National Mountain Bike Patrol Training in Ontario
Date: Saturday, May 14th
Have you ever thought about ways you can help keep trails open? Of course building and maintaining trails comes to mind, but what about patrolling the trails that you love to ride? Patrollers inform, assist and educate mountain bikers and other trail users. The fundamental goal of bike patrols is to ensure trail access for mountain bikers.
There are two mandatory requirements for membership in the National Mountain Bike Patrol:
- Current certification in basic first aid and CPR.
- Successful completion of a patrol training course.
To satisfy the above requirements, IMBA will be conducting a one-day patrol training course on Saturday May 14th, at Humber college in Etobicoke, ON. The course will consist of indoor classroom training and outside field work beginning at 9:00 am and ending at 5:00 pm. The cost is $30.00 and is for IMBA members only. If you are not a member but would like to attend, you can purchase IMBA basic membership for $25.00 when you register. The cost of the course will cover materials, meeting room and lunch.
Proof of current First Aid and CPR training is mandatory, but is not provided as part of the one-day training. Patrollers completing the course have up to 3 months to present proof of First Aid/CPR certification.
Once both requirements have been met (First Aid/CPR and the one-day patrol training) you will become part of the National Mountain Bike Patrol, and will be doing your part in keeping trails open!
If you are interested in attending the patrol training please e-mail mark@imba.com, or call 705-441-6901.
For more information about the patrol please follow this link: http://www.imba.com/nmbp/index.html
Below is an article that just appeared in the latest Patrol Newsletter, one of the benefits of being part of the National Mountain Bike Patrol program.
We hope you'll join us!
PATROL CASE STUDY: COMPOUND FRACTURES ON THE SLICKROCK TRAIL
Each month we'll highlight a Patrol story from the field. This month's edition comes from the classic mountain biking mecca of Moab, Utah. Got an interesting, educational or inspiring Patrol story? Send it to patrol@imba.com.
This Patroller was riding the Slickrock Trail with some friends when…
"We soon realized that the main trail was too challenging for one member of our group so we headed back. As we reached the trailhead I heard a call over the BLM radio about an accident on the practice loop. We headed down that trail just a few yards and found a rider sprawled across the trail. He had a compound fracture of the upper arm and his son was holding a T-shirt on it in a futile attempt to stop the profuse bleeding.
"I took out some dressings from my first aid kit but was unable to stop the bleeding until another EMT happened by and helped me apply a pressure dressing with an ace bandage. It was still bleeding slightly through the dressings and the man was starting to go into shock. About this time the Grand County Sheriff arrived with oxygen and an inflatable air splint. With the splint and a little O2 the patient stabilized. It took another thirty minutes for the rescue team to arrive with a backboard and an ATV to take him across the slick rock to an ambulance. From there it was a 30-minute ride to the hospital in Moab.
"The point of the story is we may ride for months or years without having a rescue as dramatic as this but when it happens you might make the difference between life and death to someone in need. The other thing to remember is it's all about teamwork. I may have gotten things started but the aid from the other EMT, the sheriff, the rescue and the ambulance crews plus the doctors and nurses at the hospital are what determined the final outcome.
"If you never do anything but help someone fix a flat tire, remember that you made their day safer and more enjoyable because you where there."
(Thanks to Craig Loomis of the Front Range Mtn Bike Patrol http://www.frmbp.org/)
