Frequently Asked Questions


Frequently Asked Questions Last Updated: April 29, 2007 The following information is provided in the interest of providing informational assistance to campers, parents and staff. Should you have additional questions, please email your inquiry to camp@ffburn.org.

General Questions... What is the camp all about? Who does the camp serve? When is camp held? Where is camp held? Are visitors welcome at camp? Is the media welcome? Camper & Parent Related Questions... Are siblings welcome? Is transportation provided to/from camp? How do I know my child will be safe? What is the ratio of staff to children? Who are the counselors? Have the counselors worked at camp before? My child is not very comfortable with asking for help? What are the facilities like at camp? What do the campers do while they are at camp? My child is sixteen (16) and would like to be a CIT. How do they apply? How can I stay in contact with my child while they are at camp? Who will be taking care of my child’s medical needs? Are you close to a medical facility? My child has never been away from home. How do you deal with homesickness? Do the campers go off-site while they are at camp? Is tobacco use at camp permissible? What items should I NOT bring to camp? Staff Related Questions... How can I become a staff member? I want to help, but I cannot commit to the entire week. What are my options? I would like to volunteer as a driver/chaperone to/from camp. What are my options? What are the requirements for a pre-camp health exam? Will my current DMV Heath Examination suffice? Do I need to be tested for TB? Do I need a HEPATITIS B Vaccination? How can I become a Counselor-In-Training (CIT)? What does the criminal background check consist of? Will we need to be Live Scan fingerprinted every year? Most of our staff are public safety employees, and as such have already been fingerprinted and had extensive background checks completed by their employer. Why we need to complete “another” check? General Questions... What is the camp all about? The Firefighters Kids Camp works to provide young burn survivors with a fun and safe camp environment that encourages healing, personal growth and character development within a natural setting. Firefighters Kids Camp provides children who have had serious burn injuries the opportunity to meet each other and to feel less alone in their rehabilitation and recovery process. At camp, children with burn injuries find themselves surrounded by other children and adults just like them! Camp provides burn injured children with exposure to other children of all ages and stages of rehabilitation. Camp also provides an opportunity for children to experience cooperative playing and the experience of working together toward a common goal. Back to Top Who does the camp serve? Firefighters Kids Camp welcomes any burn survivor who: Is at least six (6) years of age and has completed the first (1^st) grade. Is less than eighteen (18) years of age. Who as a result of his/her burns has been treated in a burn treatment unit (in-patient or out-patient), and/or has received hospitalization as a result of his/her burn injuries. Variances in age may be granted by the Camp Planning Committee should special circumstances exist. Children who meet the above criteria, and are whose application the Camp Planning Committee accepts will be invited to participate in the program free of charge. Back to Top When is camp held? Our 2007 camp program will be held Sunday, August 5th thru Saturday, August 11th. Back to Top Where is camp held? Our 2007 camp program will be held at Camp Concord, South Lake Tahoe, Ca. (near Camp Richardson). Camp Concord is located off of Highway 89, approximately 4 miles west of the "Y". Back to Top Are visitors welcome at camp? The Firefighters Kids Camp strives to provide a quality camp environment where children who have sustained burn injuries can feel safe and secure. It is for this reason that a “closed” camp environment – one limiting and controlling the visitation of those who are not directly involved in the program – must be maintained. In an effort to promote and foster support for our camp program, visitors WILL be allowed on a LIMITED basis under the following conditions: Our 2007 Designated Visitor's Day will be Wednesday, August 8th. ALL visitors must secure approval from the Camp Director(s) prior to the beginning of the camp week before they will be allowed on the premises. *NO overnight accommodations will be made available to visitors. Visitors will not be allowed in camp before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.