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Need

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Customer

Service

[Let to right] Armand Mendez, Troy
Tisue, Clarke Chambers, and Jessi Hunter are members of the Ober Gatlinburg Ski Patrol and dedicate many hours each year to training
peal to Dr. McIntyre and
Training
and patrolling the slopes.
the Board to make needed

changes in the testing
By L. Ashley Susong
of elementary students
Service and Safety: This motto has deined the role
of the National Ski Patrol for more than 75 years. Thanks to the
dedication of Charles Dole and the volunteers that have followed in his footsteps, we can ly across the snow with the greatest of ease—and conidence that help is always near if we should need it.
in Knox County. Ms.
Hopson told the Board
Help on Two Skis
New Year’s Day, 1936, was a rainy Tragically, Edson was killed in an accident during the course of the sport safer. The National Ski Patrol was formed later that year with Dole become caretakers of the areas
they frequent. New sports such as participate in a mandatory review
to ensure that everyone is up to date down the mountain, the Ski Patrol sweeps the area looking for any
day in Stowe, Vermont. Neverthe- less, two friends, Frank Edson and Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole, were spending time with their wives on race. At the time, Dole was still on crutches from his own accident.
The loss of his best friend sad- dened Dole, but it didn’t stop his love at its head as chairman. His irst class consisted of 15 volunteers. Dole’s role with the National Ski Patrol led to his being assigned to snowboarding, tubing, and snow- skating brought with them new equipment and diferent terrain, which in turn necessitated the de- before the season begins. If someone is injured on the slopes, ski patrollers are often the irst responders on the scene and provide immediate on-site stragglers and rides the lift down one last time.
Ski Patrol in the that our young children
the slopes, enjoying a wintry vaca- tion and their favorite sport—until Dole slipped, fell, and broke his for the sport of skiing. Instead, it convinced him that new ways should be found to keep skiers safe and to prevent these sorts of accidents from organize the United States’ irst army ski troop. Called the 10th Division, and later the 10th Mountain Divi- sion, these troops were deployed
velopment of new safety and emer- gency care training methods. The NSP is currently composed of more than 28,000 members serving 650 care to ready the injured person for additional medical care.
In addition to providing emer- gency medical care in a timely and Volunteer State
Snow season doesn’t last long in the Great Smoky Mountains, but from mid-December until early were being tested way
ankle. In pain and unable to walk or ski, Dole seemed to be stuck. Luckily, his three companions were able to ind a piece of tin rooing material occurring. His eforts to implement better safety measures for skiers
met with a great deal of resistance, in 1944 and served a vital role in
the conclusion of World War II in Europe. Meanwhile, Dole continued patrols across the United States and several European military zones— including the Ober Gatlinburg Ski efective fashion, ski patrollers provide a variety of essential services for skiers and ski resorts. Patrollers March, skiers, snowboarders, and tubers from around the world visit the slopes at the Ober Gatlinburg Ski
and painstakingly drag him down the mountain and back to the safety of the town. Though they only had to travel a quarter of a mile, the jour- with some accusing Dole of being a supporter of “sissies, spoilsports, and frighteners of mothers.”
Some did support Dole in his cam- to lead the National Ski Patrol until 1950. To this day, his legacy lives on as the National Ski Patrol follows its creed of “Service and Safety” all over Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Members of the Ski Patrol receive rigorous medical training akin
to that of an Emergency Medical prepare the ski areas each day before the irst visitor hits the slopes. They mark of obstacles, put up barriers, and make sure the slopes are clear Resort. The resort depends on the members of the local Ski Patrol to keep the slopes and its visitors safe. The Ober Gatlinburg Ski Patrol beyond the requirements
ney took them several hours.
This incident stuck in Dole’s
mind after he was transported by train back to New York City to have paign to improve safety conditions, however, and the road forward be- came clearer on March 7, 1938, when Dole was volunteering at a race in the United States and the world. Safety on the Mountain:
The National Ski Patrol
Technician. Certiication in the NSP-sanctioned Outdoor Emergency Care course requires 80 to 100 hours of instruction and subsequent pass- from hazards. Once the slopes have been cleared, the patrollers stay on the mountain for the rest of the day assisting visitors. They assist skiers, (OGSP) counts roughly 70 people from the Knoxville area as mem- bers. There are 10 full time paid staf with the rest of the team consisting of state, federal, and even
his ankle set and was faced with a permanent walking impairment. Two months later, in February 1936, Edson was skiing in the Quadrangu- Stowe. There, he met Roger Langley, the president of the National Ski As- sociation, and the two discussed the idea of forming an association of ski The National Ski Patrol (NSP) has evolved from the service organization founded by Dole to
a professional education associa- ing of both a rigorous written test and a practical scenario exam. All ski patrollers are also certiied by the American Red Cross in CPR. Each snowboarders, and tubers needing any sort of aid, wherever they may be, and help struggling snow adven- turers to ind the right slope for their of volunteers. Participants hold a variety of day jobs—including insur- ance agents, architects, contractors, economists, engineers, forest-
lar Race in Pittsield, Massachusetts.
patrollers who could help make the
tion that helps outdoor advocates
year, every patroller is required to
ability levels. When it’s time to shut
ers, bankers, non-proit directors,
the new Common Core
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standards—and that this
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excessive testing was
Heroes on Skis
causing harm as many children were

