Scouting Safely
Safety / Safeguarding Tools
Guide to Safe Scouting
Incident Reporting
Scouts First Help Line: 1-844-SCOUTS1 (844-726-8871)
The Incident Reporting Tools provided below are customized for different situations, serving as valuable resources for gathering incident information. More than just filling out a form, these tools are crafted to assist you in accurately sharing all essential details with your Council.
Incident Information Reporting Tool: Use this tool to report injuries, illnesses, and incidents requiring medical attention beyond basic first aid. Suitable for situations occurring during Scouting activities or on council-owned properties.
Youth Protection/Membership Infraction Information Reporting Tool: For reporting instances of abuse, violations of Scouting America policies, or inappropriate behavior involving Scouts, Scout leaders, parents, or others.
Near Miss Incident Information Reporting Tool: Use this tool to report near misses – incidents that could have resulted in harm but did not. Valuable for identifying safety and program practice improvements. Near misses with clear lessons learned can bring to light opportunities to improve safety performance or program practices.
Effective May 16, 2025
Youth protection training (YPT) is now know as S.A.F.E Guarding Youth Training (SYT)
- Safeguarding Youth training is required for all Scouting America registered volunteers and is a joining requirement.
- Safeguarding Youth training must be taken every year. If a volunteer’s Safeguarding Youth training is not current at the time of annual registration renewal, the volunteer will not be re-registered.
- After completing the full course once, a 15-minute refresher and retest is required each year to stay current.
Video For Parents
Scouting America is committed to keeping youth safe and has released the new Safeguarding Youth Parents’ Guide Video. The video highlights key aspects of the organization’s safeguarding approach for new parents and encourages them to complete the full Safeguarding Youth Training, joining their child on this important journey. It can be viewed here and shared with parents, volunteers, and local networks. The video complements the written Parent Guides but does not replace it. It providis an additional way to learn and ensuring that families have multiple ways to access and understand important safeguarding information.
Mandatory Report of Child Abuse
All persons involved in Scouting shall report to local authorities any good-faith suspicion or belief that any child is or has been physically or sexually abused, physically or emotionally neglected, exposed to any form of violence or threat, exposed to any form of sexual exploitation, including the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child pornography, online solicitation, enticement, or showing of obscene material. You may not abdicate this reporting responsibility to any other person.
For more information see:
Tips for Service Projects
Tools to plan events and camp outs
Youth Safety for Youth Members
Ever Alert / Ever Safe
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.
Safe Scout and Unit Safey Training Video
The Ever Alert / Ever Safe tool kit:
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 -
2025 Updates
March
February
- Webteam updates to entire site to Scouting America References
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.
Language change -
- Cub Scout pack unit coordinated camping is limited to no more than two consecutive nights.
Youth Safety for Youth Members
-Safety lessons for all scouts based on their age
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
Tips for Service Projects
As you prepare for any kind of service projects you have available two updated risk assessment tools to maintain a SAFE Scouting experience.
S.A.F.E Guarding Youth Training
S.A.F.E Guarding Youth Training (SYT) is designed to help you keep youth safe from abuse. During SYT, participants learn the Scoutiing 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.
Scouts First Helpline
The protection of youth is the primary obligation of every individual involved in the Scouting America - including leaders, parents, members and professionals. Scouting America 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
Know 2 Protect
Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to:
- Prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Explain how to report online enticement and victimization.
- Offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters.
To report an incident, you can call the Know2Protect Tipline at 1-833-591-KNOW (5669) or visit the NCMEC CyberTipline at https://report.cybertip.org.
MyFriendToo
Information on how to help and support your friend who has experienced sexual harassment, grooming or sexual violence. Having relevant information helps you act in challenging situations.
?Whether you or someone you know has experienced something, there are resources available to help. You and your friend are not alone.
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).
Other Resources
- Scouting Safely Scouting America's Commitment to Safety, the main page for all Health and safety information.
- Health and Safety FormsNot annual health forms <see above>
- National Camp Accreditation Program
- The Scouts Bsa Outdoor Program
- Tick Safety Information
Important Contacts
| Council Contacts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Risk Management & Policy Chair | Don Ghee | 646-483-5900 |
| Health and Safety Co Chair | Kevin Tagg | 631-972-8714 |
| Health & Safety Chair | Dorothy Young | 516-658-8778 |
| Council Youth Protection Champion | Tom Rolston Stuart Weinberg |
631- 368-7022 631-403-0788 |
| District Safety Champions | ||
| Benjamin Tallmadge District | David Marks | 631-807-6199 |
| Matinecock District | Stuart Weinberg | 631-403-0788 |
| Sagtikos District | T.B.D. | |
| Trailblazer District | Tom Rolston | 631- 368-7022 |