* The kids come FIRST! The presence of visitors must NOT be allowed to interfere with the job functions and responsibilities of the person(s) being visited. If the presence of visitors does become a distraction, the visitors will be asked to leave. All visitors will be provided a “visitor” nametag identifying them as such to the staff and campers. All visitors will be responsible for abiding by the camp rules. Any person(s) who become a detriment to the camp program will be asked to leave immediately. Back to Top Is the media welcome? Media representatives will be invited to visit in an effort to promote our program. Wednesday will be the designated Media Day. The Camp Director(s) shall designate a member of the staff who shall serve as the designated Public Information Officer (PIO). All media representatives should be directed to check-in with the PIO immediately upon their arrival in camp. The PIO will supervise all media interviews of staff and campers. All media guests will be provided a “media” nametag identifying them as such to the staff and campers. Back to Top Camper & Parent Related Questions... Are siblings welcome? Siblings of burn survivors who reside in the same residence may be allowed to participate in the camp program, however, a nominal fee will be charged. Sibling acceptance will be evaluated on an individual basis, and will be judged by the benefit provided to the healing process as it relates to both the burn survivor and the family unit. Sibling acceptance will be subject to space availability. The Camp Planning Committee must approve applications for sibling participation. NOTE: The fee for sibling attendance in camp year 2007 will be $175.00. Back to Top Is transportation provided to/from camp? Transportation is provided to and from the Sacramento area using van transportation to/from Shriners Hospital for Children, 2425 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA Special transportation may also be arranged to/from the San Jose, Bakersfield and Chico area. Specific transportation arrangements will be negotiated by the Firefighters Burn Institute once a camper's application has been received and accepted. Back to Top How do I know my child will be safe? It is important that you know your child is safe. The campers are always under the direct supervision of adult staff while at camp. Most of the time, the cabin group participates in activities together. When we are at public facilities, there are additional staff to help supervise the campers. Again, the campers are continually supervised by the staff. Back to Top What is the ratio of staff to children? At camp we have a 1:3 ratio of staff to campers. Campers are divided into age and gender appropriate cabin groups. A minimum of two (2) adult counselors are assigned to each cabin group.. There are also a number of additional support staff who work with the campers throughout the week. Back to Top Who are the counselors? The majority of our counselors and support staff are professional firefighters and health care professionals who volunteer their time to make our program possible. All have been interviewed by the Camp Directors, passed a criminal background check and receive formal training prior to the camper's arrival at camp. Back to Top Have the counselors worked at camp before? The Firefighters Kids camp has a returning staff ratio of approx 85%. Many of the counselors have been working at camp for 3 or more summers. They are ALL committed to providing the campers with an exceptional and safe experience! Back to Top My child is not very comfortable with asking for help? This is especially true when it comes to asking for help in reference to their burn injury. If you know your child is not comfortable asking for help, be sure to note this on their application. We utilize the information on the application to help make your child’s experience a positive one. The staff at camp is there to help each camper have the best experience possible. One of the reason for the small ratio of staff to campers is to make sure that we are meeting the needs of the campers. Back to Top What are the facilities like at camp? Will my child be sleeping in a cabin or outside on the open ground? Camp Concord is located in the Tahoe National Forest on 29 acres. There are on-site cabins with electricity, a dining hall (with complete kitchen facilities), a nurse’s cabin (fully stocked with medical supplies), campfire amphitheater, arts and crafts area, volleyball court, archery, portable rock climbing wall, playground area, basketball area, ping pong tables and a flag pole area. Lake Tahoe is 1½ miles away from camp. Fallen Leaf Lake is about ½ mile from camp. Back to Top What do the campers do while they are at camp? There are a wide range of activities that the campers participate in while they are at camp. Activities may include: swimming, archery, biking, campfires, rock climbing, BBQ’s, ice skating, cruising on the M. S. Dixie (paddle wheeler that runs on Lake Tahoe), animal shows, the "Big Dance" , a teen "Adventure Challenge", rap sessions, and much more! Back to Top My child is sixteen (16) and would like to be a CIT. How do they apply? If your child is sixteen, they can still come as a camper. Our CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program is for 18 – 20 year olds young adults who have participated in camp in the past. The CIT program gives