Summer Camp Health and Safety

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Lifeguards will administer a swim test to all campers at the General Burns pool. Zen staff will administer a swim test to all campers at the beach.  All swims take place at the General Burns Outdoor Public Pool and the beach under the supervision of city lifeguards.  At the beach we keep the campers in a confined area when in the water and we have counselors positioned at different points of depth at all times.

The following City of Ottawa rules apply to all campers:

Ages 5-7  - A Zen Counselor must be actively participating in the pool within arms reach at all times and a life jacket must be worn.

Ages 8-10 - Campers that do not pass the swim test must always be accompanied in the water by a Zen Counselor and a life jacket must be worn.

Ages 8-10 - Campers that successfully complete the facility swim test are accompanied in the water by Zen Counselors.

Ages 11+ - No life jacket or swim test is required.  Campers are accompanied in the water by a Zen Counselors.

We monitor the water quality in both the Ottawa and Rideau river daily. We receive an email update from the City of Ottawa every morning. If the water quality is below the acceptable level for swimming we will not go in the water. Sometimes one beach is okay and the other is not. In this case we may switch beaches at the last minute.

We take summer camp safety very seriously when allergies are a concern.e allergies.  We strive to work in partnership with a camper, his/her family and medical providers to develop a plan that provides a safe camp environment for the camper. 

We work to increase  awareness as well as minimize a camper’s potential exposure to  allergens, and are prepared to respond in the event that a camper has an  adverse reaction.

Some of the allergies of greatest concern to parents relate to peanuts and tree nuts. We are a nut free camp.   We pay close attention to a camper’s particular allergies and have a  management plan to meet his/her needs.  Whereas it would be impossible  to ensure that campers never come into contact with food residue or a  food item of concern we make every effort to keep the two apart. 

Campers who suffer from  severe allergies as reported on their health forms will be asked to  complete and submit an allergy management plan in consultation with  their parent. and any medication that their child requires for emergency  treatment (i.e. Benadryl, EpiPen, asthma inhaler) in a clearly marked  container. The student’s health form and Allergy Management Plan is  provided to the program director and counselor. Middle and high School  campers for whom an EpiPen is prescribed are expected to carry the  EpiPen with them at all times. All elementary school campers for whom an  EpiPen is prescribed must keep an EpiPen with the program director at  all times. All staff are trained to recognize an allergic reaction,  administer an EpiPen, and contact emergency response personnel. There is  an emergency EpiPen in the camp office and in first aid kit carried on  field trips.

Campers are not allowed to  share food from home and no food is provided by the camp. If a camper  has a severe food allergy, the program directors will institute  practices and cleaning routines in order to minimize exposure. For  example if a camper has a food allergy the instructors will ensure that  the child does not sit with or near a student eating that food, and  require all students to wash their hands after eating.

If your child has a minor accident, the  staff will take such actions to comfort your child (for example,  cleaning a wound, applying a bandage, etc.). If your child has an  accident that results in an injury that requires professional medical  treatment (for example large bumps, head injuries, uncontrollable nose  bleeds, cuts that may require stitches, or possible fractures), the  parent, guardian, or parentally-designated emergency contact person will  be called. You will receive an Incident Report for any injuries, which  will outline the steps that were taken.

In obvious emergency situations, emergency services will be called.

We are watching the weather forecasts all the time! In the event of inclement weather (i.e.  thunderstorms, lightning, extreme heat etc...) during camp activities, the camp will move all programs to our air conditioned indoor facility.

Reliability checks are done on all staff.  In addition, we strive  to choose camp staff  that teach classes in our other programs  throughout the year to ensure they are well know to management.

Our Program Director, who is with the  campers at all times, is professionally trained in group dynamics,  conflict resolution and bullying/abuse awareness and prevention, and  provides the same training to our Counsellors prior to the start of  camp.  Staff also receive first-aid and CPR training.