CAMP KATERI TEKAKWITHA WEATHER AND SAFETY PROCEDURES
A LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTORS:
Dear Camp Parents,
As the parents of five, we understand that it is hard to leave your children, but we can assure you that our trained staff will make every effort to ensure the safety and well-being of your child during his or her stay. Our staff goes through a thorough screening process, receives training in their areas of responsibility, and they are backed up by a professional administrative team that evaluates and educates them throughout the summer. All staff is VIRTUS trained. A 1:8 counselor-to-camper ratio is used. Specific procedures are in place for campers to easily communicate concerns directly to the camp directors. To ensure the integrity of the camp, staff members will check all baggage as you arrive. Food, gum, candy, jewelry, phones, MP3 players, and valuable items are not allowed.
If a family emergency occurs, or special circumstances require you to check on your child during camp, call Camp Tekakwitha’s office at 785-746-5693.
Thank you for allowing Camp Tekakwitha to be a part of your child’s summer. At Camp, our community is committed to the safety and well-being of each camper. As camp professionals, we know we are entrusted with your children, and we take this responsibility to protect your children very seriously. Camp Tekakwitha is a secure place. Our camp staff works with campers and public safety providers (local police and fire departments, emergency responders and hospitals, weather services and others) to mitigate any emergency. Our camp is accredited by the American Camp Association, which requires that we have risk and crisis management plans in place and that we conduct periodic reviews and drills of those plans.
Our safeguards and protocols for severe weather are focused on the safety of each camper. Our first line of defense includes constant monitoring of several weather resources. Our team is looking to the skies, the national weather service, emergency weather radios, as well as other weather outlets so as to have the very best and latest weather updates.
We have a rainy day schedule, which we use for both ordinary rainy days and in the event of an approaching threatening storm system, which moves all staff and campers indoors and into close proximity of our two storm shelters. This transition also clears most non-weather communications from the camp radio channels so that the camp directors and leadership can communicate more quickly with all of camp.
In the event that an approaching weather event has had tornado warnings issued in adjacent counties, or we anticipate severe straight-line winds, etc. we will, as conditions permit, move the staff and campers to the two main
underground reinforced storm shelters before tornado warnings are issued in our area. We certainly move to those storm shelters anytime a tornado
warning is issued. The staff and camp leadership will confirm that all campers are safe with their counselor and will continue to monitor the developing weather situation.
Our severe weather procedures include communicating with our camp parents. As our first responsibility is to your child, we will focus our energies on making certain every camper and staff is secure during severe weather and then will communicate with you as quickly as possible.
At Camp Tekakwitha we understand the great privileged and responsibility that we take on when caring for your camper.
During severe weather, as with any safety concern at camp, our team is devoted to the care, health, and safety of your child. Thank you for making Camp Tekakwitha a part of your family’s summer and May God bless you.
In Christ,
Deacon Dana Nearmyer
Deborah Nearmyer
Camp Tekakwitha Directors