Frequently Asked Questions: How We Keep Camp Safe

While no outdoor adventure experience is without risk, Camp Highlands has well-established safety procedures for a range of scenarios—from severe weather and medical incidents to wilderness trips and evacuations. The FAQ below outlines our key protocols and the steps we take to ensure everyone’s safety.

What are the top risks facing Camp Highlands? Is there a history of these affecting the camp?

• Severe storms and fire are our main risks.
• We have experienced severe storms and storm warnings during camp, as recent as 2024
  • We enact our EAP to retreat to the basement of the dining hall
  •  There was a fire in an auxillary buildings in 2006
    • We called EMS and enacted a modified EAP. Firefighters arrived on the scene and successfully extinguished the fire before it spread to other buildings.

What is the emergency action plan, and have staff and campers practiced it through drills?

• We have unique EAPs for:
  • Land-based medical emergency and a water-based medical emergency
  • Severe weather and fiire (campers practice this EAP)
  • A lost or missing camper
  • Intruders and active shooter
• We annually review our Emergency Action Procedures and practice them with our staff for various scenarios, including water emergencies, fire emergencies, severe weather, active shooter incidents, and lost campers.
  • We have updated these to include night-time emergencies and will be sending out severe weather alert systems with all of our camping trips starting in July 2025.

Does Camp coordinate with local emergency services?

• We contact our local first responders to notify them when camp is in session.
• Vilas Emergency has the coordinates for helicopter retrieval, if necessary, and a local ambulance can arrive in under 15 minutes.
• Our caretaker is the former fire chief and continues to serve as a volunteer firefighter.
• We are 25 minutes or less from two Emergency Rooms in Minocqua.

Do camp staffers have basic first-aid training and access to more advanced medical care? Are there any specialized safety protocols and equipment for certain activities (such as swimming or rock climbing)?

• All staff receive basic first aid training during pre-camp, and trip leaders review protocols with camp health staff before departure.
• In the summer of 2025, 29 of our staff members are certified lifeguards through the American Red Cross. That is over ⅓ of our staff. There is lifeguard supervision anytime a camper is on the water at camp or on a trip.
• Lifeguards are trained in strict water supervision and rescue, as well as in first aid, CPR, and the use of AEDs.
• We send a lifeguard on every trip.
• We have three Wilderness First Responders on staff.
• We have an AED in camp, and staff are required to sign a log next to it, acknowledging that they are aware of its location.
• We have an MD, RN, and CNA on staff.
• Our climbing wall leaders renew their certification each season.

Is Camp certified by the American Camp Association?

• Yes! We are certified by the American Camp Association and have met or exceeded all their stated requirements and expectations, receiving 100% passing on every review we’ve had.

What’s the plan if an evacuation is necessary?

• We thankfully have never had to evacuate Camp; however, in the event of an evacuation, we will utilize camp vehicles and staff vehicles to retreat to a designated location. Depending on the scenario, we can also evacuate Camp via boat and will rendezvous at a nearby location on Plum Lake.

What safety measures do you take on wilderness trips?

• All campers and staff who are going on a two-night or more camping trip go through a thorough preparation with tripping staff before their wilderness trips, which includes: emergency whistle use, lost camper instructions, storm emergency procedures, canoe flip scenarios and rescues (for canoe trips), food and water safety, stove safety, and human waste disposal. They also review their trip maps, learn their trip routes and campsite locations, and set personal goals.
• For extended and remote trips, we provide a Garmin Satellite Phone with SOS capability. Staff are trained on how to utilize the Garmin devices and are empowered to press the SOS button when the outcome of their trip is unknown.
• We send two EpiPens on any trip out of camp (even Cub overnights or trips to town)
• All camp vehicles are equipped with an emergency kit (including a fire extinguisher, reflectors, and a first aid kit, among other items).

How will the camp contact parents in the event of an emergency?

• The first line of communication will come via mass email.
• We also utilize a group text and automated phone call service.

What are other ways you keep campers and staff safe?

• We are a small camp and have a very low camper-to-staff ratio.
• We have a tree specialist who annually evaluates the health of our trees, and we proactively remove any that pose a danger in a storm.
• All cabins are equipped with a fire alarm, and batteries are tested monthly during camp. Additionally, a fire extinguisher is mounted on the outside of every other cabin.

If you have any specific concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions.