Bristol Mountain Ski Patrol welcomes your interest!    

 There are 2 positions available for those interested in being a member of Bristol Mountain Ski Patrol - Mountain Host and On-hill Ski Patrollers.    Both are all volunteer and require considerable commitment and training.    

On-hill Patrollers

Patroller candidates must be at least 15 years old, and must exhibit above average ski abilities.   A "ski-off" is held in March to assess each candidate's skiing ability.     The evaluation will look at the following skills: 

• • Free skiing - ability to make short, medium, and long radius turns -  skiing  in control in any condition, including moguls or “crud”

  • Snowplow - ability to hold a braking wedge (not gliding wedge) on all terrain

  • Sideslip - ability to sideslip on appropriate terrain with controlled speed 

There are 2 distinct training programs for patrollers: 

• • Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) training is developed and sponsored by the National Ski Patrol organization and runs from August to November.   Classes meet 2-3 times/week, averaging 3-4 hours per class, with reading assignments for each class.  This is a big time commitment!   Everyone who wants to be a patroller, even medical professionals, must take the OEC course.    Final evaluations include written and practical exams.  

  • Outdoor Emergency Transport  (OET) training starts at the beginning of the ski season, usually December, continuing through February, with 2 scheduled 3-hour classes/week.   Additional time practicing outside of class is typically required and highly encouraged.    Training is followed by a final on-hill test.    

Every patroller has an assigned schedule - some patrollers work weekday shifts only (8 hours) once a week, some work evening and weekend shifts, and some work weekends only.

Most patrollers work in excess of 100 hours per season. There are required patrol meetings, and on-going training through the season as new equipment becomes available. 

Initial cost to join is estimated at $500 - $650, includes NSP course fees, pack, supplies, dues, jacket, and other items.

Mountain Hosts 

Hosts have a different role and new members often enter the patrol in this capacity which has a lower initial cost, skills and training requirement.  Mountain Hosts assist each shift with greeting and directing the public around the facility (tickets, rentals, etc.) at the start of their shift and then join the patrollers on-hill.  They assist the patrollers with monitoring the hill, skier safety, crowd control, basic first aid on accidents and closing the mountain.  Many Mountain Hosts choose to continue in that capacity, while others choose to take the training and develop the skills to be an on-hill patroller.

Potential hosts take part in the ski-off to assess their ski ability and then take an 8 hour Outdoor First Care course so that they can assist patrollers with on-hill medical care.    They participate in each of the annual refreshers with their patroller colleagues.  The investment to become a Mountain Host is less at about $100 - $150 which includes their annual NSP dues and entitles them to the NSP benefits. 

Both Patrollers and Hosts

Each year multiple refreshers are required, both prior to and during the ski season: 

• • CPR & AED

  • On-the-hill refresher at Bristol Mountain

  • Outdoor Emergency Care refresher 

  • Blackout chairlift evacuation drill

    • Ski skills clinics

  • Toboggan handling clinics (Patrollers only) 

Your first year on patrol is a probationary period after which an evaluation for continued membership in the patrol is conducted.

 If you think you'd like to join us, please fill out the below application.   Be sure to click the submit button at the end.  

You will be contacted via email sometime in late Feb. or early March about the ski-off to assess your skills.

Click here to apply to BMSP for the  2025-2026 season.