For safe slopes in the Corviglia ski area

Slope and rescue service

Our piste and rescue service team is already in the thick of the action at dawn. Their mission: to ensure safety on the slopes before the first skis touch the snow. With 27 patrollers, they are on duty on Corviglia every day to ensure that winter sports enthusiasts can pursue their passion without a care in the world - and if something does happen, they are there in a flash. Their tasks range from providing first aid in the event of accidents and transporting injured people down to the valley, to checking and marking the slopes and avalanche blasting and rescues.

The most important SOS numbers

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Core tasks of the SOS team

  • Slope control
  • Slope marking
  • Avalanche safety
  • Avalanche blasting
  • First aid in the event of an accident
  • Rescue and transportation to the valley
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Interview with Linard Godly, Head of Rescue Services

"The safety of our guests and employees is always our top priority."

 

Linard, your work starts at dawn - even before the first rays of sunshine flash across the mountain peaks. What are your tasks in the rescue and piste service before the Corviglia ski area opens?
We are always the first to be out and about in the ski area. On a normal day, when the weather is nice, we go up early and discuss what's on the agenda for the day as a team. For example, is there a special event or a ski race? After the morning meeting, each patroller knows what tasks they have and which area section they have to look after based on the duty roster. The duty roster also clearly defines who is responsible for which areas - whether it's securing with side markings, signaling, barriers or closing certain slopes. Then everyone goes to their post and starts their patrol. My duties also include a lot of administrative tasks: every day I check the avalanche bulletin and send our weather data to the SLF (Swiss Avalanche Research Institute) so that they can produce their avalanche forecasts. Then there are the day's current issues on the mountain. Afterwards, I usually go out on the slopes to check whether our slope perimeter is in order and whether everything I ordered in the morning has been implemented.

In the Corviglia ski area, we are up to over 3000 meters above sea level - the weather can change quickly. What does your work look like when the weather forecast is bad, for example in the event of snowfall or strong winds?
Our daily routine is different in bad weather. We then have to decide first thing in the morning which slopes we can open and which might be better left closed due to the weather conditions. Sometimes avalanche blasting is also necessary. We decide whether small, selective blasting is sufficient or whether we need to carry out larger measures using a helicopter or blasting masts. I make these assessments together with my deputies or team leaders. Another important task is to keep an eye on the weather throughout the day. Bad weather can change during the course of the day - it can snow more heavily, the wind can pick up or the risk of avalanches can increase. We have to constantly reassess the situation. The safety of our guests and employees is always our top priority.

What are the core tasks of the rescue and piste service?
Everything that takes place above the snow is our area of responsibility. Our core area of responsibility comprises three main areas: Firstly, slope control and slope marking, i.e. both the setting up and maintenance of signaling, markings and barriers in the ski area. Secondly, safety in the ski area, in particular avalanche safety including avalanche blasting, as well as protection against natural hazards. And thirdly, first aid in the event of accidents, including the rescue of snow sports enthusiasts involved in accidents and their transportation to the valley.

What happens when an emergency call is received at the SOS control center on Corviglia or Marguns?
The control center is manned from morning to evening until the last patroller has arrived in the valley after the final slope check. The main task of the person in the control center is to determine the exact location of the accident in the ski area. Sometimes this is easy if the person involved in the accident knows their way around and can clearly say where they are - for example on the Champion piste, after the crest in the steep slope, roughly in the middle. This makes our work much easier. However, it is often more complicated, especially with international guests who are in the area for the first time and speak a different language. By asking specific questions, we manage to determine the location of the accident even in such situations. As soon as the exact location is known, the nearest patroller is sent there - equipped with a rucksack and a sledge. Once at the scene of the accident, the patrolman reports this to the control center and first assesses the situation: Can he rescue the person with the sled alone? Does he need additional help? Or is it a more serious accident, such as a collision, that requires even more assistance? He then examines the patient to find out what injuries are present. If the patrolman decides that he can transport the person by sled, he prepares them, loads them into the sled and informs the control center. This then notifies the necessary emergency services. An example: The patrolman reports to the control center that he is on his way to the Marguns mountain station with a 35-year-old man with a wrist fracture. There, the SOS gondola is prepared for transport to the valley and an ambulance for the journey to the Oberengadin Hospital or the Gut Clinic.

The patroller takes the rescue sledge to the nearest mountain station. How do you organize the transport of the patient down to the valley by cable car?
We transport patients particularly gently using our special SOS gondola at the Marguns mountain station, into which the rescue sledge can be pushed together with the patient. On Corviglia, we use the funicular railroad for transport to the valley. There are various meeting points where we hand patients over to the ambulance. Our aim is always to make the transport as gentle and comfortable as possible.

