Health & Safety

Safety First

Health & Safety

Our Commitment to Safety Excellence At Camp Highlander, we understand that you’ve trusted us with the most precious part of your life - your child - and that is why safety is our top priority and guides every decision we make.

For more than 60 years, Camp Highlander has maintained the highest standards of safety through our facilities, programs, and qualified staff. Our comprehensive approach to safety goes beyond meeting industry standards - we continuously evaluate, train, and improve our protocols to ensure the safest possible environment for every camper.

Proactive Safety Culture

Safety at Camp Highlander isn’t just a set of rules - it’s woven into the fabric of our camp culture. Our staff undergoes extensive safety training before each session and participates in ongoing safety education throughout the summer. We maintain industry-leading staff-to-camper ratios, ensuring constant supervision and immediate response capability.

Every activity, from arts and crafts to our high-adventure programs, follows detailed safety protocols developed through decades of experience and regularly updated based on best practices. Our counselors are trained to anticipate and prevent potential risks while still allowing campers to challenge themselves and grow.

Emergency Preparedness & Response

Camp Highlander maintains comprehensive emergency action plans that are regularly reviewed and practiced by our entire team. Our staff receives training in emergency response procedures, and we conduct regular safety drills to ensure everyone knows their role in keeping campers safe. Weather Monitoring & Protocols. We continuously monitor weather conditions using multiple professional weather services and maintain direct communication with local emergency management agencies. Our facilities include designated safe areas for severe weather, and all outdoor activities follow strict weather safety guidelines.

Emergency Communication Systems

Our multi-layered communication system ensures we can reach parents, staff, and emergency services immediately when needed. We maintain backup communication methods and work closely with local emergency responders who are familiar with our facility and protocols.

Coordination with Local Authorities

Camp Highlander works closely with Henderson County Emergency Management, local fire departments, and law enforcement agencies. Our emergency plans are coordinated with local authorities, and first responders are familiar with our campus layout and evacuation procedures.

Highly Qualified & Trained Staff

Every member of our team is carefully selected and thoroughly prepared to provide the safest possible experience for your child.

Comprehensive Background Screening

All staff members undergo thorough background checks, reference verification, and screening processes before joining our team. We maintain strict hiring standards and regularly review our screening procedures.

Extensive Safety Training

Our counselors arrive at camp days before campers to participate in comprehensive training that includes:

CPR and First Aid certification Activity-specific safety protocols Emergency response procedures Child protection and supervision standards Risk recognition and prevention

Ongoing Education & Certification

Throughout the summer, our staff participates in ongoing safety education and maintains current certifications. Our leadership team regularly evaluates and updates training based on industry best practices and emerging safety standards.

Activity-Specific Safety Protocols

Each of our 40+ activities follows detailed safety protocols designed specifically for that environment and age group.

Waterfront Safety

Our waterfront program exceeds American Camp Association standards with certified lifeguards on duty at all times, mandatory life jacket policies, and a buddy system for all water activities. We conduct daily equipment inspections and maintain detailed safety protocols for each water-based activity.

Adventure Activities

High-adventure activities like our climbing walls, zip lines, and challenge courses are overseen by specially trained instructors with additional certifications. All equipment is inspected daily and professionally maintained according to manufacturer specifications.

Transportation Safety

All off-camp trips follow strict transportation safety protocols, including vehicle inspections, qualified drivers, and detailed itineraries shared with our office and parents.

Campus Security & Access Control

Our campus maintains a closed campus policy during camp sessions with no visitors permitted. We operate as a gated community and closely monitor all vendors making daily deliveries to camp. Tours are available by appointment only from August through May when camp is not in session.

Campus Monitoring

Our staff maintains visual supervision of all camp areas throughout the day and night, with clear protocols for monitoring and securing our facilities.

Continuous Improvement

Safety is never “finished” at Camp Highlander. We continuously evaluate our protocols, seek feedback from parents and staff, and implement improvements based on industry best practices and emerging safety standards. Our commitment to your child’s safety drives us to constantly raise the bar on what it means to provide a secure, nurturing camp environment.

We understand that choosing a summer camp is a significant decision, and we’re honored that you’re considering entrusting your child to our care. If you have any questions about our safety protocols or would like to discuss specific concerns about your child, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Health Forms

All campers are required to have a health history form and a physician’s examination completed prior to participation in camp activities. These forms must be completed and turned into our office by May 1st. Any changes to your child’s health condition, medication, or insurance information after the form has been submitted should be given to the office so our records can be properly updated. Please visit Preparing For Camp for more information.

Medications

We require that all prescription and over-the-counter medication be packaged in blister packs or unit-dose packaging, which can be ordered online from Amazon. Just search for medication blister packs.

This type of packaging prompts for the day and time of each dose. Parents are responsible for making sure campers arrive with their medicine properly packaged. Other medications such as liquids, inhalers, creams and ointments should also be individually labeled.

This medication packing program is required. This system is designed to standardize our medication procedure and improve the efficiency of disbursement. This allows our nurses to have more time to devote to the well-being of your child.

All camper and staff medication must be stored in the Health Hut during the summer. The Camp Highlander Health Hut stocks standard over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, antacids, antibiotic ointments, Cortaid, Band-Aids, etc… Therefore, it is not necessary to bring these medications/items to camp.

For any special needs (such as an allergy to bee stings), please speak with the nurse on opening day of the session to make arrangements. DO NOT MAIL MEDICATIONS OR PRESCRIPTIONS TO CAMP.

Daily Nutrition and Food Allergies

We offer our campers and staff a variety of delicious and nutritional food options at every meal. We serve our meals family style and also offer a buffet bar as an extra option. If your camper has dietary restrictions, and we are happy to oblige our campers and staff in every way possible. Whether it’s peanuts, dairy, gluten or a highly-selective diet, our kitchen staff will gladly offer alternative options to meet the needs of all our campers and staff members. We simply ask that you contact our camp office prior to arriving at camp to discuss your child’s dietary requirements and help us develop a plan to best serve them.

Immunizations

Because our camp program has a potential for communicable diseases, we recommend that program participants are appropriately immunized for, at minimum, the following diseases: tetanus, mumps, measles, rubella, polio, pertussis (whooping cough), and diphtheria. This being said, we recognize that some individuals may not be fully immunized for reasons that are biophysical (e.g., the individual is allergic to a serum component) or of personal choice (e.g., faith belief). A signed refusal or a signed waiver form must be provided for individuals who are not fully immunized.