Eastern Division NSP's News Magazine
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Awesome OET Events Planned
Yes, it’s very steep!
Patroller Schools have a rich history of providing patrollers the opportunity to learn from the best instructors, including Division Staff and Certified Patrollers. In fact, the Elk Mountain, Maine, and Killington Patroller Schools can trace their history back more than 30 years when they were founded by Certified Patrollers looking to share their expertise.
Patroller Schools are awesome opportunities for patrollers at all levels to grow their OET skills and enjoy the camaraderie of meeting fellow patrollers from outside their home mountains. Events will include Senior, Women’s, and Certified level training. Schools will also offer top level PSIA coaches to help hone your ski, snowboard, and tele technique.
Best Boot Camp Ever!
Brant Maley, certified #523 and Ski Roundtop patroller (a Vail Resort), and the staff of both the resort and the Certified Program delivered in August, what is being hailed as one of the best boot camps in the program’s history! The venue was outstanding; the participants were incredible, and the weather cooperated. Activities included a ropes course, fishing, camping, cookouts, firepit discussions, and an all-around good time. We had over 60 participants over the 2.5 day event. Industry experts participated in open, town-hall-type forums talking about lift evacuation and risk management.
YAP Summer Outing
July 24-27, young adults, past, present, and future, Eastern Division YAP and OEC supervisors, and the New Hampshire Region YAP Advisor gathered to take on the challenge of the mountain bike craze. We all met at the Country Aire Campground, where we set up a variety of stays, everything from the good old tent setup to what some would call Glamping (I prefer to call it staying in comfort and style). That night sitting around the campfire, we discussed our plans for the next few days. It was decided we would take on the challenge of Thunder Mountain Bike Park on Friday.
After a hearty breakfast on Friday, we loaded up the trucks with our bikes and headed over to Thunder Mountain. After signing the standard waivers, we donned personal safety gear and headed to the lifts. We were led by Jason Tamulen, the Eastern Division OEC Supervisor and bike patroller, to the top and after some discussion and planning we learned the motto Pre-ride, Re-ride, Free ride. No different than doing a trail check, warm-up lap, and then letting it rip.
Safety & Wellness Travel Team Wants to Visit You!
The Mission: The Eastern Division Safety & Wellness Team is offering live presentations to educate all about the importance of
stress awareness.
Why: Studies have shown that first responders who are educated and aware of the signs and symptoms of stress injury fare much better than those who are not. Our job is to care for your patrol members and to help support and retain them.
Memorial Scholarships Awarded
Harriet Frawley, Memorial/Scholarship Fund Advisor
Snowbound EXPO ’25
Winter is almost here — and we’re kicking it off in a big way at the Snowbound Expo in Boston, November 14-16. The National Ski Patrol will once again be front and center as an exhibitor, and we want you to be part of the action.
Snowbound isn’t just another trade show — it’s the ultimate preseason celebration of skiing and riding in New England. More than 20,000 snow lovers will pack the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center to meet their favorite athletes, check out the latest gear, and dream about the season ahead.
The lineup this year is stacked: Olympic champion Hannah Kearney, World Cup racer Alice Merryweather, snowboard legend Todd Richards, and the always-entertaining Donny Pelletier are just a few of the names drawing crowds. Add big brands like Nordica, Rossignol, K2, Salomon, and Fischer, plus resorts from Killington to Sugarloaf, and the excitement is nonstop.
10th Mountain Division
On June 26, 2025, the Eastern Division participated for the fifth consecutive year in Mountainfest at Fort Drum. Each year, the 10th Mountain Division opens to the public for an all-day open house on Division Hill and, on average, 10,000 people attend.
Highlights of the day included live demonstrations by the soldiers firing 155mm Howitzers, deploying the cannons by Blackhawk helicopters, mock firefights in both cold and warm weather gear, a live rock band, many vendors, and a multitude of food trucks.
Every year, the Eastern Division has staffed a booth with leaders from different programs to help explain the shared history of the 10th and NSP – and how this relationship continues to grow. We provided abbreviated CPR demos, knot tying demos, and handed out NSP promotional items.
Senior Aid Room Management Module (AR-MSP)
Many of you have heard of the ‘newly revived’ OEC Senior Aid Room Management Module. This program was initiated in 2018 but was never effectively launched in the Eastern Division. It is hoped that the information here will dispel some of the questions and concerns surrounding the course and promote momentum to establish a quality program in our division.
