Scouting Safely

Youth Protection and Safety have long been a focus of Scouting America. Nothing’s more important in Scouting.  Helping units enhance Safety is the primary focus of Ever Alert/Ever Safe.

Program Overview and FAQ 

•  Printable Booklet Format

Enrollment Form

 

Safe Scout and Unit Safey Training Video

 

The Ever Alert / Ever Safe tool kit:

Guide to Safe Scouting 

 

 

Incident Reporting

 

Scouting America's Commitment to Safety is ongoing and we want you to know that the safety of our youth, volunteers, staff, and employees cannot be compromised. Scouting America puts the utmost importance on the safe and healthy environments for its youth membership. The Suffolk County Council takes great strides to ensure the safety of its youth as well as the adult volunteer leadership that interacts with them.

 Health and safety must be integrated into everything we do, to the point that no injuries are acceptable beyond those that are readily treatable by Scout-rendered first aid.

The Scouting program, as contained in our handbooks and literature, integrates many safety features. However, no policy or procedure will replace the review and vigilance of trusted adults and leaders at the point of program execution.

---

Update To The Guide To Safe Scouting - 

Effective September 1, 2024 

• Updated Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse with additional resource information effective 9/1/2024
• Updated prohibited activities  eliminating hunting exemption.
• Updated Age-Appropriate Chart

 

Effective September 1, 2023 

All adults staying overnight in connection with a Scouting activity must be currently registered in an adult fee required position as listed or as an adult program participant. Limited exception below for Cub Scout overnight Programs.   

See FAQ for list of adult fee required positions.  Registration as a Merit Badge Counselor does not meet this requirement. 

  Cub Scout Programs – Overnight Exception:   Cub Scout parents or legal guardians taking part in an overnight Cub Scout program with their own child or legal ward are not required to register as leaders. All adults must review the “How to Protect your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide” that can be found in the front of each Cub Scout Handbook. In addition, the parent or legal guardian must be accompanied by a registered leader at any time they are with youth members other than their own child/ward.  All other overnight adults must be currently registered in an adult fee required position. 

Source

Language change - 

• Cub Scout pack unit coordinated camping is limited to no more than two consecutive nights. 

 

---

COVID Update - 2/23/2022 - We have updated our unit activity guidance 

COVID Update

---

Youth Safety for Youth Members

-Safety lessons for all scouts based on their age

---

Safety Moments

Safety Moments are exactly what the name implies. They are opportunities to prepare for a Scouting activity, review safety measures, or report incidents correctly. They keep Safety front of mind. An easy way to continually remind youth and adults to think about the possibility of injury, equipment damage, or preparation if something bad occurs.

• Safety Moments (ALL)
  • Violent Intruder Safety Moment
  • Emergency Action Plan Safety Moment
• Communicable Disease Prevention
• Code of Conduct

---

Tools to plan events and camp outs

Campout safety checklist provides guidance on safety issues that you may encounter at a Scouting campout. Along with the Guide to Safe Scouting and the tour and activity plan, this tool will help you in having conversations on identifying risks that need to be mitigated or eliminated.

Event safety checklist provides guidance on safety issues that you may encounter at a Scouting event (usually District/Council run) . This is a tool, not a list of mandatory guidelines. The intent of the checklist is to create conversations among event organizers around risks and ways to mitigate or eliminate them.

Safe Transportation checklist The safety of our Scouts, volunteers, employees, and communities
is our top priority. This two-part SAFE Transportation Checklist and Pre-Trip Transporting Inspection is designed to help you manage the risks associated with transporting Scouts.

---

Digital Safety

• Securing Virtual Meetings - From National
• Virtual Meeting Protection  Guildelines and Safety Tips from Suffolk County Council
• National Youth Protection Guidelines -Digital and Online Safety
• Scouting At Home Resources from National

---

Summer of Service 

As you prepare for a Summer of Service, your camp, or Order of the Arrow lodge service projects, you have available two updated risk assessment tools to maintain a SAFE Scouting experience. 

• SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist
• SAFE Project Tool Use Guidelines

---

Incident Reporting

A key responsibility that all volunteers and professional staff share is providing an effective program that meets the needs of young people and provides the proper health and safety of everyone concerned.  It is important that we sustain the safe operation of our programs and promote continuous improvement through organizational learning. Timely and complete incident reports support analysis that is critical to identifying needed improvement of the programs offered by Scouting America.

Incident Reporting

---

Youth Protection Training

Youth Protection Training (YPT) is designed to help you keep youth safe from abuse. During YPT, participants learn the Boy Scouts of America’s Youth Protection Guidelines, signs of abuse, and how to report suspected abuse. After each section of material, participants will answer questions about that section’s topic. This course must be completed by all registered adults, and is highly recommended for parents and other adults working with youth. 

• Scouting's Barriers to Abuse
• Youth Protection FAQ

---

Scouts First Helpline

The protection of youth is the primary obligation of every individual involved in the Boy Scouts of America - including leaders, parents, members and professionals. The BSA has been and will continue to be vigilant in its efforts to create barriers that help prevent abuse and to recognize and report child abuse regardless of where it occurs.

As part of the Scouting America's "Scouts First" approach to the protection and safety of youth, Scouting America has established 1-844-SCOUTS1 (844-726-8871) , a dedicated 24-hour helpline to receive reports of known or suspected abuse or behavior that might put a youth at risk.

The helpline's goal is to provide immediate assistance to ensure that the victim, unit, and council are fully supported and the actions taken are properly documented. Minor, non-recurring infractions with no indication youth are at risk can still be addressed at the unit or council level.

State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers

New York Toll-Free:(800) 342-3720
TDD: (800) 369-2437
Local (toll): (518) 474-8740
https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/cps/Default.asp

 

Other Youth Protection Resources

---

 

Safety PAUSE

 The Safety PAUSE process stresses the importance of a last-minute safety check in the field. By encouraging each Scout or adult leader to pause and reflect on the tasks at hand just before beginning, you have an opportunity to take necessary precautions to prevent any present or potential hazards. This is not a standalone tool. A formal risk assessment should be done first, such as a safety checklist or a program hazard analysis (PHA).