https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/building-safety-first-culture-camp

During my years as a camp director, safety became more than a set of rules or a checklist; it evolved into a daily practice with my entire team, embedded in everything from early morning activity...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/campline/what-if-it-does-happen-camp-security-%E2%80%93-plans-make-actions-take

In July 2011, Anders Brevik detonated a "car bomb," killing eight people in the Parliament Building in Oslo, Norway. He then proceeded to shoot and kill 69 participants at the Workers Youth League...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/learning-live-fire-how-camps-can-adapt-new-normal

In August of 2018, the Donnell Fire started in Tuolumne County, California — eventually destroying some 60 square miles of forests before burning out on October 1 of that year. It was a stressful...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/campline/emergency-planning-preparedness-summer-2021-key-lessons-takeaways-related-covid-19

Like many of you, I spent last summer monitoring social media for information about how the camps in my home state of Missouri were handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the social nature of camps —...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/armed-dangerous-fugitive-situations-near-camp

In the summers of 2017 and 2018, the West Virginia 4-H camp program experienced multiple incidents where camps were locked down due to armed suspects in the area. In one incident, a man stole a truck...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/health-screening-has-evolved-does-your-practice-reflect

Health screening, a practice typical to most camps' opening day process, has undergone an evolution. Granted, some changes were kick-started by our COVID-19 experience but, like...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/it-over-yet

The year 2020 was one of adversity. It was a year of dramatic change and tremendous loss for many. Loss of loved ones. Loss of income. Loss of business. Loss of treasured life experiences —...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/are-you-prepared-bear-if-not-how-will-you-respond-armed-intruder

Running a camp is challenging. Running a camp in the United States, where violent events occupy the 24-hour news cycle, is even more difficult. There are so many risks and expectations to manage....

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/covid-19-decision-making-amid-uncertainty

It’s a pandemic. No one knows enough. They say it may last 12–18 months. Maybe longer. Information changes day-to-day. Sometimes more frequently. There’s a pediatric complication that wasn’t...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/summer-camps-fire-emergency-communications-six-lessons-learned-during-fire-camp

Fires are a potential hazard for camps located in wooded areas and urban areas alike. How camps respond and communicate to camp families and the community when a fire does occur can go a long way to...