Current through August 30, 2024
(a) A
residential child care facility may not provide wilderness or adventure
experiences for a period longer than four days without a wilderness and
adventure experience specialization approved by the department.
(b) A facility must base an experience on a
plan that addresses each requirement in this section. A plan for each
experience of more than four days' duration must be submitted to the department
for review and approval at least 30 days in advance of the experience. A
facility shall ensure that each staff member involved in the experience reviews
the plan and that a copy of the plan is taken on each experience away from the
facility.
(c) A facility shall
ensure that the plan required under (b) of this section establishes emergency
procedures and injury control procedures for any wilderness or adventure
experience the facility conducts. The emergency procedures and injury control
procedures must include
(1) the posting of
emergency telephone numbers, if telephones are available;
(2) respect for and identification and
avoidance of potential weather hazards;
(3) the identification and warning to campers
of other potential hazards such as noxious plants, bears and other wild
animals, cliffs, mine shafts, and polluted waters; and
(4) the development of contingency plans to
deal with fire, natural disasters, lost campers, and other
emergencies.
(d) A
contingency plan required by (c)(4) of this section must address the following
items:
(1) the orientation of children and
staff to procedures contained in the plan, including safety precautions and how
to prevent dehydration, frostbite, heat exhaustion, hyperthermia, hypothermia,
poisoning from plants and animals, sun poisoning, snowblindness, or drowning
and procedures relating to transportation to emergency facilities;
(2) the development of a daily itinerary
before departure for travel camping, with one copy retained at the facility
and, whenever possible, additional copies given to responsible local
individuals at each point on the itinerary before departure;
(3) fire drills within 24 hours after setting
up camp at a stationary camp;
(4)
the means for establishing effective two-way emergency communication no later
than 24 hours after the need to communicate arises; and
(5) timely involvement of law enforcement and
other external agency assistance, when necessary.
(e) A facility must obtain advance approval
from the child's placement worker before a child may participate in an
experience under this section. If high risk activities are anticipated, the
department may also require approval from the child's parent. A young child may
not participate in a wilderness or adventure experience.
(f) A facility may not force or coerce a
child to participate in any adventure experience, but may require a child to
observe an adventure experience to assist the child in overcoming fears or to
foster an interest in participating in a particular activity.
(g) A facility may not allow
(1) airborne activities including bungee
jumping, hang gliding, and parachuting;
(2) any activities requiring firearms or
archery; and
(3) travel in any
water craft across waters known to be a danger or across waters in questionable
weather conditions.
(h)
A facility shall submit a description to the department and permit an on-site
inspection before implementing any of the following high risk adventure
activities:
(1) caving;
(2) rope initiatives and rock and ice
climbing;
(3) solo
camping.
(i) A facility
must plan for supervision during a camping experience so that
(1) the child-to-staff ratios required in
7 AAC 50.410 are maintained or increased appropriate to
the planned activity;
(2) a staff
member who has at least the equivalent of one year of wilderness and adventure
experience is designated to supervise the experience;
(3) caregivers who supervise specialized or
high risk activities in which children participate have demonstrated competency
in those activities; these activities include whitewater or sea rafting,
kayaking, or canoeing, snow and ice climbing, snow or glacier travel,
snowshoeing or downhill skiing, mountaineering, rock climbing, top rope
climbing and rappelling, caving, river crossing, solo expeditions, horseback
riding, scuba diving, fishing from a boat, and winter camping; this
demonstration may include certification from an organization with recognized
expertise in the applicable activity or documentation of training or experience
in the activity; and
(4) if
applicable, caregivers have received special training necessary to protect the
safety and health of children with special needs.
(j) A facility shall take the following
general health and safety precautions during a camping experience:
(1) the facility may not allow children with
recent serious emotional or medical problems to participate in a camping
experience without the consent of a mental health professional or
physician;
(2) the consent for
emergency medical and surgical care for each child required by
7 AAC 50.300(a) must be in the possession
of the supervising caregiver;
(3)
the facility shall package standard first aid supplies to prevent contamination
and must make the first aid supplies available to caregivers en route to and
after arrival at the camp site; and
(4) at least one staff member accompanying
the camping group must be certified in first aid and CPR.
(k) Equipment used in a camp during a camping
experience conducted by a facility must be of good quality and maintained in
proper working order. In addition,
(1) if
firearms are considered necessary in bear country, only staff certified in the
use of firearms may carry them; firearms and ammunition must be stored in a
locked cabinet or building when not in use in a stationary camp or must be kept
in the possession of the supervising caregiver at a temporary
campsite;
(2) power equipment and
dangerous tools may not be stored, operated, or left unattended without proper
safeguards in camping areas and may not be used by children;
(3) water craft must be equipped with United
States Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices of types I, II, or III
as prescribed for the specific type of craft and number and age of occupants;
one flotation device for each person on board the water craft is required;
and
(4) tents must be made of fire
retardant material.
(l)
A facility shall ensure that all water from streams, ponds, lakes, or rivers
that is used for drinking, food preparation, and dishwashing is first boiled,
filtered, or purified with iodine or tablets specifically designed to purify
water.
(m) During a wilderness or
adventure experience conducted by a facility, food must be prepared and served
in accordance with sound sanitary camping practice. Special care must be taken
to choose food for the length and type of camping experience and to consider
refrigeration needs and problems of sanitation.
(n) In this section, "wilderness and
adventure experience" or "experience" includes activities such as biking,
canoeing, kayaking, tubing, caving, hiking, horseback riding, rope initiatives
and rock or ice climbing, sailing and boating, solo outings, swimming, water
skiing, or camping.
Authority:AS
44.29.020
AS
47.32.030
