LOVELAND, Ohio — Summer camps across the country are doubling down on their emergency procedures after devastating floods in Texas claimed at least 120 lives over the weekend, including 27 children and counselors at Camp Mystic near the Guadalupe River.
The tragedy has deeply affected the camping industry nationwide, prompting many facilities to review their safety protocols.
Cub World in Loveland interacted with a few social media posts from parents in the past week, according to Travis McCormick, Vice President of Program for Dan Beard Council, Scouting America.
The campus sits next to a portion of the Miami River. It’s just downhill from Camp Friedlander, which boasts hundreds of campers.
“We don't worry about our camp and our kids being in the flood plain, it just, it doesn't happen,” McCormick said. “We're high enough elevation where it's not an issue for our campers.”
Watch our visit to Cub World to see how camps implement rigorous safety procedures to keep their campers safe:
While campers enjoy lawn games, sleeping in their tents, and eating under a pavilion, it’s what they don’t see that’s most important.
"Safety comes first. Safety is first, and fun is a close second," McCormick said. "It's just so important that we are prepared for anything that could happen."
Counselors at Cub World receive a week of safety education, hazardous weather training and run drill sessions.
The drills happen for every camper at the start of every session “so that the campers know exactly where to go and what to do in case of emergency," McCormick said.
In a separate setting from a classroom, camp provides children a form of independence while they’re still under supervision.
"It's also just a good place for the kids to learn, you know, good traditional values," said Kyler Gray, a parent of a camper. “I usually see them around their siblings, and there's a lot of fighting, but here they're with their friends and ... they have such a good time.”
If parents have concerns about safety at their child’s camp, WCPO asked McCormick about what might be good questions to ask.
"I think it's important to ask about what the safety qualifications (are) of our staff, how our staff is trained, what to do in emergency procedures," McCormick said.
Parents can also inquire about where procedures are posted and how campers become familiar with those emergency protocols.
Also, ask your camp leadership about their accreditation program. Cub World is accredited through Scouting America’s National Camp Accreditation Program. Nearly 4,000 camps are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). The organization has a search tool here.
Beyond the physical safety of camp, there’s a certain sense of psychological safety, McCormick said.
“You're going to be pushed physically and mentally in ways you've not been before. But man, when you grow through it, you you come out a much stronger and more prepared person for life,” McCormick said.
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