Fédération
Internationale des Patrouilles de Ski
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Members Ski Patrols and other alpine rescue organisations are able to share their experiences and knowledge through FIPS. Since the formation in 1979, new members have progressively joined. The most recent national country members are Finland and Russia. You can click on the logo to go to the patrol website.   Argentina.
The Asociación Argentina de Pisteros
Socorristas (AAPS) is a non-profit
organisation that brings together people
working in the mountain environment,
specifically in resorts; professionals
dedicated to accident prevention and
security within the domain of a winter
sports centre, and to give first aid
care and evacuation for people in need.
It gathers all the ski patrollers in the
Argentine Republic. It was founded on the 11 September 1991, and it has been responsible for the training of personnel for ski resorts in both Argentina and in Chile. The formation of patrol has followed the French school, adapting it to the technical needs of the region. For more information about the association's activities, meetings, and resorts please contact us through our web site.  Australia.
The Australian Ski Patrol Association
(ASPA) is the Australian ski safety body
made up of some 14 Ski Patrols
representing a total membership of 550
patrollers. Member patrols are situated
at all major resorts within the three
States having alpine areas, New South
Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.Ski patrolling had developed and been in existence for over 20 years when the ASPA was formed in 1972 to co-ordinate rescue activities. The inaugural President, George Freuden helped to develop ASPA as a federal forum for sharing information and setting the standards for first aid theory and practice and acceptable practical procedures. Patrols are made up of full-time and volunteer patrollers and include both alpine and cross country disciplines. They are led by patrol captains and managed on a regional basis under the control of either private resort area management. ASPA's funding sources are patrol subscriptions, Commonwealth Government grants and commercial sponsorship. ASPA was a founding inaugural member of FIPS.   Canada.
The CSPS strives to be the premier
safety and first aid organization
serving outdoor sports and recreation in
Canada. The CSPS promotes safety and
injury prevention and provides the
highest possible standards of education,
certification and delivery in first aid
and rescue services to the snow
industry. It was registered in Canada as
a charity founded in 1941 by Doctor
Douglas Firth. It has more than 5000
volunteer members currently servicing
over 220 ski areas across Canada. The
Blue leaf and yellow cross logo is
recognized coast-to-coast as a symbol of
ski and snowboard safety, as well as
professional-grade first aid services.Operationally it is organized along geographic lines into 9 Divisions comprised of 65 localized Zones and managed by a seven member Board of Directors as elected by the Zones Presidents annually. Operational support is provided by a National Office staff of three and a volunteer management team; who produce, update and maintain all training manuals, materials and collateral teaching aids. CSPS certifies instructors and conducts first aid and safety training courses for all members, including recertification of all members on an annual basis. It is Federally accredited to provide first aid training across all of Canada and is self-funded through membership fees paid by individual members, local fundraising efforts and donations. Canada was a founding inaugural member of FIPS.  Chile.
Chile Ski Patrol is an
organisation of over 140 volunteers
active throughout Chile. They are tasked
to assist the skiing, boarding and
mountain climbing public, and make safer
the mountains and mountain recreation.Once you join a ski patrol, the initial training takes more than two months including a first aid course with the Chilean Red Cross, complemented by a set of theoretical and practical workshops on topics such as emergency procedures, rescue, transport, handling of sleds, radio and skiing. Ski Patrol is present in 10 ski resort areas across Chile, and is always working to promote safety and the prevention of accidents. At the same time each year, each member regardless of age, must attend a pre-season grading to refresh their skills and begin a new year of service with the latest rescue procedures.  Finland.
Finland has recently joined FIPS.
