Site Protocols

Contents Safety & Quality Guide
Part of Safety & Quality - Part 1: Policies & Procedures
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Laws & Regulations

The majority of laws and regulations we operate under are designed for the safety of our participants and the public. Understanding and respecting these rules are essential to planning any program. Violation of the law or regulations can make a program and staff subject to unnecessary scrutiny at best, and fines, legal issues and even incarceration, at worst.

Unfortunately, many camps operate in violation of local regulations and guidelines for camp programs and land use. This is because even experienced staff are not always familiar with regulations. We require all staff to read and adhere to organizational camp regulations of the state and county that they are operating in.

For a list of clear and nearly universal American Camp Association standards: www.acacamps.org/sites/default/files/images/accreditation/stdsglance.pdf

A great set of review tools from the American Camp Association: www.acacamps.org/accreditation/resources-tools

Site Use:

Using sites according to proper zoning regulation is essential.

Before using a site, obtain the necessary permits and permission from the public managers or private owners.
Know all rules and regulations of that site, including zoning and occupancy, and assure that you are in compliance. The county typically governs this.
Know your water is potable and safe. Have it tested and treated if necessary.

Fire & Life Safety:

The local fire marshal is a great resource for fire and life safety information. Follow these guidelines:

Only fill rooms with occupancy approved by local Fire Marshal.
Mark exits and have a proper evacuation procedure for any site. Practice it in evacuation drills.
Have fire extinguishers available and properly marked.
Have first-aid kits and all students’ medical information on hand for EMS personnel.

Radio Protocol

Radios are a tool for rapid communication in the field, especially in areas with unreliable cell reception. Many radios commonly use public broadcast channels, so treat all information relayed on them as public information. Please see FCC regulations for channels appropriate for commercial use.

Before the Program

Coordinators check out radio and are responsible for each unit.
All staff are responsible for having a fully charged and functional radio before getting on the bus.
Coordinators establish team channels and coordinate with teams to avoid radio channel conflicts.
Coordinator sets clear emergency signals. The key is to limit details to avoid alarming other participants listening and not relay sensitive information. Suggestions include:
- “I need assistance.” Code for any issue.
- “Come swiftly.” Code for come as fast as you can.
- “Solo Adventurer.” Code for a student lost or running from the group.

BAD EXAMPLE Someone get over here quick! There are pools and pools of blood. Why Bobby? It was just an innocent fawn.
GOOD EXAMPLE Casey, your assistance is needed in the pavilion. Come swiftly.

During the Program

Use your radio only when necessary. If a teammate is close, consider walking over to them. It is irritating when you are doing a quiet activity and the radio squelches. That said, even though it’s tempting, do not turn your radio down during quiet activities. That is unsafe. Rely on your team to follow protocol.
Avoid mentioning a student’s full name over the radio. Use first names only when needed (e.g. “Bobby’s parent is here to get him”).
Never mention medical information over the radio, or anything you don’t want announced to every single student standing next to an teacher with a radio (that is to say—all of them!).
Check your radio often. Keep volume on maximum and locked on the correct channel.

After the Program

Let your Coordinator know immediately if you have a problem with your radio. Return all radios to their charging stations where they can easily be found the next day.

Radio Dos and Don’ts

DO: When communicating by radio, IDENTIFY YOURSELF and who you are trying to reach TWICE. Get CONFIRMATION that the message was received.
GOOD CALL: Jess to Lynn, Jess to Lynn
LIKELY RESPONSE: Lynn here, go ahead
DON’T: Avoid a general call-out. Many helpful folks will respond at the same time and then you get that horrible sound like clashing titans without any words coming through.
BAD CALL: Did anyone unlock the bathroom?
LIKELY RESPONSE: Whrrrr crack, Bobby… the deer fawn, skreech arrugah, hunh? Why Bobby? WHY?
GOOD CALL: Josh to Elina, Josh to Elina, did you unlock the bathroom?
LIKELY RESPONSE: Elina here. No, I gave you the key. Remember?
DON’T: Press the button and immediately start talking. It takes a moment for the radio to trigger. The first part of what you say might be missed.
DO: Press the button and say “Lemonade” to yourself before you begin to talk.
DON’T: Admonish a fellow staff member or student over the radio.
DO: Be respectful. Use positive tone politely requestion an off-radio conversation.

Emergency & Special Considerations:

As a Coordinator, if your presence is requested by a staff member determine response urgency by saying, “Can I walk or do you need me to be swift?” Our code phrase (to not alarm students) for “Go as fast as you can!” is “Come swiftly.”

If privacy is needed, use your phone. If no phone service is available request to the person you are speaking with that you change to another radio channel. Remember that this is not truly a private conversation, any one on the same channel can hear you. After your radio side-conversation, be sure you change back to regular channels. You may also change channels if the radio waves are overly crowded.

Vehicle Policy

The most dangerous part of our day is when we drive kids to sites. It warrants extra vigilance. Even if you are not a driver, it is important to help keep all passengers safe. Driving is the one time in any program when we could kill dozens people at once! Coordinators should go over vehicle rules with groups on each bus trip.

Vehicle Standards:

Choose appropriate staging area for students loading onto bus. Make sure it’s a safe area and the bus has adequate space to pull in and out.
Do not exceed the passenger-seating limit.
Passengers enter and leave the vehicle under the direction of a staff member and/or driver. If the vehicle needs to make an emergency stop, passengers follow directions of lead staff member and/or driver and use Truddy system if leaving the vehicle.
Staff show participants where all emergency exits are located and how to use them.
Coordinator should sit at the head of the bus.
Teachers should be staggered throughout the group.
All persons must wear proper seatbelts or other safety restraints when required.
All passengers remain seated while the vehicle is moving.
Noise level should not distract the driver. There should be no throwing of objects or other disruptive behavior.
Participant rosters should be readily available.
Students in wheelchairs should be seat belted into wheelchairs that are in locked positions and secured to vehicles, when applicable.
Check for blades on the bus. The bus is not an appropriate location for using blades.

Urban & Public Sites

Urban travel presents hazards not present in our wilderness or rural sites. The greatest risks are crowds, strangers, and especially automobiles. You must be especially vigilant when accounting for your students and keeping them with the group.

Crowds & Public Areas

Crowds and public areas are critical places to keep track of youth students.

Keep students in Truddies.
Assign a “Pathfinder” and a “Sweep.” The Pathfinder leads the way through a crowd or area assessing for the safest and easiest path. The Sweep walks behind, watching the whole group, using their Whiskers, assuring no camper strays from the group.

'If a student is ever lost in a crowd:

Stop the entire group and call the student’s name while scanning the crowd.
If not found immediately contact relevant authorities, including the manager or security of the site, and proceed in a systematic search. See Missing Student Protocol.

Dealing with Strangers

If an adult stranger approaches the group to talk with kids or staff, staff should:

Introduce yourself and ask for the adult’s name. Ask for a business card if they present themselves as acting in an official capacity.
If stranger insists on chatting and distracting the group, gracefully disengage from conversation and set boundaries for the group’s

autonomy. Example: “Nice to meet you. We need to continue with our activity now. Good-bye.”

If stranger aggressively engages your group, contact your Coordinator for assistance. If you feel threatened, let stranger know that you will be informing authorities.

Crossing Roads

When crossing a street always use a designated crosswalk. Take the extra time to walk there. If an official crosswalk is not available, assess where drivers have the longest and clearest stretch of visibility and can easily slow down.

Never cross a highway or any area not approved for safe pedestrian crossing. Some of these are clearly marked, others require you to use your discretion. Treat parking lots just as you would road crossings. When crossing roads, follow these directions to keep you and your students safe:

Wait for all your students to gather at the crossing.
Before crossing, tell students to wait for you on the other side in a group up on the curb. Be clear that they may not continue on without you.
Assure that traffic in both directions has stopped.
Wait for two cars on each side to stop when traffic is busy. If the second oncoming car does not stop in time they risk running into and pushing the first car into the crosswalk and your students. This is not always feasible when traffic is light and there is not a second oncoming car. Use your judgment.
No student steps into the road until the teacher signals them to do so.
If available, have two teachers act as crossing guards for both lanes of traffic. Use your Whiskers, maintaining intermittent eye contact with the drivers as well as assuring the students cross safely.
Keep your hands up in a stop signal, clearly signaling to drivers “You shall not pass,” throughout the crossing until you yourself have stepped off the road and onto the curb.
Wait until the last student has crossed the road and stepped onto the curb.
Once everyone is safely on the curb and off the road, wave the drivers on with a thankful demeanor.

Staying Found (aka Not Getting Lost)

Be familiar with your site and routes of travel. There is no excuse for getting lost with kids.

Big 3 Rules for Staying Found

Inform your team where you are going and how long you will be gone.
Have a fully charged radio and mobile phone, compass and whistle.
If you think you are lost, stop moving and radio or call for help (without unduly alarming your students).

Before Program

Know the site to the best of your ability.
Review topographical and trail maps, aerial photos, and whatever else is available to you.
Talk with your Coordinator or other staff who have been to the site to gather information.

During Program

Carry trail maps for parks and a topographical maps for wilderness areas.
Review the Big 3 Rules with your students. Insist that they help you follow them.
Orient group to North using the sun or other celestial bodies. Then use a compass to verify North. As you travel, reorient to North, especially at major trail intersections or when off-trail.
Make a Story Map of landmarks. A Story Map is a useful mnemonic device for key landmarks and the trails between them. For example: “Walk along the Wiggly Creek to Elephant Tree until you reach the Mountain Beaver Tunnels. If you reach Grandpa’s Nose Rocks, you’ve gone too far.”
Review Story Map with your students and add to it as you journey together.

After Program

Review where you went on the map.
Report any hazards or unclear directions to your Coordinator.

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