BSA Health and Safety Alert:
https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/alerts/hazardous-weather-training/
Hazardous Weather Training
Effective April 30, 2018 new direct contact leaders must complete Hazardous Weather Training to be considered position trained. And here is one story about why this is so important.
Imagine as a leader with a group of excited Scouts you arrive at a council camp for a camporee on a rainy Friday afternoon. Saturday morning is filled with the sounds of Scouts participating in the scheduled activities, only to have the weather turn blustery with sustained winds of about 30 mph and gusts up to 48 mph. The trees of the heavily forested area start swaying madly back and forth.
As a leader, what would you do? Would you continue with the camporee or evacuate the camp?
This was exactly the situation experienced earlier this year at Pacific Harbors Council’s Klondike Derby held at Camp Thunderbird. According to the National Weather Service, sustained winds of about 30 mph with gusts up to 48 mph were recorded near the camp between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday. It soon became apparent to leaders that conditions had become unsafe and, around midmorning, with input from the council representative and Camp Thunderbird’s ranger, leaders decided to evacuate the camp.
“We made sure that we followed the Boy Scout Guide to Safe Scouting and our hazardous weather training to ensure that all scouts and adults made it home safe,” said Barb Dyer, Klondike committee chairwoman. “It was the right decision to cancel Klondike. While it’s disappointing that the boys couldn’t have the fun-filled weekend that was planned, I’m eternally grateful that safety is first with the BSA.”
A good decision it was, as several large trees and branches dropped on or near Scout campsites during the storm. No injuries were reported, but it could have turned out differently. Rebecca Ledford, an adult leader with Troop 4100, shared a photo of her son’s tent, which had been impaled by a heavy fallen branch — right where his pillow was.
On Sunday morning the “all clear” was given for scouts and leaders to return to retrieve their belongings and break down their campsites.
This course is available around-the-clock in the BSA Learn Center by logging in to your account on My.Scouting.org.
Have Questions, here are a couple of FAQ’s.
Hazardous Weather FAQ’s
April 10, 2018
Q. Is this a membership requirement like Youth Protection training?
A. No. This is a direct contact leader positioned trained requirement effective April 30,
2018.
Q. Is this a new requirement?
A. No. Since 2008, at least one person on any tour or activity has been required to
have hazardous weather training. It is also a requirement for all camp staff as part of
the NCAP standards SQ-402.
Q. Why is Weather Hazard Training important?
A. Our program takes place in an outdoor classroom. This training discusses how to
manage risks from the weather to our Scouting family. There are several incident
reviews which are appropriate to share with leaders who may question why an
appreciation of the risks in our outdoor classroom are important. The most impactful:
Lightning, Heat and Hydration, Hypothermia.
Q. How can we remind our staff and volunteers about this requirement?
A. Various tools like safety moments, campout checklists, and the Sweet 16 of BSA
Safety reinforce this.
Q. If I am trained in my current position, will I be required to take Hazardous Weather
now to retain the trained designation?
A. No, if you are currently trained in your position you will not be required to take the
additional course now. We recommend if you have not taken the updated course
(SCO_800) that you do so to have the most current content.
Q. What happens to my previous credit for Hazardous Weather (WS81)?
A. Course code WS81 is being retired. To stay current, the new course (SCO_800) will
need to be taken after WS81 is two years old.
Q. At what point in my training do I need to take Hazardous Weather (SCO_800)?
A. The course is available for you to take at any time but is a required course to achieve
position trained status as a trained leader. It is recommended that you take the course
before an outdoor activity
