Someone to watch over your camp.

When a camp director lies down to sleep about midnight each camp day, usually the more than 400 people in the camp community - campers, counselors, other staff, and perhaps visitors - are also asleep. Similarly, when a day camp locks its doors and staff return home, the camp is vulnerable to acts of vandalism. A reliable camp night security officer is needed to monitor happenings in camp, as well as occurrences outside the perimeter of the grounds, while others sleep. The security officer will be alert for medical emergencies, intruders, fires, altercations, or sleepwalkers.

Look to the Community

During my tenure as a camp director, the camp employed, at different times, a retired postmaster, a farmer, and a school bus driver as night security officers. Hiring a highly regarded local person proved a cost-effective way of finding staff and a positive public relations strategy.

Finding a qualified security officer is simple. Look around your local community for a respected retired person who would like to augment his retirement income in an environment that is healthy and close to his home. Retired people are often interested in this kind of work and may welcome a chance to be productive again. Camp is usually a significant and well-regarded part of the community, and an association with the camp adds interest and luster to the life of a retiree. The camp gains a highly respected, well-known local resident into the camp family and an additional spokesperson for conveying the camp's value to the local economy and community.

The Security Officer's Schedule

A successful and proven way to incorporate the night security officer into your camp program is to have this person arrive at camp at approximately midnight or when campers and administrators will be ready for sleep. The security officer can spend the first hour of his patrol cleaning or tidying the canteen, which campers and staff often lounge in during the evening, eating snacks, drinking beverages, playing games, and socializing. This facility is then ready for use by campers the next morning.

After clean-up, the officer then patrols the grounds by foot, car, or golf cart. He can be permanently stationed at one central location, at the main entrance to camp, or at any spot that would give him ready access to any emergency. The officer should be armed (not with a weapon) with a cellular phone and phone numbers of key camp staff. He should be informed of any camp personnel who will be arriving late to camp so that he can challenge any person who attempts to enter the grounds.

If you want to monitor this person's hours, a time-clock system can be installed to ensure that the person is alert during the night. However, with a reliable and conscientious person this probably is not necessary.

In the early morning when the kitchen crew reports to work, the watchman can report any incidents, which will be conveyed to the director, if necessary. Encourage your chef and other kitchen staff to invite the security officer into the kitchen for coffee and a freshly baked roll or bun to build camaraderie among the staff.

During my thirty-one years of experience as a camp director, the camp did not experience any cases of vandalism from local residents even though the facility was in a rural area seventeen miles from a town. I largely attribute this to the fact that the community was aware that their neighbors were at camp and did not want to violate these people's trust or jeopardize their position. By adding a well-known, respected local person to the camp staff, you can help cement good relationships with the local community and protect your camp personnel and facilities at the same time.

Eugene M. Ezersky is the former director of New York City programs for Cornell University Cooperative Extension and the former owner/director of Indian Head Camp in Pennsylvania. He currently serves as executive director of SAFETYunderwriters, a division of AMSkier Insurance.