Southern Section Chief Election 2010
Western Appalachian Region
Candidate: Bryant Hall
Over my 23 years as a patroller, I’ve experienced many aspects of patrolling. At the patrol level, I have been involved in the candidate training, the senior program, on the hill training, lift evacuation training, and customer service training. Additionally, I have held administrative positions including Lift Evacuation Committee member, patrol medical advisor, treasurer, and member of the Canaan Valley Ski Patrol Board of Directors. At the regional level, I have been involved in the OEC program as an OEC Instructor, an OEC Instructor Trainer, a Senior EMM Trainer/Evaluator, and the Regional OEC Administrator. At the divisional level, I interfaced with the Eastern Division OEC supervisors to handle policy, process, and personnel issues within the delivery of the OEC program. At the national level, I have served as reviewer of the refresher study guide, the instructor refresher guide, and as a content reviewer for both the Fourth and Fifth editions of the Outdoor Emergency Care Text and workbooks.
So what kind of role you can expect from me as Section Chief? I plan to visit the patrols in the southern section as often as I can in order to meet, talk and listen to your concerns about your patrol, the southern section, the region and its’ programs, the eastern division and its’ programs, and the national ski patrol organization and its’ programs, and to discuss or inform about current issues involving the national ski patrol organization.
I believe that the most vital component of the NSP organization is the patroller. All activities that occur at the sectional, regional, divisional, and national levels should be in support of the patroller. There are many issues that cause concern for patrollers; medical malpractice insurance and workers’ compensation are two major issues.
I encourage more patroller involvement in regional, divisional, and national programs, in order to improve skills and encourage the exchange of ideas. This involvement will in turn allow new information and ideas to be disseminated throughout the Western Appalachian region. The OEC program administered by Ken Schweinsberg, the Senior EMM program administered by Robert Snoby, and the Senior Ski and Toboggan program administered by Bill Smith, have done much to foster a learning environment that encourages the exchange of ideas and a reduced stress philosophy. Having attended many of the clinics and evaluations for these educational programs (both within and outside our region), I feel that we have an excellent frame work in place.
I support an aggressive skier safety program in order to reduce the number of injuries that occur each year. I have found that it is easier to prevent an accident from occurring or tacking the appropriate safety precautions to prevent an injury where significant risk is evident, than to either treat the injury or face the risk management issues in the aftermath of an accident. This could encompass topics including helmets, materials for use on the hill, methods for identifying hazards, and methods to teach safety and the skier’s code. Resorts utilize different methods to accomplish this.
I am concerned that the average age of all patrollers has continued to increase over recent years. Many patrols have experienced a decrease in the number of patrollers registered with those patrols. There are also patrols that have limited the number of patroller that are allowed to register with those patrols. There should be a sufficient number of patrollers associated with each patrol, to allow the patrollers to discharge their duties safely and effectively, provide sufficient coverage for both the skiing/riding public, and reduce the risk to both the resort and the patroller.
Recently, the NSP organization went through a period of refocusing. There was a great deal of turmoil during that process. Our organization has many tough decisions to face in the coming years. I would encourage all patrollers to become actively involved organizational processes in order to have their voice heard. Effective, open, and honest communication is an important instrument for ensuring that the patrollers’ needs are identified and ideas are appropriately and positively exchanged.
A new concern has come to the forefront in several states
across the country. In some states, the
state is requiring that the patroller become part of the state
Remember, we must service all of our customers in order to
allow the NSP organization to continue on.
Our customers are the skiing/riding public, their families, our fellow patrollers, the staff at the resort, the
We have been fortunate to have a strong and dedicated staff of representatives and advisors in the region. The regional staff and countless others contribute many hours to make sure that the Western Appalachian Region is second to none in the Eastern Division. I have attended various meetings and events in other regions, and I can assure you that the Western Appalachian region can stand with any region in the Eastern Division. I would like to see it stay that way.
Thank you for your vote.
Bryant Hall
Bryant Hall
Member of the National Ski Patrol,
Member of the National Ski Patrol, Wisp Ski Patrol, Secondary,
Instructor Development, 1992
OEC Phase II, 1992
OEC Instructor, 1992 to Present
Senior Patroller
Toboggan Instructor - 2001
On-the-Hill, OEC candidate trainer
S&T trainer
Western Appalachian Region OEC Instructor Trainer, 1993 to Present
Western Appalachian Region Senior EMM Trainer/Evaluator, 1997 to Present
Western Appalachian Region Regional OEC Administrator, 1996 - 2000
Patrol Awards:
Yellow Merit Star
National Appointment Number 10076
Certificate of Appreciation – 1996, 1998
Occupation:
Project Manager – Healthcare Management Solutions, LLC – 2006 to Present
Program Manager – Monongalia County Health Department – 2004 to 2006
Practice Manager –
Practice Manager – Monongalia Anesthesiology Associates – 1993 to 1999
Medical Technologist – West Virginia University Hospitals – 1981 to 1983
Other Activities:
Monongalia Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic, 1984 to Present
Region VI/VII administrative Policy Group Representative, 1986 – 1994
Basic Life Support Instructor – 1984 to Present
Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor – 1985 to Present
Basic Trauma Life Support Instructor – 1988 to Present
Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor – 1988 to Present