Know the patrol contact method, base locations, emergency access points, and how to describe your position. Test communications in the areas you are allowed to use.
Decide who stays with an injured participant, who cares for the group, who contacts the base, and who informs the family. One person cannot do all four tasks in different places.
For a suspected concussion, remove the person from participation. CDC guidance says they should not return that day and need healthcare assessment and clearance for return.1 A helmet, a cheerful mood, or a parent's request does not replace this process.
Staff must work within their training and the approved emergency plan. Do not move an injured person or improvise treatment beyond that scope. Arrange urgent help without waiting for office approval.
If someone is taken to a medical facility, record which worker accompanies them, what information travels, and how care of the remaining group stays safe. Have transport and communication arrangements that do not depend on an available parent's car.
After the immediate response, record facts, times, witnesses, actions, and contacts. Preserve relevant records securely. Do not post details or guess at blame in a group message.
Your task: Run a tabletop exercise for one injured participant while another group is still on the mountain.
Sources for this page
- CDC HEADS UP, Responding to a Sports-related Concussion. Remove a participant with suspected concussion; medical assessment and return decisions. ↩