Parents' Guide to Safety at Summer Camp
25 Things We Do To Make Sleepaway Camp Safe
Sending your child off to sleepaway camp for two weeks or longer can be pretty jarring, especially for the very first time. What if my child gets hurt? Sick? Bullied? The thought of sending your child to summer camp can soon turn into a never-ending road to worry.
Unless you have actually put on a camp director’s hat for a summer, it’s hard to know what all goes on to ensure every child’s safety at camp. So, in order to remove some of those worries, we created this Guide. Our hope is that it will not only remove some of your concerns, but that it will also serve as a catalyst to helping you usher in one of the most enriching growing up experiences your child will ever experience. As parents, it’s essential that we give our kids experiences away from us. There are certain developmental leaps our children can only take with us not present. Likewise, it’s essential that we are smart parents and that we really do our homework to ensure our child’s safety. Our hope is that this Guide sheds light on both those truths.
Here are 25 reasons that your child is sure to be safe when sleeping away at Camp Huawni. . .
1. Low Camper To Counselor Ratio
Many overnight camps have anywhere from a 5:1 or 8:1 camper to counselor ratio. But as a camp that really values meaningful relationships, we do our best to keep a low camper to counselor ratio. Last summer our highest (or worst) ratio was 3.2 to 1. This definitely helps with safety as we have more eyes on the kids. Also, as an accredited American Camp Association (ACA) Member, we are required to adhere to specific camper supervision ratios. In fact, 80% of our staff must meet supervision ratios and be at least 18 years old. Additionally, all staff are required to be least 16 years old and 2 years older than the minors with whom they’re working.
2. Partnerships & Group Policy
Safety and care of your child is our number one priority. We partner with Ministry Safe and other high caliber safety partners to ensure your camper’s safety every minute of every day. Groups are also a big thing at Huawni. All one-on-one interactions with campers must be done in a public place in view of other campers and counselors. We have a ‘rule of 3’ which prevents private one-on-one interactions. Be it activities, after-supper free time, or night activities, we are always in groups.
3. Camper Code of Conduct
We are committed to maintaining a fun, caring, and safe camp environment that is completely free of discrimination, violence, and bullying of any kind. Before camp season begins each year, every counselor is trained on bullying prevention and taught how to pay close attention to cliques as well as kids who are being left out or mistreated by other campers. Additionally, each camper learns that discrimination, violence, and bullying are not acceptable during their “cabin time” on the very first night of camp. Everyone has more fun when kindness is king!
4. Health Screening
When campers arrive to camp, our health staff takes every child’s temperature. In the event that a child is sick, parents return home until their child is better. This ensures that no illness is brought into camp.
5. RN On Site
As a resident camp, we have a registered nurse on site daily. Likewise, we have 24/7 access to Dr. Polk, our camp doctor, who is within a 30-minute drive of camp.
6. Emergency Medical Services & Transportation
Before camp begins each season, we contact our local EMS crews and share specific instructions on how to get to camp in case of emergency. Both ambulance and air-flight services know where to find us. Additionally, we have strict emergency policies and procedures in-place in case of a serious injury. We also have an on site vehicle specifically assigned to emergency transportation. This vehicle is equipped with a first-aid kit and is inspected thoroughly before camp starts to ensure that it’s reliable for transport.
7. Fire & Safety Equipment Evaluation
All fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and vehicles used by the camp are regularly inspected for mechanical soundness and strategically located for easy access and use.
8. Easy AED & Epi Pen Access
AEDs and Epi pens are always available and ready. Camp nurses, camp health officers, and staff are trained on where to find and how to use Epi pens, which are located in cold storage around campus. The camp health staff is also trained and ready to use our AED device if necessary. AEDs are inspected before camp every summer.
9. First Aid Kits Everywhere
We supply every remote activity with first aid kits. In addition, every aquatic area has an appropriately stocked first aid kit.
10. Diligent Medical Record Keeping
Whether a camper is taking an Advil or a prescription medication left by their parents, we document all meds taken while at camp. This record-keeping is helpful to parents as well as to doctors who might need to diagnose a child’s illness during their stay at camp.
