Pine Cove is committed to the safety of all campers. Our comprehensive safety plan covers staff screening, abuse prevention, weather safety, medical care, and activity safety. Pine Cove’s goal is for every parent to feel confident with their child spending a fun and SAFE week at camp!
“Seriously, we continue to come back year-after-year because we believe so strongly in the fact that you run a quality, safe camp where our children can grow to be great disciples of Christ.”
Julie
6th Grade Camper Parent
We weave abuse prevention into our entire camp environment, through training, monitoring, and feedback systems. Our entire staff undergoes extensive training on the rules and procedures we have in place to prevent any type of abuse. Everyone must pass a test on these abuse prevention concepts.
One of our required practices is the Rule of Three. Trips to the secluded areas such as bathrooms should involve three people so that no two individuals are alone in private at any given time. Monitoring is also an important abuse prevention tool because it decreases the opportunity for abuse to happen. The staff all monitor one another, and camp leadership is also constantly monitoring staff and campers.
It is important to have multiple ways to report abuse. If a camper is in a situation where they felt threatened, abused, or unsafe, we encourage them to either talk with a staff member, or to use the anonymous reporting system known as the “Talk Box.” Every camp has a Talk Box available to collect anonymous or signed notes at any point in the week.
Pine Cove has been awarded Praesidium Accreditation by Praesidium Inc., an industry leader in abuse risk management.
Camper and staff safety is a top priority at Pine Cove. Parents and staff are encouraged to discuss any safety concerns with the camp director or any full-time staff while on property. They can also report issues to us by:
We take your feedback seriously and appreciate you contacting us. We believe our camper families have valuable thoughts and insights to share regarding our operations. A member of our leadership team will be sure to investigate and address any reports or concerns.
Each of our overnight youth camps has a licensed nurse and all of our camps have health assistant on duty 24 hours a day. All physical camp properties have an on-site medical clinic and are within twenty minutes of a hospital. Additionally, all medications are administered to campers and staff by nursing professionals.
To ensure the safety of all campers, no medications are allowed in a cabin or anywhere outside of the health centers, except for rescue inhalers, diabetic supplies, and epi-pens. For more information on medication at camp, check out our helpful guide. Hand washing is another important part of our illness prevention strategy. We require campers to wash their hands before meals and provide numerous handwashing stations and hand sanitizer to help keep germs at bay.
“We want to ensure that every one of our staff knows that Pine Cove is serious about our mission and that we have an unquestioned safety culture.”
Craig “Dutch” Langemeier
President, Pine Cove
Pine Cove does not take lightly our calling to find the best and safest staff. All applicants must complete an extensive application, undergo a face-to-face interview, submit at least three references, and pass a background check. Every staff gets background checked every year. Pine Cove hires less than 17% of all applicants.
We love "liquid sunshine," but we don't take any chances with the weather! Pine Cove utilizes Perry Weather Alerts to monitor all vital weather conditions in real time. This system provides advance notice of National Weather Service alerts—including tornado watches, severe thunderstorms, flood, and wind or hail warnings—and enables us to notify our staff promptly if there’s any need to seek shelter or respond in another way. Our senior counselors, nurses, and full-time staffers are all equipped with cell phones or walkie talkies, enabling quick communication across camp.
One of our required practices is the Rule of Three. Trips to the secluded areas such as bathrooms should involve three people so that no two individuals are alone in private at any given time. Monitoring is also an important abuse prevention tool because it decreases the opportunity for abuse to happen. The staff all monitor one another, and camp leadership is also constantly monitoring staff and campers. It is important to have multiple ways to report abuse. If a camper is in a situation where they felt threatened, abused, or unsafe, we encourage them to either talk with a staff member, or to use the anonymous reporting system known as the “Talk Box.” Every camp has a Talk Box available to collect anonymous or signed notes at any point in the week. Pine Cove has been awarded Praesidium Accreditation by Praesidium Inc., an industry leader in abuse risk management. https://website.praesidiuminc.com/wp/
