Whenever I have the opportunity to introduce camp to someone new, I describe it as running a small town, from sanitation to birthday parties to emergency preparedness!

Camp offers so many opportunities for growth for both campers and staff, and keeping our communities safe is at the forefront of my mind (along with all camp directors, I’m sure) as we prepare for the summer season. 

From a purely statistical standpoint, it is more likely that a frontline staff member will be the initial responder to an emergency, as there are more frontline staff members than directors (most likely). Frontline staff members are just that: counselors and program staff responsible for direct supervision of campers, and their training is integral to building a safety culture at camp. 

What Safety Culture Really Looks Like at Camp

Every camp has a safety culture. The real question is whether it’s intentional.

At a strong camp, safety culture shows up in simple, observable ways:

• Staff stop activities without hesitation 
• Staff escalate early; not after it gets worse 
• Staff support each other in real time 
• Staff feel both authorized and responsible to act 

Why Staff Hesitate (Even When They’re Trained)

Most camps invest heavily in training, and still see the same challenges:

• Staff wait too long to escalate 
• They try to “monitor” instead of act 
• They attempt to handle situations on their own 
• They’re unsure when something crosses the line 

Two Ideas to Embed into your Safety Culture

If you’re looking for a simple place to start, anchor your training in two ideas (from our friends at Civil Air Patrol): 

Knock It Off: Anyone can stop the activity.
If something doesn’t feel right: stop. No hesitation.

Be a Good Wingman: No one handles it alone.
Call for help early. Loop others in. Support each other.

Train for the Moment, Not the Rule

If we want to prioritize a safety culture that empowers staff to act, we have to change how we train. Here are a few practical ways to get started:

Run a 60-Second Drill

Give staff a quick scenario and limit their response time:

“Camper looks pale and dizzy. What do you do?”

Ask:

• First action 
• Who to call 
• Stop or continue the activity 

If they’re still talking through options after a minute, that’s your signal:

It’s time to call for help.

Stick to the Script: Role Play

Staff don’t just need to know what to do; they need to know what to say.

Pair them up and practice real language:

• “I’m here to help: let’s step aside.” 
• “Knock it off. We’re stopping the activity.” 
• “I need support right now.” 

Rotate roles and repeat. Confidence comes from saying it out loud. Shared language offers a signal to the entire community that someone may need support. 

Go Fish: Use the Fishbowl Technique

Put 2–3 staff in the middle of the group and run a scenario.

Everyone else watches and identifies:

• What worked 
• When escalation happened 
• What could be improved 

Run it once, then run it again based on feedback. This creates a shared understanding of what “good” looks like, and is great for large groups!

Board Games: Tabletop Scenarios

This is a great resource for more in-depth conversations. Walk through a situation step-by-step:

• Missing camper during transition 
• Behavioral escalation during an activity 
• Weather moving in quickly 

Pause and ask:

• What do you do now? 
• Who needs to know? 

Then add new information and keep going.

It’s Complicated: Add Constraints

Real incidents don’t happen under perfect conditions.

Add complexity to your scenarios:

• No radios or limited communication 
• Short staffing 
• Nighttime or transition periods 
• Multiple issues at once 

This prepares staff to respond to new information, prioritize critical issues, and help expose gaps in communication or planning, prior to an incident occurring. 

The Bottom Line (for Staff)

• Don’t be the highest-ranking person with a problem. 
• You don’t have to know to resolve it, just to escalate. 
• If you don’t debrief, it didn’t happen. 

Safety culture isn’t built in emergencies. It’s revealed in them. We cannot predict every outcome, but we can empower our staff to respond appropriately, escalate quickly, and use their resources when an issue occurs. 

This blog was written on behalf of ACA's Project Real Job, whose goal is to support camps in their efforts to recruit, hire, and retain staff. 

Katie Thurson, PhD, is an experienced risk manager in the camp and youth development space; currently serving as Civil Air Patrol’s first Youth Protection Manager for over 35,000 cadets. She loves all things camp and considers Camp Zeke (her camp for many years) her camp home even now. Katie is actively involved in volunteering with ACA at the local and national level. She can be reached at [email protected].