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Mountain medics ski free, assist during mishaps By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings If you ski, you're going to fall. A long-time cooperative program between the Mt. Ashland Ski Area and local emergency workers decreases the chances of mountain mishaps resulting in serious injury or death. "It's been a good partnership," Ashland Fire & Rescue Captain Bob Cockell said. "Mount Ashland is one of our main rural areas of response." More than 20 paramedics from local agencies including AFR and Mercy Flights exchange their talents for free skiing on the mountain through the program. "It allows a couple of things," Cockell said. "They get to go up and have a day of skiing with the only commitment of carrying a radio and being available, and Mount Ashland gets low-cost medical expertise for just the cost of a lift ticket." While paramedics have been allowed for years to ski for free on the mountain, the practice was formalized in the late 1990s, largely through the work of Randy Williams who coordinated the efforts of various agencies. "I recognized a need at Mount Ashland for more medical services and (Mount Ashland officials) always appreciated paramedics up there," said Williams, who also works for the ski patrol and has been a registered nurse at Rogue Valley Medical Center for 19 years. As the recent injury of a 10-year-old Medford boy demonstrated, sliding down an icy mountain is a dangerous sport with many inherent, unavoidable risks. While the ski patrol is well-trained to respond to all injuries, paramedics have an even higher level of expertise and can supplement ski patrol efforts - useful in an injury plagued sport. "Mount Ashland is routinely very busy, and we've had some very serious calls." Cockell said. "Some days we don't go at all, some days we go four or five times in a day." The skiing paramedics are particularly useful given the fact that it can take 20 minutes for an ambulance to reach the mountain - longer depending on weather or traffic. While waiting for the ambulance, paramedics and ski patrolers can treat injuries on the mountain, handling any needed advanced life support treatment, medication therapy, intravenous work, advanced airway procedures or cardiac monitoring. "It's lifesaving time," Williams said. "Many people have been greatly assisted and stabilized." Paramedics carry radios and can be identified by the bold "EMS" letters on their black vests. They don't necessarily respond to accident sites, but meet up with ski patrol members who transport hurt people to the mountain's medical hut for treatment. The medical hut is decked out in medical supplies and equipment - enough usually to buy time for those in dire need while waiting for a helicopter or ambulance transport. "If it's in the back of the ambulance, it's up on the mountain," Williams said. On the other side of the equation is Rogue Valley Medical Center, which helps provide the program with medical equipment and supplies. "This program would not be in existence without support from Rogue Valley Medical Center, Ashland Fire & Rescue, Mercy Flights and Mount Ashland," Williams said. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -