Managing Emergencies

In the event of an emergency, please follow the policies set forth in the handbook to the best of your ability. Depending on the nature of the emergency, your camp may be “on their own” for a period of time. In the absence of communication with the Home Office, we will rely on you to use your best judgment when making decisions about the safety of children and staff.

Earthquake

Once the ground starts shaking or a loud explosion is heard, everyone should begin the “duck, cover, and hold” procedure.

 

Indoors:

Duck and take cover under a desk, table, or the nearest safe place.

Cover your face by leaning forward and placing your arms next to your head. Clasp one of your hands over your neck.

Hold onto the side of desk or table leg with your free hand. Remain in this position until the shaking has stopped.

 

Outdoors:

Move in an open area away from buildings, trees, power lines, and other items. Take the “drop” position or sit in a safe area until the ground stops shaking.

 

Once shaking has ended:

1. Each troop will exit the building and head towards the safety area on the playground.
2. Once arriving at the safety area, each troop leader will take a roll and report to the Site Administrator. If the Site Administrator is unable to perform the necessary duties, the designated troop leader will step in.
3. The Site Administrator will notify the emergency responders of any missing people.
4. If the earthquake is serious enough that the camp is unable to continue, the staff will follow the student/parent reunification procedure.

Student/Parent Reunification Procedure

In an emergency, the camp must establish an alternate safe area for parents to go to pick up their children if the primary pick-up and/or drop-off area is rendered unsafe or unusable. This area must be away from both the danger/damage and the students assembly area. This information should be communicated to families using functional communication channels, including but not limited to: ProCare (newsletter function), email, phone, and campus signage.

In a typical release the following steps will be followed:

1. Parents will report to the assigned area and provide the PIN number(s) for their child/children.  If ProCare is unavailable, the parent/guardian must present an ID that matches the name of the parent or Emergency Contact listed on the camp roster. The Site Administrator should possess a printed copy of the roster.
2. A runner will go to the student assembly area and retrieve the child/children requested by the parent or adult. The runner will escort the camper back to the pick-up area.
3. Parents will be asked to follow the camp’s sign in/out procedure, indicating they picked up the child/children.  This is normally ProCare, unless the severity of the incident is such that ProCare/internet is inoperative, in which case an alternate medium of photo ID and paper-based sign-out can be used.
4. If the child is in the First-Aid area the parent will be escorted to that area for reunification with their child/children.

DO NOT release students to people without the PIN code (or a photo ID if technology is not working). A well-intentioned friend may offer to take a child home; however, camp staff must be certain that students are only released to the appropriate people so students’ families will know where they are.

For an extended period assign staff members to specific roles:

1. Camper supervision
2. Traffic control
3. Check-out procedure
4. Search & rescue
   1. Check rooms: make a slash on door upon entering, complete an X upon exiting
5. Medical
6. Food & water