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by Rick Stryker
I heard on the radio the other day about an organization that is working
to help folks overcome “cancer diagnosis phobia.” The premise
of its work is that people so fear the diagnosis and treatment of cancer
that they resist, and often completely avoid, diagnostic procedures which
could detect cancer early and greatly improve their chances of long-term
survival. Having lost several family members to cancer — and with
my older sister undergoing treatment as I write this — I can hardly
imagine allowing my fear to prevent me from doing what I can to help myself
and my family. So, I’ll take a number and line up to endure whatever
indignities the doctors can dream up with the hope that I’m helping
my wife and daughters in the process.
Similarly, we frequently encounter administrative and operational folks
who are reluctant to undertake important, even critical projects because
of other “facility skeletons” in their closet — known and
unknown. They are afraid that by inviting local or state officials into
their processes they will expose their operation to closer scrutiny than
they are able to endure. What if their organization cannot operate unless
it spends unimaginable and largely unattainable amounts of money? Like
the target of the radio advertisement, they fear a cancer they cannot
cure.
As independent, self-sufficient camp professionals, we all chafe at increasing
government involvement in our personal lives and camp operations. Recent
hot topics include the use of fifteen-passenger vans, the availability
and use of AEDs, and old metal bunk beds. It seems like government intrusion
run amok. To throw the gates open and invite building, water, and sewer
officials onto the facility seems counter-intuitive. The truth of the
matter, however, is that these officials are not charged with making life
miserable, to disrupt camp operations, or to spend all the capital that
you can scrape together. Their focus and goal is much the same as ours
— the health, safety, and welfare of all of the people who visit
your facility.
Let’s look at some things that you can do to begin to open the lines
of communication and purge those skeletons from your facility closet.
Meet and Greet
Make it a point to go and meet the people who are in the regulating positions.
More than a phone call, a face-to-face meeting will go a long way to personalize
your organization. This is particularly true for nonprofit organizations.
In many locations, nonprofits are granted some amount of tax relief in
exchange for the nonprofits’ delivery of services and facilities
to the community. On both sides of the table, there can be uneasiness
borne of ignorance of what each gives and receives. Once each party better
understands the role of the other in the community, the groundwork is
in place to begin making inroads toward regulatory compliance.
Clean House
There can be no substitute for a complete, thorough, and exhaustive survey
of your property and its improvements. From a facilities standpoint, it’s
the equivalent of the immunization shot — which hurts briefly, but
the long-term benefit generally far outweighs the pain or potential harm.
For this, hire both an engineer and an architect to perform a thorough
study of your real estate improvements. These professionals bring very
different perspectives to the job — each with their own valid input.
They should conduct a detailed evaluation of each and every building,
system, and program area. They should be tasked to provide analysis in
terms of safety and urgency, as well as an estimate of what the identified
issues will cost to remedy.
This service may be available through your insurance company, but many
organizations are leery because of potential effects on their insurance
premium. My sense is that no insurance company is seeking to price their
product out of reach, and they don’t really need a reason to not
renew your organization or facilities. From a marketing standpoint it
is much easier to keep a client than to chase one away and find a replacement.
There is no benefit to the insurance company or their policyholders if
you go bankrupt paying for improvements, or you cancel your policy because
it’s too expensive. If they are motivated by writing and maintaining
insurance policies, and staying in business by paying reasonable claims,
then identifying and alleviating conditions before they are claims are
in everyone’s best interest. You’re already paying for the help,
so let them do it!
Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
This saying couldn’t be truer. Once your consultants have identified
and prioritized the issues (from their perspective), you will need to
combine and re-prioritize the combined list. Realistically budget and
then commit the financial resources to take on each project on the list.
Assign a fiscal year to each item. Revisit the list each fiscal year and
evaluate your success from scheduling, operational, and cash flow standpoints.
Revise it as projects are completed or priorities change. Reject the temptation
to bleed funds from these critical repairs for “more fun” or
more visible improvements.
If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Right
There is often a temptation to convert previously unoccupied spaces into
occupied ones by remodeling. The material costs are generally pretty low,
and the scope often looks like a prime target for volunteers on the weekend.
The apparent benefits though are far outweighed by the potential drawbacks.
Among other things, doing the work this way often encourages further shortcuts
like skipping building permits. Yes. On the surface, this way is more
arduous, and it invites strangers into the process. But in the context
of this article, this is exactly what you’re after. Instead of this
feeling like a thorn in your side, consider it a seed for future opportunity.
Be Practical
Not all old things are priceless. Certain buildings hold many happy memories
for many people. Without significant, regular, and comprehensive upkeep,
a time comes when the cost of repair far, far, exceeds the cost of replacement.
There is a peculiar dichotomy here, however. Fairly inexpensive but regular
annual upgrades and improvements may keep the beloved building just outside
the threshold of the massive costs for bringing the whole building up
to code at once.
Occupant safety should be considered along with the structure’s
contribution to continued program viability when weighing the difficult
decision to repair or replace. Also, remember to consider the option of
no building at all. Demolition of a fire trap, a structural catastrophe
waiting to happen, or an attractive nuisance and replacing it with structured
open space may well represent an improvement to your overall program.
Just Like the Proverbial Grim Reaper
The building regulators are coming for camps whether we want them or
not. Until recently, there has been a collection of private building codes,
which were enacted by states individually. In general, this has played
to camps’ advantage because of the confusion created by these multiple
sets of rules. Camps were a moving target as far as they were concerned.
However, that confusion is about to evaporate. The private code writers
have merged and combined their efforts to create the International Building
Code. Building types and uses that previously “slipped through the
cracks” will be addressed eventually as their omission is pointed
out by building code officials nationwide. As each state adopts these
rules, there will be many more sets of eyes looking at the same document.
Changes and clarifications will be requested, and the rules will be set
in stone.
Be prepared. Get in front of the curve. Find a project this year and
begin to build bridges to the regulators who can help you have a safer,
more insurable camp.
Originally published in the 2003 May/June issue
of Camping Magazine. |
