Members of four Libby area first responder groups gathered on the weekend of Dec. 6-8 to participate in a Wilderness First Aid Class. 

The class was entirely funded by a grant from the LOR Foundation and organized by Turner Mountain Ski Patrol. The Ski Patrol applied for the grant in September to better train Turner Mountain’s all-volunteer Ski Patrol.

Members of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, David Thompson Search and Rescue, Turner Mountain and the Libby Police Department joined together on Friday evening for a CPR class.

David Thompson and Turner Mountain volunteers then spent the next two full days participating in a Wilderness First Aid Class, taught by Aerie Backcountry Medicine.

Aerie is a well-known and widely accredited backcountry medicine organization out of Missoula and this was the second year they taught a first aid class to Turner Mountain Ski Patrol. 

All four groups routinely respond to emergency situations in inclement weather. The participants in the class will now be better equipped to offer aid when called upon to respond to an emergency and have now worked with some of the other responders that might be at the same incident. 

TMSP is an all-volunteer run organization that is vital to the operations of Turner Mountain Ski Area. 

"Thanks to the LOR Foundation, this class provided top-tier training and an opportunity for first responder groups to train together in order to better serve our communities," said Sarah Valentine, secretary for the Turner Mountain Ski Patrol Board of Directors.

Turner Mountain has been open for skiing since Jan. 3. The Montucky Clearcut is scheduled for Feb. 3-6.