Eastern Division NSP's News Magazine
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A Message from Your New Division Director
Dear Eastern Division Patrollers,
Winter has finally given up its hold on the East, and skis are being traded for bikes and boats. This is an exciting time of transition, and I am incredibly honored to step into the role of your new Division Director following the election on May 3.
As one of my first official actions, I asked Justin Guth, New Hampshire Region Director, to serve as the new Assistant Division Director. He has graciously agreed and will take on the ADD duties while continuing his excellent work as the NH RD.
I also want to extend a special thank you to Grant Fullman and his assistant, Chuck Dunn, for their guidance and leadership over the past few years. They have left the Eastern Division on incredibly strong footing, and I look forward to building upon that solid foundation.
Mark Your Calendars!
• Bear Creek EMS Program, Virtual, 6/23, Contact Eric Snyder
• Bike Patroller School, Ontario County Park, NY, 6/27-28, Contact: John Wolf
• Certified Boot Camp, Magic Mountain, VT 8/7-9, Contact: Jenn Laitala
• AMN, Campgaw Ski Center, NJ, 9/11-13, Contact: Chuck Boyd
• Bike Patroller School, Holimont, NY, 9/12-13, Contact: John Wolf
• Enhanced Patroller School, Swain, NY, 9/18-20, Contact Tom Wallin
Bear Creek EMS Program
The Bear Creek EMS Program is hosting the following virtual class.
Assessment of Chest Pain – June 23, 2026 – Virtual
Presented by:
Dr. Steven Goldblatt, MD, FACC
Cardiologist (Retired), Medical Officer, Team CT-1, Disaster Medical Assistance Team,
and Medical Advisor for National Ski Patrol’s Eastern Division.
2026 Certified Done…2027 Shaping Up
The Certified Program had a very good year. We participated in the Far West Nutz and Boltz event at Mt. Hood in June, held our annual Boot Camp in Pennsylvania at Ski Roundtop in August, our Enhanced Patroller School at Swain in Genesee Valley, New York in September, two pretests – Hunter and Killington in January/February, Killington Patroller School and Intro to Certified Event in February, and our Annual Exam at Sugarloaf, Maine in March.
Turnout at all events was strong. We had a total of seven candidates take our exam. The weather turned warm, it rained, and then froze for two weeks prior. Needless to say, the terrain was NOT available to run the OET components of the exam. We also had to offer a bye on the Avalanche Beacon Search due to inadequate snow cover.
10th Mountain Insignia
Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division can once again don the division’s historic ski trooper insignia on their Army Green Service Uniform garrison caps, restoring a visual link to the unit’s World War II roots and reinforcing the alpine spirit that resonates across the formation.
Although never officially recognized, the insignia was adopted by 10th Mountain Division soldiers in 1943. The symbol represented a soldier’s ability to fight in harsh winter conditions and rugged mountain terrain. Today, leaders say bringing the emblem back to everyday uniform wear honors that legacy while reminding Soldiers of the division’s high standards.
Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division, said the decision carries real meaning for the force. “The crossed skis are more than a symbol from our past,” Naumann said. “They represent the toughness, adaptability and spirit that define this division. Seeing them on our Soldiers’ caps connects who we are today with the mountaineers who built our reputation.”
Nordic Masters – Looking Back and Forward
We finished the season with Nordic Master evaluations at Anthony Lakes, OR. The Eastern Division sent two NM ITs to the event along with Pacific Northwest and Northern Divisions’ NMs to evaluate the candidates. During a period of good weather and deep snow, our two candidates passed the MTR overnight SAR exercise. Low angle rescue, avalanche, improvised toboggans, and fire-starting skills were demonstrated and evaluated. If you are interested in the Nordic Master track, please contact me for the information.
The Proving Ground – Tuckerman Ravine
Every ski season, Mount Washington sees an average of 25 life-threatening sliding falls. The Proving Ground is a short film from Warden Co., produced in partnership with the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center Foundation, exploring the dangers of recreating on the mountain that go beyond avalanche risk alone – told through the stories of those who have survived, and those who tragically have not.
My Friend, Rick
Chuck Boyd & Rick Shandler Nordic Masters #5 and #7 Ski Touring in Switzerland
The one thing that we will do at this year’s AMN is honor him with a station called XOEC. XOEC is first aid given in an austere environment with only what is in your pack, and if you are on a day hike, or a mountain bike ride, this might not be much. Rick developed this program years ago and traveled around the division teaching some of these techniques to Nordic patrols. Nutmeg Nordic was fortunate to be able to participate in one of these courses.
In Memoriam — Richard Scott Shandler
Richard “Rick” Shandler died on April 29, 2026, after a short illness at Lankenau Medical Center in Penn Wynne, PA. Rick was born in 1961 in Broomall, PA to Selma Shandler (nee Ziegler) and Irving Shandler.
Rick graduated from Marple Newtown High School in 1979 and was in the Class of 1983 at Temple University with a theater arts major. He spent the next 20 years working in theater traveling the world as technical director for theatrical shows, concerts, festivals, etc. He also taught theater arts at the collegiate level at several colleges throughout the United States.
