National Ski Patrol
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| Formation | 1938 |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Congressionally chartered non-profit organization |
| Purpose | Outdoor recreation safety |
| Headquarters | Lakewood, Colorado |
| Website | www.nsp.org |
The nonprofit National Ski Patrol (NSP) is the largest winter education organization in the world. The NSP provides education, outreach, and credentialing related to outdoor recreation and safety. It is currently composed of more than 26,000 members who serve in over 600 patrols. NSP members, both volunteer and paid, ensure the safety of outdoor recreation enthusiasts in ski areas throughout the United States of America and certain military areas of Europe. For its dedication to the promotion public safety in skiing and other winter sports, the group was granted a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code in 1980.
The National Ski Patrol was founded in 1938 in Stowe, Vermont, when the president of the National Ski Association, Roger Langley convinced the founder and leader of the Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol, Charles Minot Dole, to form a national ski patrol. Dole was convinced of the need for a national ski rescue organization due to both the loss of a friend due to injuries suffered in a ski related accident the year prior and an on slope accident in which he himself was seriously injured. With Roger Langley's assistance, Charles Minot Dole organized and formed the National Ski Patrol Committee of the National Ski Association. The resulting organization became the National Ski Patrol. Upon his retirement in 1950 as president, Dole had built the NSP into an organization of 300 ski patrols and 4,000 members. Since its founding, the National Ski Patrol has worked closely with other countries in outdoor emergency care education, and has assisted in establishing ski patrol organizations in Canada, Korea, New Zealand, Israel, Turkey, Argentina and Chile, as well as the Victorian Rescue Service in Australia. In addition to its own ski safety programs, works closely with the United States Ski Team, Professional Ski Instructors of America, US Forest Service, National Park Service, and other organizations and agencies in the promotion of skiing and ski safety.
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