11. Parents Get Notified Right Away
If a child gets sick or injured, our health team will act quickly to take care of their immediate needs and then notify parents or guardians by phone right away. We will always do everything we can to maintain absolutely excellent communication with parents.
12. Bunk Safety
Falling out the bunk can be a bad wake-up call. As a member of the American Camp Association, every top bunk is equipped with guardrails. Sweet dreams!
13. Sanitation Safety
Before each meal and before bedtime, campers and staff are required to wash their hands and use disinfectant gel. Washing hands is a big deterrent of sick campers.
14. Healthy Food Options
We are happy to be able to accommodate each camper’s food needs, including food allergies, food sensitivities, and diet restrictions. At Camp Huawni, we’re not just big on real fun, we’re also big on continuously improving our food options! This summer, for the first time, we will also be providing a gluten-free option.
15. Food Safety
We constantly monitor our refrigeration temperatures to ensure freshness. We keep perishable food below 40 degrees, and we check and log the temperature daily.
16. Clean Water
Each month that camp is in session, we perform water tests to ensure clean drinking water. Thankfully, the ground water in East Texas is both clean and tastes great.
17. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration
Staying hydrated at camp is crucial, which is why we encourage kids to drink a cup of water at every meal before drinking anything else. We also keep fresh ice water at all major activities, especially our remote activities. You’ll see our counselors on water duty morning, afternoon, and evening to ensure camper hydration.
18. Tree Safety
Before camp begins, we contract a tree arbor to inspect all on-campus and off-campus activity sites for dead or rotten tree limbs and to remove all trees and limbs that might potentially pose a threat.
19. Cabin Cleanliness
At the end of each camping season, multiple times before camp starts, and in-between sessions, we disinfect cabins and spray for bed bugs. Even though we’re an “outdoor” camp, we want to ensure cleanliness in the cabin. Campers also clean their cabins daily to help keep things tidy.
20. Waterfront Safety
Certified lifeguards run all water activities at Camp Huawni. Every lifeguard is also required to have written documentation showing that they demonstrate skill in rescue and emergency procedures specific to the aquatic area and activities guarded. This coming summer, we will even have all of our college-aged staff water safety certified before camp starts.
21. Mandatory Life Jackets
Two of the favorite activities at our summer camp are the Trolley, a zip line into our pond, and the Critter, otherwise known as the Blob. We take extra precaution on these extra fun water activities, therefore we require kids of all ages to wear a life jacket when participating.
22. Archery Safety
Our archery activity leaders utilize clear safety signals and range commands while facilitating our archery program. We clearly define specific safety zones and use a supplemental, white mesh backstop behind the targets as well as clearly delineated rear and side safety buffers.
23. Protective Headgear
We require all campers and staff who participate in our mountain biking program to wear protective headgear. Likewise, after each activity group finishes their activity period, we clean and sanitize each helmet.
24. Daily Sunscreen Checks
Before morning and afternoon activities, counselors make sure that their campers are properly protected with sunscreen. We also do our best to know ahead of time which campers are especially sensitive to the sun by including a space for this information on our online application.
25. 300 Safety Guidelines
As an accredited member of the American Camp Association (ACA), we comply with 300 operation guidelines that ensure safety at summer camp. This summer we will also host an official ACA visit, where ACA staff will do an in-depth check of each and every guideline.
Each and every single one of the above 25 reasons supports our overall mission: Love the Kids. Whether we are doing everything we can to make sure that camp conditions are completely safe, training the most fun counselors around, or researching new and delicious menu options, we are setting the perfect scene for your child to have good ‘ole fashioned fun in the great outdoors, form friendships that last a lifetime, and just be themself. Our goal is that your child will have such a special, over-the-top experience at Camp Huawni, they’ll hate to leave. For more information on Camp Huawni and all it has to offer, visit www.camphuawni.com. We can’t wait to see you this summer!
Here’s the full version of the article:
Parents’ Guide To Safety At Summer Camp