The Aid Room Management Module of the Senior Program (AR-MSP) was initially designed to offer a path to obtain NSP Senior for those individuals who would not be completing the OET portion of the Senior Program.
The Senior Aid Room Management Module is not a requirement to become an Alpine or Nordic/Backcountry Senior. It is, however, a requirement to become a Senior Patroller along with the OEC Module of the Senior Program (OECMSP) and four additional Senior Electives. Much, if not all, of the AR-MSP can potentially be completed virtually.
In Memoriam – Lowell ‘Bud’ Brooks, Jr.
Lowell S. “Bud” Brooks, Jr., 90, of Allendale, NJ, passed away on August 13, 2025, in Allendale, NJ. He was born in Kingston, New York, in 1934, alongside his identical twin brother, Lynn, to his parents, the late Margaret and Lowell S. Brooks, Sr.
He attended Kingston High School, where he was on the ski team and began his lifelong service with the National Ski Patrol. A graduate of Norwich University (1957) and later Fairleigh Dickinson University (MBA, cum laude, 1968), Bud served as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before beginning a distinguished career in engineering, information systems, and business management, retiring from Cytec Industries in 1999.
In 1963, Bud married Ellen Schutz, and together they raised two children, Lowell “Scott” and Amy, in Allendale, where they lived for over 50 years. Bud was a devoted husband and lovingly cared for Ellen in her final years, as she battled Alzheimer’s, until her passing in 2018.
In Memoriam – David R. Hanning
David R. Hanning, an alumnus of the Swain Ski Patrol in Swain, New York, died July 13, 2025 at the Hildebrandt Hospice Care Center in Greece, NY at the age of 98.
David joined the National Ski Patrol in 1964 and patrolled for 40 years, serving with distinction as an Assistant Patrol Director, Membership Chairman, Outdoor Emergency Transportation and Mountain Travel and Rescue instructor, and Western New York Region Chairlift Evacuation Program Administrator.
He became a senior patroller in 1966 after passing the senior ski & toboggan test during the blizzard of 1966 that left all the senior candidates and examiners stranded in the storm and unable to travel home for two days.
For his ski patrol leadership and dedicated service to the skiing public he received National Appointment Number 7099 in 1989 and the National Ski Patrol Distinguished Service Award in 2004. Upon his ski patrol retirement, the David Hanning Commendation Award was established in his honor to be awarded for cumulative career contributions to the Swain Ski Patrol.
In Memoriam – John K. Jepson, Sr.
John K. Jepson, Sr. of Simsbury, CT, the former husband of Anne M. T. Jepson and Andi Thorne Jepson passed to be with his Lord on July 23, 2025. He was preceded in death by his parents John Jepson and Clarice Kincaide Jepson and is survived by his brother, Henry Lincoln Kincaide Jepson (Vicki) and his two sisters, June C. Jepson and Esther G. Gomez (Richard).
He is also survived by his three children, John K. Jepson Jr. (Kara), Jeffrey F. Jepson (Donna), and Kristin J. DuBois (William), his three stepsons, Greg Thorne, Rick Thorne (Jennifer), and Dan Thorne ( Michelle), and his thirteen grandchildren, Nicole Wolter (Matt), Ashleigh Jepson, Laura Jepson, Grace Trainer (Bennett), Emma McMahon (Dylan), Lincoln Jepson, Austin DuBois, MacKenzie DuBois, Caroline DuBois, Grant DuBois and Keegan DuBois, Alexa Thorne and Zachary Thorne.
John was born in Hartford, CT, attended Kingswood High School in West Hartford, and graduated high school from Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT. He briefly attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO before transferring and earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from St. Lawrence University. He later attended the University of Connecticut (UCONN) Law School where he earned his law degree.
In Memoriam – Stanley J. Klima
Stanley J. Klima, age 94, has finished his last run. He passed away August 14, 2025, the same way he came into the world – at home. He was the son of Albert and Stella (Chojnacki), the beloved husband of 59 years to Mary Ellen (nee Maher), and loving father to Catherine Gletherow (Jamie), John (Jill), Mary Lynn Golliher (Doug), Carol Auth (Rodney), and Jim (Angela). Stanley (Stash) was an U.S. Army veteran, NASA engineer, and an avid skier.
Stash was always slightly amazed at how his life turned out. Hailing from the small town of Buck Lake in Michigan’s upper peninsula, his military service showed him the world. When he returned home, the GI Bill paved the way for him to go to Michigan Technological University, leaving work on the family farm and in the mines. He landed a job at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio where he worked as a metallurgical engineer on research and testing that was used in the space program.
