When snow buries a skier, every second matters. “After three minutes of not breathing, your brain starts to die,” says Jonah Pucci, a member of the Schweitzer Mountain ski patrol. Pucci wants skiers to take every possible precaution before hitting the slopes this year. For those skiing out of bounds, this means having a transceiver so others can locate you if you get buried.

“I suggest not only have the right tools, but you need to practice with them once a week,” Pucci says.

And then there are the everyday rules, the common ones that can help prevent collisions and, hopefully, broken bones. Pucci advises skiers to follow safety codes; Schweitzer’s code consists of seven points, which apply to any skier, anywere:

But even while moving on a course, Pucci says skiers must beware of potentially fatal situations. There is still a chance to get suffocated in a Non-Avalanche Related Snow Immersion Death (NARSID).

NARSID can occur “when a rider or skier falls into an area of deep unconsolidated snow and becomes immobilized,” according to TreewellDeepSnowSafety.com. “The more the person struggles, the more entrapped in the snow they become.”

These can occur around treewells, which are holes or depressions near the trunks of trees. Evergreen trees (firs, hemlocks and others) can have large, deep tree wells that form when low-hanging branches prohibit snow from filling in and consolidating around the base of the tree, according to the website.

Pucci suggests skiing with a partner at all times. That way, if one skier becomes trapped under snow, the other can help him or her dig out.

“Skiing with a buddy is huge,” he says. “You should be able to have someone dug out in three minutes or less.”

Pucci invites skiers interested in learning safety drills to come to Schweitzer Mountain on a Sunday to receive free training. It’s that sort of regular training he says will help skiers stay safe and prepared.

As Pucci says: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”