Seasonal Facilities (Camps, Beaches, Pools)

The following are offered to assist in the development of Camp Safety Plans
 

• Children's Camp Safety Plan Template - Main Body
• Safety Plan Addendum Related to Campers with Disabilities (.pdf)
• Generic Activity Plan
   

• Archery
• Boating
• Camp Trips
• Horseback Riding
• Riflery
• Rope and Challenge Courses
• Sports
• Spray Grounds
• Swimming - On-site
• Swimming - Off-site and Wilderness

The following "Fact Sheets" (certifications) are updated annually and provide important information about required and acceptable staff certifications for children’s camp personnel. Certifications must be maintained at camp and available for review during routine inspections. Camp operators should check the New York State Department of Health website for the most current lists of acceptable certifications.

Please note, for staff who require first aid and/or CPR certification, only those classes listed on the certifications/fact sheets are accepted. Online first aid and CPR courses are NOT acceptable.

• Camp Aquatics Director Information
• Camp Trip Swimming Information
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Information
• EpiPen Information
• First Aid Information
• Learn to Swim Information
• Lifeguard/Aquatic Certification (.pdf)
• Progressive Swimming Instructor Information
• Swimming Pool Operator Information

• Epinephrine Auto-Injector Use
• Department of Health Injury-free Kids Poster (.pdf)
• Lyme Disease Flyer (.pdf)
• About Tickborne Diseases

• Procedures for Handling Vaccine Preventable Diseases at Camp (including information about immunization requirements for campers and staff)
• Recognizing, Reporting, and Preventing Mumps at Children’s Camps (.pdf)
• Mumps Fact Sheet (.pdf)
• Vaccine Preventable Diseases Letter to Camp Directors -- Recommended Immunizations for Staff and Campers

• Procedures for Handling Outbreaks (.pdf)
• NYSDOH Communicable Disease Reporting Requirements (.pdf)
• Viral Gastrointestinal Illness Camp Advisory (.pdf)

• Rabies Information
• Preventing Rabies (.pdf)
• General Guidelines for Management of Bat Related Incidents
• Fact Sheet for Bat Habitat Inspection and Batproofing
• Bat Capture Kit for Children’s Camps
• Management of Bat Related Incidents in Public Settings (.pdf)
• Video on How to Capture a Bat

• Use of Sunscreen Memorandum (.pdf)

• West Nile Virus Frequently Asked Questions (.pdf)
• Do Mosquitoes Love Your Home and Yard - Please contact the Department immediately if your campers come into contact with aggressive daytime biting mosquitoes.

• Drowning Prevention Training Seminar Schedule (.pdf)
• Children’s Camp Swimming Fact Sheet (.pdf)
• Supervision at Off-site Bathing Facilities Used by Children’s Camps (.pdf)
• Healthy Swimming/Recreational Water (information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

What should you do when someone vomits or poops in the pool?

• Fact Sheet Fecal Incident Response for Pool (information from the New York State Department of Health)
• Fact Sheet Vomit Blood Contamination (information from the New York State Department of Health)

Wilderness Swimming Guidance

• Wilderness Swimming Guidance
• Wilderness Swimming Field Tool (.pdf)
• Children’s Camp Program Fact Sheet for Tubing (.pdf)
• Local Tubing Information (.pdf)
• Resource Guide for Info on Flow Level (.pdf)

• NYSDOH Swimming Pools/Bathing Beaches / Recreational Aquatic Spray Grounds
• New York State Laws and Codes - Swimming Pools/Bathing Beaches
• Homeowner’s Association Exemption Guidelines (.pdf) - Homeowner’s Associations that are exempt from having a lifeguard must comply with specific submission requirements when completing the permit application, the safety plan statement, and the checklist.

Safety Plan Templates

The following Safety Plan Templates are offered to assist with the development of Swimming Pool and Bathing Beach Safety Plans.

• Bathing Beach Safety Plan (.pdf)
• Swimming Pools Safety Plan (.pdf)

Blue Green Algae and Bathing Beaches

• The New York State Department of Health provides important information to bathing beach operators on blue-green algae response and ways to protect patrons from potentially harmful blue-green algae blooms.
• Blue-Green Algae Bloom Response For Beach Operators (.pdf)

Certification Fact Sheets

The following Fact Sheets are updated annually and provide important information about required and acceptable certifications for aquatics staff. Swimming pool and bathing beach operators should check for the most current lists of acceptable certifications on the New York State Department of Health website. Certifications must be available for review during routine inspections by the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health.

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification for NYS Children’s Camps and NYS Bathing Facilities
• Level III and IV Aquatic Supervision
• Lifeguard/Aquatics Certification
• Supervision Level III Aquatic Staff for Instructional Activities
• Qualified Swimming Pool Water Treatment Operator Courses and Certifications

• Read this first-hand account (.pdf) that underscores the importance of in-service training for lifeguards and having an emergency action plan for your swimming pool and/or bathing beach.
• Healthy Swimming / Recreational Water (information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The use of cyanuric acid in public swimming pools is prohibited in New York State.

The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health provides important information about this chemical and how to determine whether a product contains cyanuric acid.