Patrol Emergency Activation Plan (EAP)

EAP Activation

You’ve just zipped down Yellow Jacket Pass and discover a skier in a tangled heap, moaning in pain with a probable hip fracture. What do you do? You’re staffing the First Aid Room, and a woman runs in saying she thinks her husband is having a heart attack. What do you do? Panic? No. Because you are familiar with the mountain’s Emergency Activation Plan (EAP) and know how to get an ambulance via radio or phone.

EAP Activation from the Hill

Patroller reaches the site of the accident, completes the initial assessment, and determines EMS is needed.

Call on the radio to the Visitors Center, “This is Patroller Sven to the Visitor Center. I have an urgent medical situation.”

Visitor Center staff, i.e., management, will respond to this call, and relay the message to the Control Room. Be sure to include all relevant information in your call: location, number of patients, first aid equipment and transport needs.

Patrollers in the First Aid Room or the Visitor Center should ensure all equipment is gathered and loaded.

The Control Room makes the 911 call and becomes the primary 911 contact. The Control Room notifies the on site Patroller that 911 has been called and is en route. They can also relay additional information to 911 as needed.

If 911 access is needed through the security gate, the shift supervisor or Control Room designee will escort 911 to the appropriate location.

If 911 access is needed to the Visitor Center, the ski patrol, center staff, or designee will direct 911 to the appropriate location.

Bill Gabriel stresses the importance of using the phrase, “I have an urgent medical situation,” when calling the Visitor Center as this will get the attention of the ski shop much quicker than, “Sven to the Visitor Center. Sven to the Visitor Center. Sven to the Visitor Center.” This latter type of call is great for all nonemergency calls such as the Chocolate Pot needs more water, you’re up at the summit ready to start sweep, you have two lost children it tow, a tired doesn’t-want-to-ski-down skier needs a ride, broken equipment, or pizza delivery. For all these non-emergency needs, call for the Ski Shop or the First Aid Room (don’t use “Patrol Room,” as this sounds too much like “Control Room,” on the radio).

EAP Activation from the First Aid Room

This procedure should only be followed when mountain staff/management is unavailable and there is no other way to get the center’s EAP activated for a patient to receive essential advanced care (use as a last resort):

Dial 4421, the Northfield Mountain Control Room, and state your name, patrol affiliation, location in the Visitor Center First Aid Room, what you require and why. For example, “An ambulance is needed for one cardiac arrest situation.”

If no one answers in the Control Room: dial 9, wait a moment until a dial tone is heard, and then dial 911. State the following: your name, that you are a member of the NMNSP, your location (99 Millers Falls Road, Northfield Mountain Environmental and Recreation Center First Aid Room), what you need and why, including the number of patients. Note: there is NO call back number for 911 to contact you here.

After the incident is finished, log the call in the log book.