Emergency readiness is not an event, a binder or a drill. It is a culture.


Site Assessments: Seeing What Others Miss Te foundation of preparedness is understanding the environment itself. A site assessment reveals strengths, weaknesses and blind spots that camp staff may over- look in daily routines. It answers questions like: How secure are entry and


exit points? Where are the gaps in visibility during free play? Do communication tools work across the entire property? Are medical supplies positioned where they are most needed? Without this baseline, plans oſten fail because they


are built on assumptions rather than realities. An honest look at the site gives leaders the clarity to act with precision, not guesswork.


Building a Functional Emergency Action Plan With the right information in hand, a camp can develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) that is practical and actionable. Te plan should be more than a policy document; it must be a living guide. A strong plan clarifies three essentials:


• Who leads during each type of incident?


• How will information be relayed among staff, campers and families?


• Where should people go to remain safe?


Te EAP is not about covering every possible scenario in detail. It is meant to be a framework that staff can apply across a range of emergencies, with enough clarity to reduce hesitation and enough flexibility to adapt when circumstances shiſt.


Training That Matches Your Staff and Campers Te most common breakdown in preparedness comes not from a lack of planning but rather from a lack of practical training. Many camps rely heavily on young counselors, full of energy and leadership potential but oſten inexperienced in crisis response. Training for this group must be realistic, memorable


and frequent. Tabletop exercises, which are walk- throughs of rally points and scenario-based role playing, bring the plan to life far more effectively than long lectures. Campers also benefit from age- appropriate orientation, such as learning evacuation routes or participating in short safety drills. Consistency is key. Training should not be confined


to staff orientation week and never covered again. Instead, it should be woven into the camp rhythm with refreshers and drills that build confidence rather than fear.


Preparedness as a Culture Emergency readiness is not an event, a binder or a drill. It is a culture. It requires camp leaders to model calm, informed responses, to create clarity for their teams and to ensure that preparation is never reduced to a one-time activity. When camps commit to seeing their site clearly,


building functional plans and investing in consistent training, they create safer environments where staff and campers alike can thrive. Preparedness, done well, does more than protect against risks. It strengthens trust, builds confidence and allows the mission of the camp to move forward without interruption. 


 To go deeper into emergency preparedness, watch the Excellence in Training Webinar, “Building Better


Emergency Plans for Camp.” You and your team can watch the webinar at www.ccca.org/go/eit_plans.


Jason Russell is founder and president of Secure Environment Consultants (SEC), leading a team of former federal law enforcement agents, police officials and military specialists in delivering White House-level threat assessment and protection to schools and businesses. Because of his expertise in safety and security, Russell is frequently asked to respond to crisis situations to serve as an advisor for school districts and corporations nationwide. He and his team at SEC have assessed thousands of organizations’ safety and security processes and procedures, identified gaps in their security measures and recommended actionable solutions.


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