I read with great interest the article posted on your Citizen web site titled "Medical Officer Aims to Keep Games Athletes Healthy" (February 4, 2015 07:23 AM).
It was very informative and while it referenced one volunteer first aid group, the St. John Ambulance (StJA) who will "look after the spectators", no mention was made of the Canadian Ski Patrol (CSP).
The CSP has worked with the St. JA at events like the Pan Am Games (Winnipeg 1999) and I have respect for their training and skills. However, as a longterm member of the CSP (over 20 years) I was disappointed to discover that no mention was made of our volunteers who are assigned as first responders for the athletes at all of the onsnow events at the upcoming Purden, Tabor and Otway 2015 Canada Winter Games venues.
Being an active long term member of the CSP since 1993 (Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton and now Prince George) has been a very rewarding and empowering experience for me, but media sources often overlook our preventative safety and first response services at many ski and snowboard operations and competitive events (such as alpine World Cup events at Lake Louise). People don't usually volunteer just to get patted on the back, everyone gets something different out of it; but when talking about the 2015 Canada Winter Games' medical support, the CSP is one of the key participants and I just wanted to put the record right.
A few quick facts about the CSP: Dr. Douglas Firth founded the CSP in 1940. Active members must complete and recertify annually in Advanced First Aid, onhill toboggan rescue and chair evacuation.
This also includes CPR with AED for Adults, Children and Infants, spinal immobilization and oxygen for serious life threatening injuries such as severe bleeding or concussion.
In closing, I would like to commend the Citizen for recognizing so many of our local volunteers over the years in your newspaper. I was once an after-school carrier and our family has subscribed to The Citizen for over 40 years.
The Citizen is a very valuable source of local news and information and I cannot imagine Prince George without it! Thank you.
Christine Gall
Prince George