It has 38 ski resorts and if you intend
to ski or snowboard off piste in
Finland, you must check conditions
locally before doing so. Always check
the Avalanche Risk Level and carry
appropriate avalanche safety equipment
at all times.Skiing in Finland is predominantly in Lapland, the area situated directly above the Arctic Circle. If you want to ski in breathtaking, peaceful scenery surrounded by ice-sculpted forests and frozen lakes, coupled with uncrowded pistes and resorts, Finland offers you a very refreshing alternative. The Finnish Ski Area Association (SHKY) is the umbrella organization of Finnish ski resorts with the following main tasks: • furthering the interests of ski resort industry • training its members - research activities • industry's public relations and joint marketing • consumer guidance on lift and slope security  France.
With 1,700 members, ANPS represents 90 % of
the French ski patrollers (all
professionals).Being recognized for the training of first degree patrollers and a continuous relation with pUblic authorities are guarantees of a high professional level. Second and third degree patrollers are trained at the Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme in Chamonix, another sign of high quality. The ANPS national representation stems from excellent relations with area management and other professional partners with whom it actively participates in negotiations over the evolution of rescue and first aid and of the profession. As an official partner of the Olympic Games Organizing Committee, ANPS shows its constant desire to represent its members and to promote the French savoir faire in ski safety which is constantly improving in search of the highest quality.  Great Britain.
The British Association of Ski
Patrollers (BASP) was founded in the
winter of 1987 to standardise training
for Ski Patrollers who provide rescue
and first aid services in British Ski
areas. We have over 150 members of which
over 20% are fully qualified as National
Patrollers, and 42 are either
Probationary or Trainee Patrollers, we
also have 74 Associate members who
support and are interested in the work
which we do. Many of our Ski Patrollers
are trained to EMT standard which
includes the use of airway adjuncts and
AEDs.BASP also runs First Aid Training as the business side of the Association which in turn provides valuable work and income for Ski Patrollers out of the ski season. We have 28 trainers involved with this work, mainly on a part time basis. We train Ski Patrollers and Mountain Rescue team members up to Emergency Medical Technician standard – which are the skills necessary for this kind of work in the Scottish Mountains and the rest of the UK. Many outdoor users participate in the First Aid training we provide. The BASP First Aid Training courses and certificates have now become the Gold Standard of Outdoor First Aid qualifications and are recognised by all the National Sporting Bodies in the UK and are becoming more Internationally known.  Israel.
Mt Hermon is Israel's
only ski area and is located in the
Golan Heights. The Hermon's ski patrol
has a reputation for excellence and is
in constant contact with the Israel
Defence Force's elite alpine unit which
also patrols the area. There are 20 volunteer Patrollers who work closely with the professional Patrol. The Patrol in Israel has only recently commenced operations and is looking forward to a steady growth in numbers and activities. Most people worldwide are surprised to hear that Israel has a ski area. "When one thinks of Israel, usually images of deserts and camels come to mind," says Marcello Attar, vice president of marketing. "In fact, we have over 45 kilometers of ski trails, five chairlifts and several t-bars operating in the area." The Israeli ski site is operated by residents of the nearby village of Neve Ativ.  Italy.
The Federazione Italiana Sicurezza Piste
Sci
(FISPS) (Italian Ski Safety
Federation) was formed in 1984. The idea
of the founders - the representatives of
local organisations of the time - was to
be a federal agency that would serve the
national function to promote the
interests and demands of local
organisations working in the field of
safety and rescue on the ski slopes,
especially for the purpose of
recognition of voluntary activities. The
volunteers are represented though
GISP.In addition to serving as a reference point for the individual member organisations, the idea of founding the Federation was to have a centre of training and operational organisation of staff of the individual member associations. So it was that a Technical Federal Committee ("School") was established in order to standardise the procedures and criteria for intervention for all volunteers working in the field of safety and rescue on the ski slopes. The Federation now consists of 10 local branches with a total of 700 volunteers (some are still in transition from the old local associations). |
 Japan.
