviously give the exact coordinates.
2. The nature of the accident - what happened, any potential hazards
3. The number of casualties and an idea of the type of injuries (if possible). Let them know if children are involved. Finally, in particular, alert the ski patrol if there is a casualty who is unconscious, not breathing or who has head or spinal injuries.

Once the emergency service(s) have been alerted (i.e. the ski patrol), the priorities at any accident scene can be summarised as:

• SAFETY - consider yourself, the scene and the casualty (in that order)
• AIRWAY - with cervical spine control if necessary
• BREATHING - with provision of adequate ventilation
• CIRCULATION - with control of haemorrhage