Health & Safety
It’s not unusual to have the odd stomach ache, headache, skinned knee or bruise at camp. We’ve got you covered. If your child requires medical attention at camp, we will notify you if:
The injury or illness results in spending extended time in the infirmary, generally more than 30 minutes. (Excluding resting up due to regular monthly menstruation cycles.)
The injury or illness is repeating – for instance, repeated bloody noses.
The injury or illness requires more advanced care than can be delivered at camp, for instance, a trip to the local urgent care clinic.
Vaccinations
The following vaccines are required for all campers and staff.
DTaP or Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis)
MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
COVID (up to date with most recent CDC recommendation)
If you wish to request an exemption, please contact us to reach our staff nurse.
COVID-19
If you have seen a medical professional recently, you will likely have had to fill out a pre-screener for COVID before being admitted to your appointment. We will be sending one out to be completed prior to arriving at camp. The exact wording is TBD based on CDC/CDPH guidelines but sample questions include “Do you have a fever or other COVID-like symptoms?” and “Have you been in contact with anyone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19?”
We advise that all staff and campers isolate with their household starting 7 days prior to coming to camp. Safe traveling guidelines should also be followed.
Prohibitions
Alcohol: Alcohol is not allowed on camp premises. Any alcohol found at camp will be confiscated and disposed of.
Illegal drugs: Illegal drugs are not allowed on camp premises and will be confiscated and reported to local law enforcement.
Domesticated animals: Pets are not allowed on camp premises, except as required by any ADA accommodations. In case of an accommodation for a service animal, arrangements must be made at least 1 month prior to camp and health and immunization records for the animal will be required.
Cars: Parking is limited at camp. Campers discouraged from driving themselves to camp to save room for staff cars. However, if your family has a transportation need that requires a teen driving themselves, we can make an accommodation if it is cleared with camp director prior to camp.
Tobacco products: Campers may not bring tobacco to camp – any tobacco found in a child’s possession will be confiscated and disposed of. Staff are allowed to smoke only in designated smoking areas. Children are not allowed in the smoking areas.
Weapons: Campers may not bring weapons to camp. If a weapon is found in a camper’s possession, it will be confiscated and returned to parent at end of camp.
Personal sporting equipment is encouraged, such as baseball gloves. However, gear that could serve as a weapon (bow/arrow) must be checked in with the quartermaster so use can be restricted to appropriate safety areas.
Smart Phones: Devices that provide games, cameras, web-browsing, email, social networking, WiFi, or texting capabilities will not be permitted at camp. Personal electronics providing music and reading are allowed.
Search policy: Campers belongings will not be searched, but any contraband that shows up outside of a suitcase will be confiscated.
** If you’re not sure something is prohibited, leave it at home or check with the camp director.
Transportation
Pick up and Drop Off
Parking is limited. We will have staff on the road with radios to direct you to lots where space is available. Please slow down and follow the instructions of the staff directing you.
Buses
Standard check-in procedures including updating any medical information and collecting medicines for the health supervisor.
We ask that parents remain until bus pulls out.
Upon boarding, children’s names checked against list to ensure all children checked in are on the bus. If a child on the list is not present on the bus, missing camper procedure will be initiated.
Bus rules: all children remain seated, hands, arms and head inside bus. If a problem presents, staff will move to child.
Medicines and health records travel on bus with children. Secondary car travels behind bus to help out in case of emergency.
In case of accident/emergency, children to be kept out of road, notification will be made to camp office, cooperation with law enforcement/emergency personnel.
In case of severe behavior problems on the bus, driver will be instructed to pull over. Camp office will be contacted. Camp Director will make the decision to place the child in the chase car and/or contact parents for pick up.
Airport pickups
You will be given the cell phone number of the senior staffer of the team picking up your child.
Staff picking up campers will have passed background checks and have filed their driving record with camp.
Vehicles used to pick up campers will be well maintained and pass a basic inspection before pickup, including headlights, blinkers, brakes all working properly.
Staff picking up campers will be wearing official Camp T-Shirts.
For additional safety, camper will be given a password. Staff picking them up will be instructed to give child this password.
No fewer than 2 staff will pick up campers. One acts as the driver, the other can entertain children during the ride.
More than one child may be picked up at one time, but no more than 8 campers for the 2 staff.
Once child has been picked up, staffer will make a call to the parent to let them know child arrived safely.
Vanpool
Vehicle used in vanpool will be will be well maintained and pass a basic inspection before pickup, including headlights, blinkers, brakes all working properly.
Drivers must be certified to drive the vehicle used and their driving record must be on file at camp.
