Paramedics adapt to alpine conditions during 2025 winter season

Australia Broadcast Center

3 days ago

As skiers and snowboarders make their way up the snow-covered mountains at Perisher Valley, a nearby team of paramedics keeps a watchful eye.
Not far from the Front Valley sits a NSW Ambulance station surrounded by snow.
In the distance, a skier is spotted taking a tumble.
They get back up and dust off the snow before continuing down the slope.
It's a reminder of how dangerous ski fields can be.
Several injuries and, tragically, one death, have been reported on the slopes this winter.
"We're up over 90 incidents, both within the resort and back country jobs," said Mark Gibbs, NSW Ambulance's associate director of southern sector.
He said the start to the season was probably one of the busiest.
There has been a dedicated, seasonal team of paramedics based at Perisher Valley since 1986, and for good reason too.
They respond to an average of 200 jobs each winter.
This year, about 20 paramedics have worked in rotation at Perisher, with eight days on, six days off.
Most typically work from 8am to 6pm, but they remain on call in case there are jobs overnight.
Those stationed on the mountain live in a share-house together but can go home on their days off.
Some paramedics are working here the full three months, others a few weeks.
It's a sought-after assignment.
"It's a very, very selective process, and very competitive. There's lots of staff that are looking to come here," Mr Gibbs said.
"That's why we have quite a stringent assessment to identify the right people with the right skill set."
Some paramedics here have 25 years of experience working in the alps, but there are some fresh faces too.
Trainee Charles Milne, 31, has been a paramedic for 10 years.
He's normally based in Wagga Wagga, but is working in the snow for the first time.
"The medicine remains the same, but we have to adapt it to a challenging environment," he said.
Mr Milne is not fully out of his comfort zone in the alps, given he's an experienced snowboarder.
But he underwent an extensive induction process to prepare himself for the job, including back country training, avalanche training as well as specialist over-snow vehicle training.
The team at Perisher have just received four new snowmobiles to replace older models and they have been integral to accessing injured patients quickly.
"The snowmobiles allow our teams to get to the patients in, like a rapid responder, like a motorbike," Mr Gibbs said.
"It's to get to the patients in a timely manner."
Along with the four snowmobiles, paramedics also have access to two 4WD vehicles, and two larger over-snow vehicles.
One is a snowcat, also known as The Kassbohrer, while the other, The Hagglund, is an all-terrain carrier on lease from Antarctica.
The fleet is vital to accessing not only the main slopes, but the back country too.
"One of my first cases was a gentleman that had injured himself cross-country skiing up near Porcupine Rocks," Mr Milne said.
"The first responders went out on the snowmobiles, reached the patient and then determined that we were going to bring them back in the over-snow vehicle.
"We see a lot of fractured legs, a lot of fractured arms … as well as heart attacks and strokes.
"Broken legs is probably the thing we've seen the most this week.
Amid the challenges of the job, the paramedics are finding the reward in helping others.
"When family members meet us at the bottom of the hill or as we're loading into the ambulance, there's lots of thanks," Mr Milne said.
"Up here, people are on holidays, so it's that added stress for them.
"When we're able to take that stress away and tell them that their relative is going to be OK and that we're going to get them off to the care they need, that's hugely beneficial."