The Ski Association of Japan (SAJ), Vice
President: Satoshi Takahashi who is
charge of Ski Patrols. SAJ has a number
of affiliated members: 44 Prefectural
Ski Associations, the Inter College Ski
Association of Japan, the Inter High School Ski Association of Japan, and the International Federation of Ski Patrols (FIPS). The National Ski Association of Japan (SAJ) was founded in 1925. 1904 - Jisaburo Nomura (Aomori Prefecture) obtained two pairs of skies from Norway, and tried them. 1908 - 'Hans Koller (Switzerland) was appointed to the preparatory course of the Hokkaido University and he brought with him a set of skis with two ski sticks. Using this pair of skis, a sample ski was made in Japan for the first time. 1925 - National Ski Association of Japan (SAJ) was established and the SAJ joined the Japan Athletic Association. 1926 - S.A.J. joined the Federation of International Skiing (F.I.S.). 1958 - The Department of Ski Patrol was established in SAJ. 1979 - The S.A.J. Ski patrol Department joined the International Federation of Ski Patrols (FIPS). Japan was a founding inaugural member of FIPS.  Korea.
In South Korea, two groups, Korea Ski
Patrol Association (KSPA) and Korea SkiBusiness Association (KSBA) exist. The Korea Ski Patrol started in 1983 as an independent organisation in one ski resort. Later the government formed a Ski Patrol Organisation that was founded and run by the Korea Ski Association. In 1996, the ski patrol system changed, and moved to be operated by the Korea Ski Business Association. As skiing developed more volunteers came to operate in resorts. In 2002, the Korea Ski Patrol Association (KPSA) was launched by ski patrol volunteers. KSPA members do not work professionally for the ski resorts. KSPA patrollers are volunteers whose activities are: first-aid and safety information, improvement of equipment, the recruitment and training of volunteer ski patrollers, recommendations on safe skiing procedures, etc. There are now about 300 volunteers in KSPA. In South Korea, 500 patrollers serve at 13 ski resorts.  New Zealand.
In New Zealand, the association with FIPS has proved of
great value in establishing training manuals and resource
materials gathered internationally. The establishment of
standards on an international basis has improved the
management and performance of patrolling in New Zealand and
earned it acceptance and respect.The Mountain Education Centre of New Zealand (MECNZ) is a division of Tai Poutini Polytechnic, located in Wanaka, New Zealand. Courses are run in Intermediate Skiing, Advanced Skiing, Intermediate Snowboarding and Advanced Snowboarding as well as being the home of the Ski Patrol Programme. The Ski Patrol programme is delivered through the Polytechnic and also has a ‘classroom’ located at Wanaka Treble Cone snowsports area and during the winter season students spend much of the time learning in a snow environment. The programme also incorporates a 4 week practical placement at a snow sports area where students gain hands-on experience working as member of a Ski Patrol. Training and assessment focuses on all aspects of modern ski patrolling which include advanced first aid, avalanche safety management, rescue systems, hazard identification and management, snow blasting, skiing and snowboarding skills, rescue toboggans, ice axe and crampon skills and meteorology. The following certificates of completion can also be gained: Pre hospital Emergency Care (PHEC), NZMSC Avalanche Stage 1, Test Certificate as an Approved Handler for Snow Blasting (trainee status). New Zealand was a founding inaugural member of FIPS.  Norway.
The Alpine Association (ALF) was created by a merger between
the Norwegian Fjords Association and the Alpine Association,
(a former Norwegian Ski Lifts Association). The ALF is the
trade association for the ski industry in Norway, and for
the individual resorts.One of the key responsibilities for the ALF is the safety in everything to do with skiing; including alpine skiing, snowboarding or telemark skiing. It also has responsibility for safe transportation with surface lifts and chair lifts. The association has a joint secretariat with the Norwegian Fjords Association to coordinate the marketing for winter destinations with a ski profile. The ALF is the center for winter tourism in the mountain regions of Norway. The ALF coordinates Ski Patrols in Norway.  Russia.
The Russian Ski Patrol is in its infancy.