Drivers and accompanying staff must have passed background check.
Driver must have at least 1 or more accompanying staff so that driver can focus on driving while support staff focus on children.
Standard check-in procedure applies at all drop-off points, including updates to health forms and collection of medication.
Parents of campers using the vanpool will be given two contact numbers. One to reach a support staffer in the vanpool and another to reach camp staff at the office in case van is not reachable.
In case of accident/emergency, children will be kept out of the road, notification will be made to camp office, cooperation with law enforcement/emergency personnel.
Gender Inclusion
By default, campers are placed into gender-neutral cabins. At registration, parents and guardians may opt into a gender-segregated cabin. Our primary motivation at Camp Omni is to provide an excellent summer camp experience for all kids, and especially those who may not feel welcome at other camps.
WHY DOES CAMP OMNI NEED A POLICY ABOUT GENDER INCLUSION?
Among biologists, social anthropologists, sociologists, and many people’s experience, there is a growing consensus that sex and gender identity exists along a spectrum and, sometimes, individuals may change. Alienation of trans youth and other non-binary campers can be overt, like bullying, which we already address as part of our rules. But it can also be unintentional with very uncontroversial things like cabin assignments, cabin names, pronoun use, bathroom designations, and the very common practice of splitting up campers into groups of boys and girls for activities for no reason other than expediency. We at Camp Omni feel it is important for us to address this issue and set an example making sure that all campers are welcome and respected at our camp and in our community.
WHAT ABOUT BATHROOMS?!
We once had an eight-year-old tell us, “If someone is looking at another person’s parts, then they are doing the bathroom wrong.” All bathrooms at the camp facility will be designated as Gender-Neutral and available for use by any person, regardless of gender. All conventional social norms about respect, modesty, and civility apply.
WILL BOYS AND GIRLS SLEEP IN THE SAME CABIN?
Most will, but for the small number who opt out of a gender-inclusive cabin, no. When a camper is registered, parents will have the option to opt out of the gender-inclusive cabins and choose a cabin that corresponds to their camper’s gender. Those campers who choose the gender-segregated option will be assigned to a cabin that will have others who made the same choice. Just like all other cabins at Camp Omni, they will be fully supervised and have staff present and organizing their activities 24 hours a day.
WILL CAMPERS CHANGE IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER?
Most kids are pretty modest and have been changing in private or under their covers (in both gendered and gender neutral cabins). We don’t expect this to present problems at camp and we’ll rely on the respect, modesty, and civility of campers and examples set by staff to rule the day.
WHAT WILL THE GENDER OF THE STAFF IN THE GENDER-INCLUSIVE CABIN BE?
We will make every effort possible to staff the gender-neutral cabin with representatives of each gender that matches, as close as possible, the demographics of the cabin, however, logistics will dictate what is possible. Our existing policies about camper supervision and adult ratios will still be in place which strictly prohibits one-on-one monitoring of any camper in private and in bathrooms and encourages all campers to travel in groups of three or more.
WHAT ABOUT PRONOUNS?
Camp staff will respect the pronouns the campers choose for themselves. In the camp registration form, there will be a field to list the camper’s preferred pronoun. Our staff will do their best to use them and model to the others campers what it looks like to treat people with respect. Campers and staff who intentionally use the wrong pronouns to antagonize others will be considered bullies and that will be addressed by our leadership.
WILL CAMPERS IN THE GENDER-INCLUSIVE CABIN MISS ANY PART OF THE CAMP PROGRAM?
No, there are certain activities that campers participate in by cabin and other activities where campers are regrouped into teams, but there will be no activity where any camper will be excluded or receiving anything less than the full experience because of their cabin assignment or their gender identity. At all times, campers in the gender-inclusive cabins will fully participate and be engaged in the Camp Omni program.
WHAT ABOUT…EVERYTHING ELSE?
Camp Omni already has well-tested policies and practices that deal with all sorts of behaviors and contingencies that might arise at a summer camp for children and teenagers. We have a well-trained staff, many of whom are educators and child development professionals the other 51 weeks of the year. We address things like bullying, inappropriate behaviors, camp romances, social awkwardness, special needs and anything else you can imagine might happen at summer camp as a matter of policy and practice and don’t expect that being inclusive of non-binary campers will affect any of our best practices. We’ve had gay, trans, and other non-binary campers before and accommodated them on an ad hoc basis; this step only allows us to streamline and standardize our practices.
If you have more questions, please send them to:
Liz Shoemaker, Chair of the Camp Omni Board of Directors.