Evacuation at Snowbird
The second NSAA Lift Evacuation Seminar held at Snowbird, Utah, in September, is a strong indication of the desire of some ski industry groups to promote safety in an area where too little has been done in the past. Fortunately, the evacuation problem has not made headlines in the American ski industry as it has nearly annually in Europe. We must face the fact, however, that with the growth of major lift installations in America, the possibility for evacuation under extreme weather conditions can lead to poor results.
Recently a major airline was forced to evacuate a 747 and the results, though newsworthy, were unfortunate. The slides used to evacuate passengers resulted in numerous injuries, much confusion and mild panic. Expensive equipment had been developed and installed on the aircraft, but the acid test of operation under emergency conditions was not impressive.
The need to lower humans from considerable heights under conditions of extreme temperature, wind and ice does not lead to a uniform or simple solution. Methods available at most ski areas have not been tested under actual emergency conditions, and knowledge of the problems and training required is badly needed.
The Snowbird Evacuation Siminar did not result in a solution to all evacuation problems. It did, however, add knowledge to that already on hand and, more important, made this knowledge available to NSAA members.
Evacuation is a field where equipment must be simple, foolproof and easily operated by area and ski patrol personnel. The cooperation of area management, governmental authorities and insurance interests is most heartening; these groups deserve recognition for their contribution.—R.E.K.