Concurrently, Rick was working as the Director of Operations at Diagnostic and Rehabilitation Center (DRC) from 1988-2003. He changed careers in 2003 and began working in the medical field first as a senior technologist in Electrophysiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and most recently as an Executive Clinical Account Specialist in Electrophysiology for Biosense Webster as well as Interim Product Director for Ultrasound in 2013 for Biosense Webster.
In Memoriam – Barbara Priore
Barbara (Barba) Priore, a beloved member of the Kissing Bridge Ski Patrol in Western New York, passed away on April 10, 2026, after a brief illness.
Barbara and her husband, Robert, joined the patrol in 1980, beginning a legacy of service that would span decades. Known for her warmth, humor, and unwavering dedication, Barbara quickly became an integral part of the patrol community.
She held the classification of Alpine Patroller and was especially passionate about education. As an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) instructor, she took great pride in mentoring new patrol candidates each year. Her creative teaching style—famously incorporating crossword puzzles to reinforce OEC material—left a lasting impression on countless trainees.
Barbara was widely regarded as the patrol’s expert in infant emergency care and CPR, a role she carried with both expertise and compassion. Her willingness to help was unmatched; she was the kind of person who never said no when asked for support.
In Memoriam – Diane M. Smith
In 1968, 58 years ago, Diane joined Glenwood Acres (now part of Kissing Bridge Ski Area), and from that very first run, she never looked back. She pointed her skis downhill and spent a lifetime lifting others up—patrollers, guests, and friends alike. Her impact stretched far beyond the slopes of Kissing Bridge, touching the entire Western New York Region, the Eastern Division, and the National Ski Patrol. To so many, she wasn’t just a leader—she was an inspiration, a mentor, and family.
Diane gave her whole self to the patrol. Whether she was teaching, mentoring, testing, or leading, she did so with unmatched energy and care. She served in countless roles, including First Aid/OEC Examiner, Instructor, Junior Advisor, Assistant Patrol Director, and most notably, Patrol Director for nearly three decades (1983–1993 and 1997–2024). Her leadership shaped generations of patrollers, and her influence will be felt for years to come in every lesson taught, every hill swept, and every life helped.
Congrats to our New OET TEs
Author’s Note 4/30/2026: This post has been updated to include additional Trainer Evaluators whose certifications were finalized after the original publication. We’re glad to recognize them here and appreciate our new TEs’ contributions to the OET Program!
The Outdoor Emergency Transportation (OET) program provides patrollers with advanced on-snow training in skiing, riding, and toboggan handling to ensure guests can be transported safely and efficiently to higher levels of care. OET Trainer Evaluators serve as regional staff responsible for training and evaluating Senior OET candidates, helping maintain consistent, high-quality instruction across the division.
This season we congratulate and welcome eight new OET Trainer Evaluators. Their dedication to excellence in skiing, toboggan handling, teaching, and mentorship strengthens the quality of training throughout the patrol community.
Division Director’s Report – April 2026
Spring arrived in the Adirondacks suddenly. Yesterday I was starting to swat bugs, and it’s snowing today. We are done skiing, except for a few diehards on skins in the high peaks. By most measures, this was an awesome ski season―great snowmaking weather, a good amount of natural snow, and relatively few rain or warm weather events until very late in the season.
Most of our friends out West were nowhere near as fortunate. In the absence of an NSP Powderfall event, Central Division sponsored “Last Tracks” at Park City, Utah in late March and low attendance, largely due to lack of snow, cost them dearly.
Two Bike Patroller Schools This Summer!
The Eastern Division Bike Program is announcing two different bike patroller schools! Any NSP member is welcome, regardless of whether you’re on a bike patrol. This includes hosts, patrollers, Nordic patrollers, and physician partners. You do NOT have to be a bike patroller, just have an interest in learning.
The first patroller school is hosted by GROC Mountain Bike Patrol in the Genesee Valley Region. It will be at two parks that have cross-country trails designed by and for mountain bikers.
EMS Continuing Ed Program
Over the past two years, Eric Snyder, a member of the Bear Creek Mountain Resort, has engaged in the development and implementation of a continuing education program. The program, run through Bear Creek EMS (not affiliated with Bear Creek Ski Patrol), has and continues to provide workshops via live online platform (i.e. Zoom).
The program provides interesting topics through the lens of industry professionals. Some are directly related to “patrolling” and others to outdoor emergency care. Each session is two hours in length and can be used as CEU’s for a myriad of certification requirements (i.e. NREMT).
Advanced Life Support Pain Management Program
Now about to conclude its second season, the advanced life support (ALS) pain management program at Stratton Mountain in the Southern Vermont Region has already helped numerous patients with moderate to severe pain while still on the mountain with injuries.
The program, known internally as “Code 90,” was started during the 2024-25 ski season at the Stratton Mountain Ski Patrol (SMSP). The goal and purpose were to enhance our on-hill medical care by reducing pain and improving comfort and patient outcomes.
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. What incidents qualify?
Nordic/Backcountry Roundup
Bolton Nordic Patroller School was our big event of the season and Ullr, the Norse God of Snow, delivered. With fresh snow on both Friday and Saturday nights we were primed for both XC and backcountry skiing evaluations! We minted four new senior Nordic/Backcountry Patrollers as well as two new Nordic Patrollers. Typically, we also do a Nordic Master evaluation, but this year our candidate had a medical issue just before the event was to begin. They will be back for next year.
