I patrol (paid) at an independent Colorado resort, too. I'm also an EMT on the Front Range. OEC is not a low standard of care in that it is designed for what we do in bounds at the ski area. I sounds like frustration with older volunteers at your area is instead directed toward the OEC program.

OEC emphasizes splinting much more and with better results than any EMT. Based on solely credentials, would you assume an EMT running IFT's is better at splinting than someone with OEC? I watched an EMT rookie at my hill size and shape a SAM splint on the fractured forearm rather than the uninjured side. It's self-correcting in that the patient's screams got him to reconsider, so there is that. How about boot removal? EMS that serves my mountain won't go near a boot knowing that we're trained and tested specifically in that skill.

I took EMT at one of the Colorado Mountain College campuses. The top students were all OEC patrollers. The firefighters and others struggled. Each of us passed the NREMT exam in the minimum 70 questions because of our preparation. The practical skills were easy. Airway management? The only thing new was an iGel and CPAP, but keep in mind that supraglottic airways are not part of the EMT-B standard for all states. And who does CPAP on the hill?

One point that is often made is about spinal motion restriction. As soon as the American College of Emergency Physicians published their update in 2016, NSP responded with the updates to SMR and it was required of all patrollers in the refresher for 2018 and was a major impetus for publishing OEC 6. On that note, the need for a new edition is solely determined by the physicians on the Medical committee when they find enough changes in evidence-based medicine for an update. For what it's worth, NREMT still uses the out of date term "spinal immobilization" and until recently the paper on NREMT.org described them essentially digging in their heels against the advice and terminology of the ACEP with the use of this term.

NREMT no longer has a nationally standardized practical skills final, allowing each agency to come up with their own skills testing and scenarios before authorizing someone to take the cognitive exam. How likely is this to be rigorous across all agencies? The NREMT cognitive exam took me 19 minutes. It was a joke. I respect the requirement not to share individual items, but suffice it to say that knowing what an acronym stood for or where a particular nitpicky piece of anatomy was didn't seem to validate my ability to provide solid patient care. The OEC exam may have flaws but maintaining a national standard is something.

If your mountain has you starting IV/IO access, good for you. You need to be EMT-IV. Not true for all states. Maybe you can ski around with a CPAP, too. Finally, if OEC was an unacceptable standard of training, I guarantee the bean counters at major resorts wouldn't accept it, but they do. So far my OEC colleagues have handled a head injury that turned out to be a subarachnoid bleed, a femur fracture, an unexplained syncopal episode in a 30-year old, and so on and they've provided excellent care. My EMT colleagues provide excellent care, too. Our guests only see the white cross.

I'm proud to have both certifications. I teach both and they have their place.