Overall Program Flow

Part of Safety & Quality - Part 1: Policies & Procedures
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Each program has specific protocols and requirements to ensure safety and quality that must be met before the program begins.

Protocol & Requirements For Every Site

Command Center

A Command Center is required for all programs. It could be the office. It could a vehicle. On expeditions, it could be a backpack carried and tended to by the on-site Coordinators. The Command Center includes:

• A fully-stocked first-aid kit and, if in a vehicle, a vehicle safety kit.
• A secure place (ideally lockable) to store roster information and/or medications.
• Key operational gear (i.e. charging walkie-talkies, printers, etc). Communication tools.

Communication Tools & Strategies

Staff must be able to stay in touch with one another. Equipment and strategies include:

• Charged walkie-talkies: required. See Radio Protocol
• Cell phones: all staff should have the numbers of all Coordinators and administrative staff, as well as emergency services.
• Satellite phone: carry when service is not available and you are more than 15 minutes from a landline or reliable cell signal.
• Agree-upon “calls”: any loud cry that carries through the woods.
• Safety whistles: a very loud whistle that indicates distress when blown three times.

Rosters

Rosters include copies of student waivers and medical information. Procedure to follow:

• Copies of all rosters are kept at the Command Center or with a Coordinator.
• Copies are kept with staff person currently leading students on field activities.
• All waivers are shredded at the end of the program as they contain private information.

Site Safety Sheet

Every staff member must have a copy of the Site Safety Sheet. It includes: Contacts and driving directions to all Emergency Medical Services.

• A copy of EMS protocol: know when to self-evacuate and when to call for EMS help. See Evacuation Policy.
• Current assessment of site and activity hazards.
• Radio channel(s) used and cellphone contacts of everyone working on site.

Program Fundamentals

There are important steps to remember before, during, and after any programs:

Before the Program

Review student rosters: Focus on medical and behavioral concerns and go to your Coordinator if you have questions. Ask and answer how you are keeping each participant safe. Remember that the information on the rosters is confidential and may not be shared with anyone outside of staff or EMS.

Scout sites: Do this ahead of time to craft a site safety plan. This is typically the role of the Coordinator or other administrative staff. Use these notes in the Site Safety Sheet and at Safety Meetings.

Review program schedules: Know what you are doing and when. Coordinators will provide copies of schedules before programs, including locations. If you have questions, ask them before the first morning of the program! When you do change plans, review changes verbally with your Coordinator and make notes on your schedules.

Gather and care for your equipment and materials: Last minute scrambling to prepare is unacceptable. Make sure you have all your gear, materials, and vehicles ready to go well before your program begins. No matter what your role is, don’t assume someone else will get everything for you — be proactive! If it is shared equipment, check with a gear Coordinator before using it.

Do vehicle pre-trip check: A procedural check of all buses, vehicles, and trailers is required. See Vehicle Pre-Trip Check List.

During the Program

Hold daily or more frequent Safety Check-Ins: This includes Safety Meetings and Safety Check-Ins (see page 21) with your staff. Do the same with your students. When you set firm ground rules and expectations and follow up by asking students for their contributions, they become participants in their own safety.

Record safety incidents thoroughly: Document as soon as possible using Incident Report protocol (see pages 47 and 122). If you’re not sure if something is a reportable incident, check with your Coordinator. Even if you think an incident is too minor to report, it could grow into a greater concern. Better safe than sorry!

Record observed behaviors: Make written notes of students. Also, remember the positive ones! Share your positive observations with students and parents often. This helps build trust and rapport. Review notes at the end-of-the-day (see page 23) and in morning Safety Meetings. Learn to tell the difference between objective behavior you can see versus subjective judgments made about a person as a result of their behavior.

Do not say, “Billy is a bad kid.”
Instead have specifics: “Today, as I reviewed knife safety, Billy did not put his knife away after I asked him to.

Remember Any notes you make about participants must remain confidential.

Review the schedule: During your program, transparency is key to keeping students informed, within boundaries, and engaged. Regular schedule reviews help students and staffers stay on time. It also builds “informed consent” from all staff and students. Since they’re consistently informed about schedule and flow, they have the opportunity to ask questions and prepare for coming activities.

Call a Coordinator if you need help: Certain situations may require the assistance of a supervisor. Examples of when to call for and involve your Coordinator:

• Call if circumstances develop such that cannot pay attention to your entire group.
• Call if any behavior is dangerous to others or extremely inappropriate.
• Call if there is an injury with lameness, pain that does not subside quickly, or blood.

=After the Program

Debrief all Incident Reports: Ask what could have been done differently. If you have any concerns or doubt, serious or minor, bring them to your Coordinator.

Revise the program schedule: Make notes to your schedule on what actually happened and for improvements. Give this to your Coordinator.

Tidy up your gear: Become obsessive about properly maintaining and putting away gear. Look for ways to be Truly Helpful if your teammates needs a hand.