When is a rescue helicopter needed?
In the event of serious accidents, such as collisions involving several people, a helicopter may also be requested by the control center. As soon as a helicopter is called, more patrol officers are needed to secure the landing site, instruct the helicopter, record patient data, interview witnesses and take photos. Such collisions must be documented in detail so that all the information can be passed on to the police later. The first patrol officer at the scene of the accident is responsible for the documentation and the accident report. As soon as the person concerned has been transported away, the patrolman returns to the station and draws up a detailed accident report. This contains all relevant information such as patient data, the course of the accident, weather conditions, witness statements, sketches and photos. The control center checks the report for completeness and saves it in the system. This is particularly important for insurance issues and possible legal proceedings, where it is crucial that all information is properly documented and can be retrieved years later.

You have been working in rescue and piste services for 20 years, during which time both ski equipment and piste preparation have developed significantly. What impact have these advances had on your work?
Ski equipment and the nature of the slopes have changed a lot in the last 20 years, which has also led to a change in accident patterns. Classic injuries such as shin splints are less common today. This is due to the fact that we now have much better equipment on our feet and the slopes are prepared differently - 20 years ago, when these modern snow groomers did not yet exist, the slopes were often bumpy, which led to completely different accident patterns than on today's perfectly prepared and flatter slopes. Especially with the high-waisted carving skis, new forces act on the body, which has led to an increase in knee injuries. With the improved equipment, people ski faster, and when an accident occurs, the impact is often more violent than before. So the nature of accidents has definitely changed.

Every patroller has to complete a two-day cantonal training course at least every four years, during which you also act as a class instructor. What is important to you in the training and development of patrol officers?
My aim is for our patrol officers to be even better trained than the standards require. We offer many internal training courses, often in collaboration with the Oberengadin Hospital or the Gut Clinic, where we can provide our patrol officers with even more specific medical training. We also discuss past cases, reflect on our approach and consider what could be improved. We also carry out regular resuscitation exercises. Every year we have a training evening at Samedan Hospital, where orthopaedists and other doctors give presentations. Last year, we were even able to watch a live operation on a wrist fracture, which gave our patrol officers a deeper understanding of injuries. It is very important to me to maintain the high level of our training and further education. We are currently also taking part in a pilot project with the painkiller fentanyl: our patrol officers are equipped with a special fentanyl lollipop that they can use on casualties with very severe pain. As fentanyl is a powerful painkiller, our team is specifically trained in its use. Here, too, our principle is to treat and transport the affected persons as gently as possible. My aim is to keep standards high at all times, to introduce new technologies and methods and to continue to develop.

I can imagine that being confronted with accidents and pain on a daily basis is a mental challenge. What qualities should you have for the rescue and snow grooming service?
You definitely need to be weatherproof, as the job takes place outside in the cold and snow. Being able to ski well is essential. A flair for communication is also important, as we work in an international ski resort. We can't expect our patrollers to speak every language. However, they must be able to communicate with the patient in a situation where the person is in pain and particularly vulnerable. Mental strength is also crucial. You occasionally see avalanche victims, serious injuries or crying children - you can't be scared or freeze, you have to know what to do. The ability to switch from 0 to 100 is essential, because it can be quiet all day and suddenly you are called to an emergency such as a heart attack on the slopes. Despite the challenges, the majority of patrollers stay in this job because they enjoy their work and recognize the meaningfulness of the task when they can help someone directly.

How do you deal with difficult moments as a team, such as particularly serious accidents?
Unfortunately, it can happen that an injured person dies at the scene of an accident. In such moments, you just carry on working for the time being. It is important that you come together later to discuss the incident as part of a de-briefing. This reflection is particularly important in serious cases in order to regain distance. personally, I seek to communicate with my wife and family and also find a way to switch off in my work in agriculture. Spending half an hour in the barn with the animals helps me to leave the day behind me. There are different methods of coping with such experiences. While some say it's okay for them, others process the incident in their own way. If someone does not have a supportive environment and is alone in the evening, they may dwell on the incident and not sleep well. In such cases, it is important to ask whether the person would like to talk about it. We all support each other.

What do you personally think characterizes a good working day in the rescue and snow grooming service?
When our employees come home healthy and without any major accidents. After all, we are also on skis every day. It is also my goal that our guests have an excellent day's skiing and that everyone goes home with a smile. Even if someone is unlucky and has an accident, we hope that they can say: 'I may have ended up in hospital, but luckily I had an accident on the Corviglia. The patroller was very nice, looked after me well and the process was quick and smooth. If we can achieve that, then we've done our job well.