Determining What Award to Give in an OEC Incident
So, you know an OEC incident (can be anywhere, at a ski area or not) where a patient with a critical injury was handled by one or more individuals in an outstanding manner. They saved the life of the patient or kept them from having a negative quality of life outcome. You want to give the team an award, but you aren’t sure what award to give. Here is how to determine which.
The word individual used here refers to patrollers, hosts, or alumni. Individuals must be up to date on their OEC/OFC and dues. Only one merit star per individual per incident may be awarded. Check chapter 12 in the NSP Policies and Procedures for further guidance.
What incidents qualify?
- The patient would have died had patrol not intervened.
- The patient’s quality of life would have suffered negatively had patrol not intervened.
Who gets a Purple Merit Star?
- An individual who performed a lifesaving intervention (CPR, Narcan, etc.). Usually reserved for the lead individual unless more than one individual performed CPR.
- The patient lived for 24 hours or more after leaving patrol.
Who gets a Blue Merit Star?
- Case 1
- An individual who performed a lifesaving intervention (CPR, Narcan, etc.).
- The patient did not live for 24 hours after leaving patrol.
- Case 2
- An individual who had hands-on with a patient in a purple or blue merit star incident but is not eligible for a purple merit star (helped backboard the patient, applied oxygen, finished assessment, etc.).
Who gets a Yellow Merit Star?
- An individual who assisted a purple or blue merit star incident but did not have hands-on with the patient (drove the toboggan, brought equipment to the scene, etc.).
Who gets a Green Merit Star?
- An individual who puts their own life (the rescuer, not the patient) at risk to rescue/extricate a patient (pulled a patient from a burning vehicle, climbed into tree well, etc.).
Who gets a Red Merit Star?
- The incident does not qualify for a purple or blue merit star and must be less than two years old.
- Individuals who prevented a patient from suffering a negative quality of life outcome, or recognized a critical injury, stabilized the patient, and obtained rapid transport (repositioned to allow blood flow, stroke, heart attack, etc.).
Who gets a Division Certificate of Appreciation?
- This award is reserved for individuals who assisted in a red merit star incident but did not have hands-on with the patient (drove the toboggan, brought equipment to the scene, etc.)
