If you are running a trip, there are some specific training courses you need to be up to date on (or some adult on the trip does) in order to get a Tour Plan approved.  At Camp Durant and other Scout Camps, the Ranger will ask to see copies of our certifications before they will let us participate in any of these activities.

·       Weather Hazards (all outdoor activities)*

·       Safe Swim Defense (any time we will be swimming- even in a pool)*

·       Safety Afloat (any time we are boating)*

·       Climb on Safely (any time we are climbing - even at a Rock Gym)*

·       Trek Safely (anytime we are backpacking or back country trekking)*

·       Red Cross CPR/AED (all activities) #

·       Red Cross 1^st Aid (all activities) #

·       Wilderness First Aid (all activities deemed High Adventure) #

*Course is available online at https://my.scouting.org/

# Red Cross CPR/AED, Red Cross 1^st Aid, and Wilderness First Aid.  The troop usually offers these annually or bi annually, depending on our needs.  There are usually opportunities through your employer or at summer camp to get the Red Cross certifications.

Most of these courses expire after 2 years.

Weather Hazards

Weather Hazards training is mandatory for at least one adult on each tour. The course includes training, testing, and additional resources on weather conditions that may be encountered during BSA activities, including lightning, flash floods, tornadoes, hot and cold weather, hail, and hurricanes. Participants who complete the course earn a Weather Smart Certificate of Completion.  Takes about 20-30 minutes online at https://my.scouting.org/

Safe Swim Defense

BSA groups shall use Safe Swim Defense for all swimming activities. Adult leaders supervising a swimming activity must have completed Safe Swim Defense training within the previous two years. Safe Swim Defense standards apply at backyard, hotel, apartment, and public pools; at established waterfront swim areas such as beaches at state parks and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes; and at all temporary swimming areas such as a lake, river, or ocean. Safe Swim Defense does not apply to boating or water activities such as waterskiing or swamped boat drills that are covered by Safety Afloat guidelines. Safe Swim Defense applies to other non-swimming activities whenever participants enter water over knee deep or when submersion is likely, for example, when fording a stream, seining for bait, or constructing a bridge as a pioneering project. Snorkeling in open water requires each participant to have demonstrated knowledge and skills equivalent to those for Snorkeling BSA in addition to following Safe Swim Defense. Scuba activities must be conducted in accordance with the BSA Scuba policy found in the Guide to Safe Scouting. Because of concerns with hyperventilation, competitive underwater swimming events are not permitted in Scouting.

Safe Swim Defense training may be obtained from the BSA Online Learning Center at https://my.scouting.org/, at council summer camps, and at other council and district training events. Confirmation of training is required on tour and activity plans for trips that involve swimming.  Takes about 20-30 minutes online.

Safety Afloat

BSA groups shall use Safety Afloat for all boating activities. Adult leaders supervising activities afloat must have completed Safety Afloat training within the previous two years. Cub Scout activities afloat are limited to council or district events that do not include moving water or float trips (expeditions). Safety Afloat standards apply to the use of canoes, kayaks, rowboats, rafts, floating tubes, sailboats, motorboats (including waterskiing), and other small craft, but do not apply to transportation on large commercial vessels such as ferries and cruise ships. Parasailing (being towed airborne behind a boat using a parachute), kitesurfing (using a wakeboard towed by a kite), and recreational use of personal watercraft (small sit-on-top motorboats propelled by water jets) are not authorized BSA activities.

Safety Afloat training may be obtained from https://my.scouting.org/, at council summer camps, and at other council and district training events. Confirmation of training is required on tour and activity plans for trips that involve boating.  Takes about 20-30 minutes online.

Climb On Safely

Climb On Safely is the Boy Scouts of America’s procedure for organizing BSA climbing/rappelling activities at a natural site or a specifically designed facility such as a climbing wall or tower.

All unit-sponsored/planned climbing activities, regardless of where they are held, fall under Climb On Safely. This applies to a single unit or multiple units that may be participating in a joint unit climbing activity.

There is inherent risk in climbing and rappelling. With proper management, that risk can be minimized. Leaders should be aware that Climb On Safely is an orientation only and does not constitute training on how to climb or rappel.

Young people today seek greater challenges, and climbing and rappelling offer a worthy challenge. The satisfaction of safely climbing a rock face is hard to top. While introduction of the Climbing merit badge in spring 1997 spurred interest in these activities through the BSA, the proliferation of climbing gyms and facilities has also made climbing and rappelling readily available throughout the United States.

This increased interest has made climbing and rappelling a very popular unit activity. More accidents occur during unit rappelling than during council-managed climbing or rappelling, and more accidents have occurred during rappelling than climbing. Many climbing/rappelling accidents could be avoided by having qualified instruction from a conscientious adult who has the attention and respect of the youth entrusted to his or her care. Supervision by a caring adult who fully understands and appreciates the responsibility he or she assumes helps assure safety when youth engage in or prepare for climbing or rappelling.

The adult supervisor’s relationship with youth participants should reinforce the importance of following instructions. The adult leader in charge and the climbing instructor share this important responsibility. The instructor is responsible for all procedures and for safely conducting the climbing/rappelling activity. The adult supervisor works cooperatively with the climbing instructor and is responsible for all matters outside of the climbing/rappelling activity.

Climb on Safely can be taken on line at https://my.scouting.org/ and takes about 40-60 minutes to complete.

Trek Safely

Backcountry and extended treks provide the excitement that many older Scouts and Venturers are looking for.  With this added excitement comes the responsibility to pay close attention to every detail. Your planning must anticipate weather changes, the itinerary’s difficulty, and crew dynamics.

Trek Safely is designed to help Scouting groups be fully prepared for a backcountry trek. It will help each youth member and adult leader recognize situations that could develop where the group will have to adjust its schedule or route, or even make camp for the night due to weather or an injured or ill crew member. Crews who address possible scenarios in advance are less likely to be surprised on the trail. Contingency planning is critical to the success of every trip.

Trek Safely can be taken on line at https://my.scouting.org/ and takes about 40-60 minutes to complete.

Wilderness First Aid

Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is the assessment of and treatment given to an ill or injured person in a remote environment where definitive care by a physician and/or rapid transport is not readily available. A BSA-led task force has developed WFA doctrine and curriculum. Participants will learn how to assess, treat, and (when possible) contain emergencies within the scope of their training. Youth and adult Scout leaders over age 14 are invited to participate and earn their certification. This is a 16 hour course. Participants must hold current adult CPR/AED certification.