Division Director’s Report – July 2025
Although the run-up to winter is probably the last thing on our minds during July heat, each passing day is a little bit shorter, and this will continue until mid-December. I’ve been back driving the car the past four weeks, after ten weeks of “home confinement” following injury in March and ankle surgery on April 1. With lots of physical therapy, I’m seeing slow progress toward where I’ll need to be when the snow flies. Getting my swollen right foot back into a ski boot might remain the biggest challenge
We often hear the term “patrol family,” but I doubt many of us ever fully grasp the concept until we see it in action. The commitment of that “family” was positively proven during my confinement since I couldn’t drive and my wife hasn’t driven in years due to low vision. Patrollers brought me to doctor’s appointments and to the hospital for surgery.
What’s Coming…
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OET Steering Committee Meeting – The Hermitage, VT – August 2-3, 2025- Certified Boot Camp – Ski Roundtop, PA – August 15-17, 2025
- Eastern Division Fall Officers’ Meeting – via Zoom – September 5, 2025
- Enhanced Patroller School – Swain Mountain, NY – September 12-14, 2025
- Bike Patrol Event – ENY or WMASS – September 13-24, 2025
- AMN Instructor Refresher – Pike Glades, NH – September 27-28, 2025
And more…
Summer Bike Program Updates
Some updates from the bike program, where our season is in full swing across the Division.
- The Bike Program advisors and a select group of patrol representatives are meeting on the first Wednesday of each month to continue to build the program across the Eastern Division. If you are a regional bike advisor or patrol rep and would like to be included, let me know.
- John Wolf of Liberty Mountain Ski Patrol has been appointed as the Assistant Bike Program Supervisor for the Division.
- We have rolled out the bike program ITs and instructors across NY and MA. We’re still looking for ITs and instructors in many other regions.
- Judy Valachovic writes that “The Genesee Valley Region proudly hosted its fourth annual Women’s Mountain Bike Enhancement Seminar on Sunday, May 18. This collaborative effort between the Women’s Program and the Bike Program brought together female riders of all skill levels for a day focused on growth, connection, and fun.
What is Certified?
The NSP Certified Program is a performance-based leadership program that provides an opportunity for patrollers to learn and be tested on critical patroller skills/knowledge. The program has a distinguished history with many of its members serving in national, division, regional, and local patrol leadership positions. Certified patrollers have a history of commitment to giving back, fostering learning, and progressing core patroller skills over the years.
Success in the program is hard-earned, requiring a real commitment to mastering multiple patrol-related disciplines, often over multiple years, across regions and divisions, to gain a vast and deep knowledge/skill base. Through the program, our members not only build a best-in-class level of expertise but also a sense of camaraderie with fellow patrollers as they work outside their local patrol/region.
Your preparation to participate will provide a unique opportunity to learn from others, broaden your experience, and sharpen your skills. Admission is not automatic. To apply as a candidate, an applicant’s credentials are reviewed by a committee to ensure a minimal level of experience, a commitment to the program, and a track record of leadership and support of their local patrol/region.
Thinking About Certified?
Certified patrollers in the Eastern Division often become key resources for their resorts and patrol teams. Their expertise allows them to contribute at a higher level during complex incidents, such as multi-casualty accidents, extreme weather rescues, or avalanche events.
Their advanced training also positions them to serve as mentors for new patrollers, helping to elevate the skill level and preparedness of the entire patrol. This ripple effect benefits both the ski areas and the skiing public, reinforcing a culture of safety and excellence on the mountain.
Participation in the Certified Program also fosters a strong sense of community among elite patrollers across the Eastern Division. Annual events such as the certified exam and regional clinics bring together candidates, alumni, and examiners from different states and resorts.
What is a Nordic Master?
What is a Nordic Master? As the name suggests, it is a master of all Nordic skills. These include Nordic Senior, MTR 1 & 2, Avalanche 1 & 2, instructor in one or more NSP disciplines, holding or having held an NSP administrative position, and demonstrating proficiency in XC and Nordic downhill skiing, as well as toboggan handling skills. Once these prerequisites are met, candidates must pass three final evaluations and an oral review board to earn this coveted certification.
Currently, there are 22 Nordic Masters across the country. One is a division director, two are on the national board of directors, another is the national Nordic/Backcountry program director, and three are division Nordic/Backcountry program supervisors. All the Nordic Masters have worked tirelessly to master their skills and provide leadership and education to help make NSP the best it can be.
