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Below are important revisions
to the American Camp Association Accreditation
Standards. Please note these changes in
your copy of the ACA Accreditation
Process Guide (APG).
Standard HW-17 now states:
Does the camp have access
to an AED (automated electronic defibrillator)
available to the majority of the camp
population, within the timeframe recommended
by authoritative sources, and managed
by trained personnel? The AED may be
located on the camp property or available
through another provider.
This standard
will NOT be mandatory and does not apply
to trip or travel camps or other off-site
programs.
Interpretation: Examples of
authoritative sources include American
Red Cross, American Heart Association,
American Academy of Pediatrics, OSHA. The
camp administration should determine the
placement of the AED(s) based on population
served and activities conducted.
Compliance
Demonstration: Explanation of process used
to determine where the AED will be located,
who is trained in use of the AED and who
is responsible for the maintenance of the
AED.
Be watching the ACA Web site
(under Resources for
Accreditation) for
additional resource information to be posted!
At the September 2009 meeting,
the National Standards Committee reviewed
the part of Standard HR 4A regarding
the mandatory annual check of the National
Sex Offender Public Website for all staff
with access to campers (www.nsopw.gov,
the Web address and name have changed
from was what is printed in your APG
and all states now participate). In addition
to using this VERY SPECIFIC Web site
to meet this part of Standard HR4A, effective
immediately, a camp may also meet this
standard by providing:
Written verification
that a check of the Sex Offender Registry
in all 50 states and U.S. territories
has been conducted.
It is important to
realize that if this method is used,
the sex offender registry in ALL 50 states
and U.S. territories must be checked
and not just the states where a staff
member says they have lived!
Also, a
point of clarification, the NSC recommends
removing the words "away from the
camp site" in the applicability box
on page 234 with regards to Staff Public
Facilities for Aquatics use.
Finally, in
response to ACA's 20/20
initiative,
the ever changing landscape of the camp
community and at the request of the National
Standards Commission, ACA's Board
of Directors removed the eligibility requirement
regarding the number of days/sessions a
resident or day camp must last. This "old" requirement
is stated in the fourth bullet on page
12, of the Accreditation Process Guide. |