you an opportunity to be a part of the staff training program, develop your leadership skills, and work directly with the campers. Back to Top How can I stay in contact with my child while they are at camp? We recommend you write to your camper while they are at camp. Many times parents/guardians want to talk with the campers while they are at camp. For many campers this can be very difficult, once they hear their parent/guardians voice it can make them feel very homesick. To write to your camper and/or send care packages, mail them to: Your Campers’ Name – Firefighters Kids Camp Camp Concord P. O. Box 8406 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96158 NOTE: Campers love to get mail while they are at camp! It is helpful to send your letters/packages a few days prior to the beginning of camp. The Tahoe mail is slow, and it can take up to 5 days for U.S. mail to arrive at camp. Back to Top Who will be taking care of my child’s medical needs? We have a registered nurse on-site 24 hours a day. Our Camp Nurse specializes in wound care and has extensive training working with the use and care of pressure garments for the children. Back to Top Are you close to a medical facility? Barton Memorial Hospital is 4 ½ miles from camp. It is about a 10 minute drive from camp. Back to Top My child has never been away from home. How do you deal with homesickness? Homesickness and camp go hand-in-hand. It can happen whether the camper is a new, returning, younger or older camper. Even those campers who couldn’t wait to get to camp can get homesick. Again, this is why we ask you to write rather than call. There are a number of things we can do to help a homesick camper. One of the most powerful tools we utilize is having another camper, who has experienced homesickness in the past, talk with the camper. The counselors may talk with your child and have your child write a letter home. There are always extra stuffed animals in case something to cuddle with is what your camper needs. Back to Top Do the campers go off-site while they are at camp? Yes. While at camp there are a number of days the campers will be going off-site. We work with the firefighters in the Tahoe area to set up a number of special events around the Tahoe basin. The campers will be going to Squaw Valley (for a gondola ride, ice skating and swimming), Alpine Meadows (for a BBQ), the M. S. Dixie (for a Paddle Wheeler Boat ride on Lake Tahoe) and a couple of different waterfront areas on Lake Tahoe area. Back to Top Is tobacco use at camp permissible? No person under the age of eighteen (18) will be permitted to use tobacco products at camp. Adults who are at least eighteen (18) years of age may use tobacco products, but may only do so in the designated use area, and only after all campers have been put to bed. The designated tobacco use area will be the asphalted loading dock area behind the kitchen. Smokers will be required to utilize the metal butt container that will be provided. Smoking will NOT be allowed anywhere else in camp. Back to Top What items should I NOT bring to camp? Unauthorized personal property such as fireworks, tobacco products, radios, cellular phones, pagers, pocketknives, etc. will be confiscated by the Camp Director(s) and held under lock and key until the end of the camp program. Unauthorized personal property will only be returned to the parents or guardians of the rightful owner. Back to Top Staff Related Questions... How can I become a staff member? Staff recruitment for the Firefighters Kids Camp will be focused towards, but not limited to, Union Firefighters, Burn Care Professionals and Adult Burn Survivors. Maturity and judgment are two critical qualities of a camp staff member. Cabin counselors will work directly with, and maintain constant supervision of, assigned campers. Cabin counselors must be at least 21 years of age. Cabin counselors will be responsible to the Camp Director(s). Back to Top I want to help, but I cannot commit to the entire week. What are my options? Program support volunteers will be utilized to augment and provide for special, short-term camp activities such as the adventure challenge program, the provision of watercraft during waterfront/boating activities and/or arts and crafts activities. Program support volunteers must be at least 21 years of age. Program support volunteers will be responsible to the Camp Director(s). Back to Top I would like to volunteer as a bus chaperone to/from camp. What are my options? Driver Requirements Any person transporting children must meet the following criteria: Must be at least 21 years of age. Must submit a recent copy of DMV information record. Must complete a Voluntary Disclosure Statement that asks thorough questions about possible involvement in abuse to minors. Must be fingerprinted using the “Live Scan” process in order to facilitate a criminal records check by the California State Department of Justice. Back to Top What are the requirements for a pre-camp health exam? All campers and