The National Ski Patrol is a nonprofit organization, deriving its primary financial support from membership dues, donations, user fees and corporate sponsorship. The national office is located in Lakewood, Colorado, and is staffed with full-time employees to handle administrative duties.

The NSP is composed of 10 geographic and one professional division for paid patrollers. The organizations' members are engaged in patrol activity on the slopes and in the promotion of safety programs across the outdoor recreation community. Safe skiing and snowboarding attitudes are offered to the public continuously in a sincere effort to reduce accidents and make outdoor snowsports more enjoyable.

The NSP, in addition to its own ski safety programs, works closely with the United States Ski Team, National Ski Area Association, Ski Industries America, Professional Ski Instructors of America, US Ski Writers Association, US Forest Service, National Park Service, and other organizations and agencies in the promotion of skiing and ski safety. Movies, television, radio, brochures, lectures and ski area signage all devoted to ski safety have either been initiated by the NSP or cooperatively produced.

In 1980, the National Ski Patrol was recognized as a Federal Charter by the United States Congress. This is a coveted endorsement that only a few other American institutions, like the Red Cross, the YMCA, and the Boy Scouts, have earned. The Charter stipulates the promotion of safety and health in skiing and other outdoor winter recreational activities. The NSP annually reports directly to Congress.

How long has the National Ski Patrol been around?

The National Ski Patrol (NSP), founded in 1938 by Charles M. (Minnie) Dole, had followed its creed of "Service and Safety" since the establishment of skiing as a popular sport in the United States.

What does the National Ski Patrol Do?

LOTS!!!   In general the NSP is about safety. This takes several forms.

• First-aid: If you hurt yourself, chances are that the person who will help you get to further advanced medical care is an NSP member. We do “lots” of first-aid!
• Avalanche control/rescue: The National Ski Patrol provides training on avalanche control and avalanche rescue techniques.
• Lift Evacuation: If the lift breaks down the person lowering you out of the chair will be a patroller.
• Hill Safety: The NSP is dedicated to promoting safe skiing. Marking obstacles, ski area boundaries, maintaining closures, etc. are all part of hill safety.
• Information: Generally the patrollers spend a lot of time just talking to people on chairlifts, providing area information, and just plain trying to insure that everybody else is having as much fun as possible!