Outdoor Safety

All Troop outdoor activities are run in accordance with The Guide to Safe Scouting and other BSA polices. Below are some of those policies.

All trips and outings require at least two registered Adult Leaders or one registered Adult Leader and a Parent of a participant, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older. Troop 3:16 policy further requires that their must be at least one Adult Leader for every five Scouts attending the outing.

Tour permits establish high standards of health and safety for the Troop and assure Parents and the West Los Angeles County Council that the tour is safe and wisely planned.

• Local Tour Permit Application: Filed with the Council office for approval two weeks in advance of a scheduled trip of less than 500 miles.
• National Tour Permit Application: Filed with the Council office for approval at least one month before your departure on a trip of more than 500 miles. The council office forwards it to the regional office for approval.

Parents will are required to sign a permission slip for each separate Scout outing. The purpose of the permission slip is to facilitate medical treatment and parental notification should a serious accident occur. It is important to write down the phone number where a family member can be reached that weekend, and to note any health or fitness restrictions that your son may have. Parents should inform Troop Leadership of any medication their son may be taking. These medications should be turned over to the trip leader along with written dosage instructions prior to all trips.

To provide better care to those who may become ill or injured and to provide Youth members and Adult Leaders a better understanding of their physical capabilities, the Boy Scouts of America has forms for providing medical information prior to participating in various activities. They are classified as follows:

• Class 1. This form is needed for any event that does not exceed 72 consecutive hours, where the level of activity is similar to that normally expended at home or at school, and where medical care is readily available. This is filled out by the Adult volunteer, Parent or guardian, and is kept on file with the Troop. It must be initialed annually to indicate accurate information.
• Class 2. This form is required for all participants under 40 years old for any outing longer than 72 hours. Class 2 medical records require a doctor’s exam and signature. These are renewed every 3 years.
• Class 3. Adults over 40 must have this form completed yearly in order to attend Summer Camp. It is also required for any event involving strenuous activity such as backpacking, high altitude, extreme weather conditions, cold water, exposure, fatigue, athletic competition, adventure challenge, or remote conditions where readily available medical care cannot be assured.

The Buddy System is a safety first technique. It is used in Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, hiking, biking, any Scout activity. The aim of the buddy system is to have at least two Scouts together at all times. Further, the "Rule of Four" should be observed. If one Scout becomes injured, then one Scout can stay with the injured Scout, and the other pair of Scouts can go for help.

The Troop and each Patrol needs to have a First Aid kit on all outings.

The Totin' Chip is an earned Scout license. It ensures that the Scout is knowledgeable and responsible in the care, and safe use of the woods tools (knife, ax or saw). The Scout through improper care or unsafe use of those tools can forfeit this woods tool license. The Scout must have the Totin' Chip in his possession to use woods tools during a Troop or Patrol outing. Only folding knives are allowed in Scouting.

The Firem'n Chit is also an earned Scout license. It ensures that the Scout is knowledgeable and responsible in the care and safe use of fire. This license can also be forfeited by the Scout by improper fire safety. Boy Scouts use a fire to cook their meals on, to have camp fires by, and to keep warm by. The Scout must have the Firem'n Chit in his possession to use a fire during a Troop or Patrol outing.

The following items are not permitted at any Troop 3:16 activity:

• Alcohol, drugs, tobacco
• Firearms, BB guns, Air Soft Guns, etc.
• Laser Pointers
• Fireworks
• Radios, televisions, stereos, GameBoys

The following are some of the activities have been declared as unauthorized and restricted by the Boy Scouts America:

• All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are banned from program use. ATVs are defined as motorized recreational cycles with three or four large, soft tires, designed for off-road use on a variety of terrains.
• Boxing, karate, and related martial arts are not authorized activities.
• Chainsaws and mechanical log splitters may only be authorized for use by trained individuals who are over the age of 18, using proper protective gear in accordance with local law.
• Exploration of abandoned mines is an unauthorized activity.
• Varsity football teams and interscholastic or club football competition and activities are unauthorized activities.
• Motorized go-carts and motorbike activities are unauthorized for Boy Scout programs. All motorized speed events, including motorcycles, boats, drag racing, demolition derbies, and related events are not authorized activities for any program level.
• The activity commonly referred to as "war games" — where individuals shoot paint dye at one another — is an unauthorized activity.
• Motorized personal watercraft, such as jet-skis, are not authorized for use in Scouting aquatics, and their use should not be permitted in or near BSA program sites.
• All activities related to bungee cord jumping.

See Also

• Camping Gear
• Outdoor Cooking
• Scoutcraft
• Youth Protection
• Outdoor Leadership
• Event Planning
• Parents on Campouts