staff participating in the camp program will be required to complete a health history questionnaire annually (as part of the camp application). All campers will be required to have a pre-camp health examination performed by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner within twenty-four (24) months prior to attending camp. All staff will be required to have a pre-camp health examination performed by a licensed physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner within twenty-four (24) months prior to attending camp. Whenever possible, participants should submit a Firefighters Kids Camp Health Examination form that has been signed by a MD, PA or NP. Back to Top Will my current DMV Heath Examination suffice? A current DMV Medical Health Examiners Card may be submitted in substitution for staff; however, a copy of the DMV Medical Report that was signed by the physician should also accompany it. If you no longer have a copy of the physician’s medical report, a completed FF Kids Camp Health Exam form that includes your medical history, special treatments, restrictions and/or considerations that may affect your participation in camp activities must accompany a copy of your DMV card. Back to Top Do I need to be tested for TB? Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease that is spread from person to person through the air and primarily affects the respiratory system. A simple skin test can determine if you have the antibodies to TB. State regulations require TB screening at a minimum every four (4) years for volunteers (staff) who will have repeated contact with children. The Mantoux PPD Test is the only acceptable method of TB screening. Staff must provide a form from the doctor or health facility with the following information: Type of test - Mantoux (PPD) only. Date of test. Skin Test Results. Signature of doctor or designee. Back to Top Do I need a HEPATITIS B Vaccination? Hepatitis B vaccination is highly encouraged. Those who do not wish to receive the vaccination at their own expense shall be required to sign a "Hepatitis B Vaccination Declination Form". Back to Top How can I become a Counselor-In-Training (CIT)? Counselors-In-Training are typically burn survivors/campers who wish to transition into the role of being a cabin counselor. Counselors-in-Training must be 18 to 20 years in age. No prior experience as a camper or CIT is required, but it is preferred. Counselors-In-Training will be assigned to work under the direct supervision of a veteran counselor and will be regularly monitored by the CIT Program Manger. Counselors-In-Training will enjoy all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of an adult cabin counselor except that they will not be allowed to independently supervise a child camper in the absence of an adult cabin counselor, or drive/operate a camp vehicle used for transportation. Counselors-In-Training will be expected to participate in all staff training and will be held accountable to act in a mature and responsible manner. Back to Top What does the criminal background check consist of? Per state law, all staff working with children must be screened in order to identify and exclude ex-offenders with a history of violent and/or sex crimes, especially where those crimes were directed against children. The Firefighters Kids Camp will conduct background investigations of all staff in the following manner: Each staff candidate will be required to submit a recent copy of his or her DMV information record. Each staff candidate will be fingerprinted using the “LiveScan” process in order to facilitate a criminal records check by the California State Department of Justice. Each staff candidate will be required to complete a Voluntary Disclosure Statement that asks thorough questions about possible involvement in abuse to minors. Back to Top Most of our staff are public safety employees, and as such have already been fingerprinted and had extensive background checks completed by their employer. Why do we need to complete “another” check? Due to current privacy laws, your employer is not allowed to “share” information without your consent, and the DOJ will not allow us (even with your consent) to access any prior history/reports. We apologize for the inconvenience of the process, but there are NO other options. We hope you can all understand the necessity for the process, and the current demands to provide assurance that those entrusted with the care of children are appropriate to do so. Back to Top Will we need to be Live Scan fingerprinted every year? No. In the future, returning staff will not need to be fingerprinted again unless special circumstances exist or unless a “significant” break in service has occurred – this will be at the discretion of the Camp Director(s). Returning staff will be required to complete the “Voluntary Disclosure Form” each year. Back to Top Firefighters Kids Camp FAQ's. Copyright © 2006 [Firefighters Burn Institute]. All rights reserved. Revised: April 29, 2007.