Safety
Safety
We take steps for the safety of all campers and staff right from the very beginning.
- The 15-passenger vans used to transport campers are brand new every year and have passed a vehicle safety inspection. Alpenguides driving these vans have behind the wheel driving practice before camp starts. Campers receive safety rules for vans upon arrival to camp such as campers must wear seat belts and how to properly load and un-load vans and trailers.
We use new 15-passenger vans
- All Alpenguides are screened upon hiring and must pass background checks such as driver license, sexual offender, work reference, and criminal. Alpenguides also attend a 4-5 day on-site pre-camp staff training to demonstrate skills, check equipment, stock first aid kits, review camp policies and procedures, participate in camper care scenarios, review itineraries, maps, and camper forms.
- Campers and camp staff wear protective safety equipment during activities. We wear activity specific helmets for rock climbing, rafting and horseback riding and we wear PFD’s for whitewater rafting, canoeing.
- We research and contract with the best professional outfitters and guides for rock climbing, surfing, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and sea kayaking. During these activities, Alpenguides accompany the group and participate to observe that outfitters are giving a thorough safety talk and to assist campers in listening and following outfitter instructions.
- Campers are supervised and rules for safety are verbally reviewed at the very start of camp. Upon arriving to camp, campers are instructed that they must always have a buddy and may not leave the group without letting an Alpenguide know. In the first 24 hours of camp, we go over a written outline with campers that describes what to do if…lightening, wildlife, lost, intruder in camp, etc..
- We change our itinerary as appropriate in order to reduce potential risks. For example, if bad weather is approaching while backpacking, we may change our itinerary to stay an extra day in one place rather than move thereby reducing our risk exposure to exposed ridges where lightening may be more of a possibility.
- Alpenguides carry the camper’s health forms and medicine and a stocked backcountry first aid kit. We review every campers’ health form and screen them for any potential problems before the camper arrives at camp. Then, once campers arrive, we check them in for camp and ask if there are any health updates we need to know about and note any concerns. Throughout camp, Alpenguides are constantly checking in with campers to determine how much they are eating, drinking, sleeping, and going to the bathroom.
- We supervise and teach campers how to properly use all equipment with us so as to avoid any potential injuries associated with everyday camp life. When backpacking, campers will learn how to properly purify stream water by boiling or using iodine of chlorine tablets.
- Alpengirl is an American Camp Association (ACA) accredited camp. ACA is the only national association that accredits all types of camps, based upon 300 national standards for health and safety. ACA accreditation indicates that a camp has voluntarily allowed its practices to be compared with standards established by professionals in the camp industry. American Camp Association standards are recognized by courts of law and government regulators as the standards of the camp industry. Read more about ACA at the American Camp Association - Camp Parents Website
