Rescue Dynamics
Edmonton, AB, Canada T6L 1K5
email:
http:www.rescuedynamics.ca

Mountain Leadership Training Seminars

Rescue Dynamics has developed a unique series of seminars in the outdoor and mountain leadership arena. They are designed to complement the wide variety of skill based courses that are listed on our website.

Seminars are facilitated by Cyril Shokoples, an internationally certified mountain guide and Past President of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. This page will focus on providing information on three of the newest seminars that have been presented across Canada. To date these seminars have been presented in Edmonton, AB, Calgary, AB, Banff, AB and Golden, BC and the latest sessions are scheduled for Toronto (April 2005), Winnipeg (June 2005), and Edmonton (April, May 2005). The three seminars have a few basic similarities and some dramatic differences.

The intent of the seminars is to increase awareness of many leadership and safety issues that impact individuals and clubs in decision making, risk taking and accident management. The seminars draw on a broad range of recent research in many fields. This information has been brought together in a very creative way to provide three stimulating and thought - provoking presentations.

The three new seminars are:

Managing the Risks of Mountain Accidents is a one evening seminar that has received rave reviews in the various venues in Western Canada in which it has been presented. It is a three hour session that delves into the psychology of risk taking and leadership. It examines human error and risk homeostasis theory and presents it in the context of mountain decision making. It looks at the characteristics of leaders and the role of training and technology in risk taking. It presents the concept of a safety culture and offers suggestions for how risk taking can be optimized in organizational and club settings. Versions of this session are available for professional organizations as well as for amateur groups and clubs.

Wilderness Accident Management is another new one evening seminar. It is a three hour session that presents a totally new fifteen step process for preparing for, responding to and recovering from outdoor, wilderness and mountain accidents. It is based on over a quarter century of training some of the nation's best mountain guides, park wardens and military search and rescue technicians in the areas of emergency response and mountain rescue. It attempts to integrate many of the previously separate components of mountain search and rescue response and develops a model for a unified response structure for outdoor leaders. Versions of this session are available for professional organizations as well as for amateur groups and clubs.

The Mountain Leadership Seminar is a two day seminar that begins where Managing the Risks of Mountain Accidents leaves off and goes far beyond. It provides a far more detailed treatment of the psychology of risk taking and leadership. It continues the examination of human error and risk homeostasis theory and presents it in the context of mountain decision making. It further looks at the characteristics of leaders and the role of training and technology in risk taking. It presents the concept of a safety culture and offers suggestions for how risk taking can be optimized in organizational and club settings. In addition, it includes discussions of Conflict Management, Safety Management Systems and Legal Liability Issues (in an outdoor context). Trip planning is highlighted in this session as well. A more detailed itinerary is provided below.

Versions of this session are available for professional organizations as well as for amateur groups and clubs. The professional version of the seminar replaces the trip planning sessions with the Wilderness Accident Management sessions which are not normally included.

Booking a seminar: These seminars are generally planned six months to a year in advance. Please contact us well in advance of your desired date.

The cost of the evening seminars (Managing the Risks of Mountain Accidents or Wilderness Accident Management) is $400 plus GST plus meals, airfare, travel and accommodation to your location. The hosting group or organization is responsible for providing an adequate large training facility / meeting room as well a 2500 lumen XGA resolution LCD or DLP projector. (Rescue Dynamics can provide a projector for an additional fee.) Reduced fees may be possible for Alberta based groups as time and travel considerations are reduced. Maximum group size for the evening seminars is suggested as 50 persons.

The cost of the two day seminar (The Mountain Leadership Seminar) is $1400 plus GST plus meals, airfare, travel and accommodation to your location. The seminar fee includes a copy of the seminar notes for each participant. The hosting group or organization is responsible for providing an adequate large training facility / meeting room as well a 2500 lumen XGA resolution (or higher) LCD or DLP projector. (Rescue Dynamics can provide a projector for an additional fee.) Reduced fees may be possible for Alberta based groups as time and travel considerations are reduced. Maximum group size for the seminar is 24 persons.

For more information please correspond directly with Cyril Shokoples.


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The Mountain Leadership Seminar

This is a two day seminar designed to assist the trip leader or aspiring leader to further develop the skills necessary to safely plan, coordinate and lead group outings in the mountains within a club setting. The program consists of classroom learning sessions and workshop style group discussions. Major content areas will include roles and responsibilities of leaders, trip preplanning, decision making, group dynamics, conflict management, management of risks & safety, basic legal issues, and a variety of other leadership related topics.

Seminar Goal

To enhance leadership skills of outdoor and mountain leaders and trip participants

Note to club seminar participants: When this seminar is delivered to club groups (such as the ACC) it is very specifically club oriented and may or may not apply to other settings. Discussions will generally be limited to club oriented situations for those sessions. This is a very intensive seminar conducted over two long days. Participants must be willing to contribute to all sessions where required.

Seminar Format

This seminar is presented using mixed media including extensive PowerPoint presentations, overhead and flip-chart presentations and small group workshop discussions. A workbook of the various PowerPoint presentations will be given to each participant.

Seminar Objectives

Upon completion of this seminar, the participant will be able to:
A. Discuss ACC leadership training locally and nationally.
B. Discuss the roles and responsibilities of ACC trip leaders.
C. Describe attributes of a good trip leader in the context of the ACC.
D. Discuss waivers, information forms and legal liability.
E. Discuss group development stages.
F. Discuss leadership styles and how they affect ACC trips.
G. Discuss conflict management.
H. Discuss how interpersonal factors impact on safety.
I. Discuss how “personality types” affect group interactions.
J. Discuss decision making on trips.
K. Discuss risk taking on ACC trips.
L. Discuss risk management and safety management systems or models.
M. Review trip planning for ACC trips.
N. Have fun while learning new things about ourselves and the ACC.

Seminar Outline

1. Introduction & Orientation
2. Basic Legal Issues in Outdoor Recreation
3. Roles & Responsibilities of Leaders
4. Group Development & Group Dynamics
5. Decision Making in Climbing
6. Safety Management
7. Trip Planning Part One – Pre-Trip
8. The Proof Testing Checklist & Route Cards
9. Trip Planning Part Two – The Trip
10. Conflict Management
11. Trip Planning Part Three – Post-Trip
12. Wrap-up

For information on booking a seminar

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Rescue Dynamics
Edmonton, AB, Canada T6L 1K5
Last updated Saturday, May 27, 2023