Thanks for your recent article on breaking down, some crying and be-
our area Ski Patrol [“Knights in Red coming so frustrated that it interfered

Jackets,” November/December 2013]. with their school work.
To say that I am impressed by our local Local radio stations WNFZ FM and

patrol members would be an under- WKVL AM interviewed Ms. Hopson
statement. Calling them Knights in Red for their morning show, and I learned

Jackets might be more accurate than that it is Dr. McIntyre who has imple-
most people realize. I have had several mented this excessive testing in our

customers relate to me their personal elementary schools. At the December 9
experience with the Ski Patrol mostly Board of Education meeting, I watched

from the perspective of being helped 46 speakers speak concerning Dr. Mc-
when they had been injured. The one Intyre’s contract extension. The first
We Can Help!
thing I think you may have missed is 20 or so speakers praised Dr. McIntyre
how all of us winter sports enthusiasts and his alleged innovations for our

can help. Almost all of the patrollers school system. The rest of the speakers
are volunteers and for the most part were teachers—and what they said dis-
PROBLEM:
provide all of their own equipment. It’s turbed me greatly. They told of a school
my understanding that they are always system run by a central office that was
Customer service and telephone
looking for new members, and if you’re micro-managing the classroom. They
interactions can make or break not inclined to become a patroller, then told of record numbers of our teach-
your company’s reputation
consider making a donation to help ers that would resign this year because
with customers.
their cause of keeping us all safe.
the joys of teaching had vanished with

the experiments forced on them that
SOLUTION:
Nathan Phillips, exceed anything required by the state

Owner, The Board Room or federal government.
Give your employees training —Knoxville
Could you look into what has hap-
workshops in customer
pened to our school system? The
service and professionalism A Crisis in Education
reason I ask is that our daily paper has

using the telephone.
As a regular reader I wanted to share nothing but praise for these new bold
with you my observations and concerns experiments—but our teachers tell us

Renowned National Speaker, from watching the last few Knox Coun- children are being harmed. Somewhere
ty Board of Education meetings and the someone must find the truth.
Monica Irvine can motivate
your staff and turn them into meeting on December 9 concerning the
contract extension for Superintendent Michael Wester
Customer Service Superheroes!
Dr. James McIntyre.
—Knoxville
Like many people in Knoxville, I

learned of the viral YouTube video of [Cityview is currently researching an
Halls teacher Lauren Hopson [www. article on Knox County Schools, Super-
Call Monica Irvine
youtube.com/watch?v=nJ7OMgN1deA] intendent Dr. James McIntyre, and the
today to learn more
and her articulate and passionate ap-
Knox County Board of Education. – Ed.]

(865) 719-7302

www.TheEtiquetteFactory.com
20 cityviewmag.com january february 2014