MANSFIELD, Ohio — Snow Trails ski patrol director Sue Cline has earned the Ohio Regions Outstanding Patrol Representative honor for the 2014-2015 ski season.
Cline was honored for her dedication, organization skills, creativity and commitment to the skiing public, area management and the 100 member all-volunteer Snow Trails Ski Patrol. She is in her second, two-year term as the elected head of the patrol. She has been an Assistant Patrol Rep, Hill Captain among other positions and is an OEC (Outdoor Emergency Care) Instructor.
The Ohio Region has 11 ski patrols registered with the National Ski Patrol.
As patrol director, Cline is responsible for making sure all patrollers are 100 percent re-certified each season in all the National Ski Patrol and area management’s requirements, for recruiting and training new patrollers. Annual requirements include OEC refresher, CPR/AED refreshers, chair lift evacuation refreshers, snowmobile procedures, skiing and toboggan handling recertification.
She works closely with area management to coordinate not only slope and tubing run coverage during the season, but various community and area events during the off season. The patrol helps with the annual “Hero Challenge” by monitoring the 30+ features and furnishing first aid if needed.
The patrol also runs the fall Ski Patrol Ski Swap.
Cline was instrumental in the development, promotion to management and coordination an ongoing “Lids for Kids” program that encourages young skier under the age of 18 to wear a ski helmet. Patrollers will pass out tickets that provide a free rental helmet for the day or a heavy discount on a special helmet in the areas ski shop.
She also implemented a “Ski With The Patrol” program that gives guests a behind-the-scene look at the ski patrol by skiing with a patroller for at least a shift (normally four to seven hours). The program is designed for guests that are interested in knowing more about the ski patrol or perhaps have interest in joining the patrol.
For those who went through the program and did join the patrol the retention rate has been 100 percent. A second generation ski patroller, she has been a member of the Snow Trails Ski Patrol since 2000 and is a Senior Alpine Patroller.
Cline works at Ohio Health Shelby Hospital as an MLT ASCP and lives in Mansfield with her husband, Mike and two children, Jessie and Corey Bemiller.
The Snow Trails Ski Patrol was formed in 1961 when Show Trails Ski Area opened as the first ski area in Ohio. The patrol is a member of the National Ski Patrol and all patrollers are certified to NSP standards. The National Ski Patrol is the premier outdoor emergency care organization in the country.