Despite the long years of skiing life in the former Soviet
Union and then Russia, first aid on the mountain and the
evacuation from the slopes was only locally organized. In
2007, Russia is just starting to arrange a uniform system,
with standardised techniques, technology, and education. The
Russian Ski Patrol provides a common denominator, which
shares the local experiences and brings together learned
experiencesIn 2007, we joined the Fédération Internationale des Patrouilles de Ski.  Spain.
Spanish Ski Patrols have existed for many years although it
was only in 1975 that the patrols were off organized at Baqueira-Beret.Miguel Arias (then director) and Ferran Labrano (Head of the section concerned with the safety on the Ski slopes), set up the local patrol organisation using the French example, but adapting it to their own requirements. Following these first steps, Sr Labrano then laid the foundations for a Spanish National Association of Patrols, the Espana ANP. Among the collaborators were the specialists Sr Pecchio from Courchevel, as well as Sr Pedrali and Sr Notari from the Swiss FSS. After a preliminary course held by the Spanish ANP, its President Sr Labrana, with the help of the above mentioned Swiss, organized the first Spanish course in Snow and Avalanches, held in 1978 at Baqueira. The ANP was established in1992 and groups together Ski Patrol members engaged in many and varied duties from the Pyrenees in the North to the Sierra Nevada in the South. The Spanish ANP has both professionals and volunteers, and is officially recognized by Provincial, Regional and State authorities.  Sweden.
Swedish Lift Area's Organization (SLAO) has from the
beginning in 1978 arranged a three day program of specailsit
education in First Aid in the Skis lope for all
lift-employees. This course includes training in the
alignment of angulated fractures and other difficult ski
injuries.Since 1980 SLAO has also arranged a longer course of two weeks duration to become a Ski Patroller. Up to now we have educated approximately 400 patrollers. The Ski-Patrollers are now organized, in cooperation with SLAO, into the Swedish Ski Patrollers Association. The SLAO has also, in cooperation with medical and technical authorities, developed various rescue materials and techniiques, such as splints and toboggans. Together with the Folksam Insurance Groupe, SLAO has also assigned a special insurance for alpine skiers. The benefit from it is returned to nationwide ski-safety program.  Switzerland.
The easiest way to become
a ski patroller in Switzerland is by participating at one of
the ski patrol courses provided by Seilbahnen Schweiz (SBS).
There are four different courses offered, which all build upon each others. A junior patroller start off with the A-course ,which is emphasising on first aid, snow and equipment knowledge, use of rescue toboggans, helicopter rescue, radio communication, map reading, and the Swiss regulations for snow sport operations. The next year, one can do the B-course, an avalanche phenomena / avalanche rescue course. The third course offered is a snowblasting course, where you become an approved handler of hand charges. Later one can extend the approved handler certificate by doing courses for other methods of snow blasting. After minimum four seasons as a ski patroller one can do the C-course, which is required in order to become a ski patrol director. This course involves: • Statistics (history) • Safe and efficient avalanche control • Snow and avalanche research • Avalanche rescue • Snow blasting • Ski patrolling in general • Mountain and glacier rescue • Survival test • Economics for a ski patrol operation • Human resource management • Sucessful leadership of a ski patrol team • Regulations and responsibilities as a ski patrol director.  United
States of America. The National Ski Patrol (NSP)
is the patrol governing body for the United States and some
portions of Canada and Europe. The organisation was founded
in 1938.One of the few federally chartered not-for-profit organizations in the U.S., the NSP has since become the world's largest winter rescue organisation. The NSP's 26,500 paid and volunteer members serve on over 600 patrols. The NSP is composed of 10 geographic divisions plus a single division for all paid patrollers. Members are recognised on the slopes by the red jackets they wear marked by a white cross on the chest and a larger one on the back, or by the older style of blue and rust coloured parkas with yellow crosses. National Ski Patrol has an on-going education system which includes Outdoor Emergency Care refreshers, Ski Lift evacuations and OEC classes, and has grown into an authority on outdoor emergency care. NSP was a founding member of FIPS, although ceased to be a member for some years until it rejoined in 2007. |
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