Adventure Trip Safety
Caring ... Honesty ... Respect ... Responsibility
General Safety Information
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The safety of all Adventure Trip participants is a priority.
Emergency and equipment safety procedures will be taught during the in-camp training period of each trip and followed while on the trip itself.
Appropriate clothing and safety equipment will be worn at all times.
Each group follows a pre-arranged itinerary that includes telephone check-ins with Camp Echo at pre-established times.
Failure to check in initiates pre-established steps including notification of local authorities.
Each trip will carry necessary emergency equipment, including first aid materials.
Despite these precautions, the potential for serious injury remains.
However, following the above guidelines and stressing safe behavior can keep these risks to an absolute minimum.
Trip Guides play a key role in the success of our program.
All of our guides have been hired for their experience working with youth as well as their specific skills and knowledge of adventure travel.
Guides are 21 years old or older, must have documented wilderness experience, and are certified in Wilderness First Responder or higher, CPR, and Lifeguarding.
With any wilderness activity, there is always some risk involved.
Before departing, all participants are taught to closely monitor their own health to prevent injury.
We encourage participants to be proactive if they are having any difficulty or discomfort.
By doing so, guides can quickly provide care and minimize the impact or lasting effects of any injury or illness.
Many of our trips travel from Camp Echo to the planned destination in a 15 or 12-passenger van.
As with traveling in any vehicle, there is a risk of being injured in an accident.
To minimize this risk, staff members follow safety rules and procedures while transporting participants.
Vehicles are equipped safety equipment including a fire extinguisher, warning reflector, flashlight, flares, and materials to change a flat tire.
All 15-passenger vans have a computerized stability control systems, which helps detect and prevent skids and rollovers.
All guides have clean driving records and participate in a van driver training at Camp Echo.
During this training, they review safe driving rules and learn how to operate a 12 or 15-passenger van.
While transporting participants, two guides are in a van at all times, this allows the driver to focus on driving while the additional guide supervises the participants.
All passengers wear seat belts, and drivers obey established speed limits at all times.
Drivers never drive more than two hours without taking a 10-minute break and do not drive for more than 10 hours a day.
On long trips when there are two or more drivers, and drivers trade off every four hours.
While on an adventure trips, both participants and guides follow safety rules and procedures that minimize risk.
While on an adventure trip, participants are in close proximity of a guide at all times.
They are never allowed to travel alone and carry a whistle to signal for help in an emergency.
Each type of adventure trip also follows specific safety procedures for the activity the participants are doing; these specific rules are listed below.
Water-Based Adventure Trips
There is a risk of falling into the water or even drowning on all water-based trips.
To minimize this risk, participants and guides are required to wear life jackets while kayaking, canoeing, or rafting in the water and while swimming in moving water.
Adventure trip participants on Whitewater Canoe wear helmets to minimize the risk of head injury while canoeing over rapids.
All watercrafts travel in a group, and a guide is placed in both the lead and rear boat.
All trip guides are certified lifeguards who are trained in basic water safety, water rescue techniques, first aid, and CPR.
If the group goes swimming, a guide inspects the swimming location for safety and lifeguards the participants while they swim.
Each group has all necessary safety equipment for a guide to perform a water rescue including whistles and rescue tubes.
Biking Adventure Trips
There is a risk of being injured by falling off of a bike or colliding with another vehicle on biking trips.
To minimize these risks participants follow strict rules of the road.
Bikers only ride on the shoulder in a single-file line at all times and use industry-standard hand signals when turning.
Participants are instructed to keep at least one bikeÕs length between themselves and the next biker.
At any turn in the road, two participants or a guide wait to signal the correct direction for the remainder.
Participants and guides are also required to wear a helmet while biking.
Guides are placed at the front, back, and middle of the biking group to ensure the safety and well being of all participants.
Hiking Adventure Trips
There is a risk of physical injury from carrying a backpack and hiking for a long distance over challenging terrain.
To minimize these risks participants go on practice hikes to prepare them to carry packs and break in their hiking boots.
While on the trail, the group takes frequent breaks to rest, have snacks, and drink water.
A guide is always placed at the front and back of the hiking group to ensure the safety and well being of all participants.
Camp Echo Adventure Trip Guides are twenty-one years of age or older, and possess Wilderness First Responder, Lifeguard, CPR and First Aid certifications.
Guides also participate in 17 days of additional training run by Camp Echo before the summer begins.
The combination of their certifications and training prepares guides to immediately provide the first line of medical care within minutes of an emergency.
Although each emergency is unique, guides are trained to follow industry-standard procedures and protocols.
Guides are trained to assess the situation, provide immediate medical care within their certification level, and,
if necessary, create a plan for the most efficient evacuation to advanced medical care.
Although the distance between advanced medical care and the group will vary,
our guides carry a cell phone or satellite phone and contact information for the closest medical care for each leg of their trip.
Wilderness First Responder Course
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The Wilderness First Responder course is a 10-day, 80-hour course that prepares individuals to respond to medical emergencies in the backcountry.
Camp Echo requires that guides who lead trips in the wilderness and are a distance from advanced medical care have a Wilderness First Responder certification or higher.
This prepares guides to provide safe and effective care within seconds or an injury or medical emergency.
Highlights of the course include: CPR for remote environments; head, chest, or spinal cord injuries; cardiac, respiratory, and neurological emergencies; and bites, stings, or shock.
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