Join Our Commitment to Safety in Scouting
Few youth organizations encompass the breadth, volume, and diversity of physical activity common to Scouting, and none enjoy a better safety record. Check the links below for more information about the programs and policies that BSA and the Susquehanna Council have implemented to keep our youth and adult volunteer leadership safe and join us in our commitment to safety in scouting.
Keeping safety in the forefront for all involved should be a priority. Including a Safety Moment at each Scout meeting is an opportunity to prepare everyone for an activity and to review safety measures. The National BSA Council has produced a series of two minute safety topics to introduce important topics and create an awareness for potential risks.
Getting Started!
Knowing what activities are age-appropriate for your next Scouting activity is critically important. The Boy Scouts of America has developed these guidelines on many factors related to both the physical and cognitive abilities of youth at different ages. When planning an activity that is outside of Scouting program materials or handbooks, you should refer to the Guide to Safe Scouting and the BSA Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities
Do you know where to find up-to-the-minute safety information for Scouts and Scouters? The scouting.org website. Take time to become familiar with all the safety information under Scouting Safely to help all of us keep Scouts safe.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Check out these sections of the Scouting Safely page:
Guide to Safe Scouting—The Guide to Safe Scouting is an overview of Scouting policies and procedures gleaned from various sources. It is the one source of truth for policies such as Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse and the Prohibited Activity Listing. A valuable resource for unit leaders to review before conducting all activities.
SAFE Checklist—Scouts and their parents expect all Boy Scouts of America activities to be conducted safely. To ensure the safety of participants, the Boy Scouts of America expects leaders to use the four points of SAFE when delivering Scouting programs.
Safety Moments—Safety Moments are precisely what the name implies: opportunities to prepare for an activity, review safety measures, and report incidents correctly. Topics of this series include incident reporting helps, safe use of medication in Scouting, weather-related safety, and many more topics.
Annual Health and Medical Record (AHMR)—All participants must compete the AHMR and update it at least annually. Leaders then review it to address any fitness risk factors, including temporary or chronic health conditions that might impact a participant’s safety.
Incident Reporting—Timely, clear, concise, and complete incident reports allow for an appropriate response and an opportunity for analysis while promoting continuous improvement of our programs. Please report incidents, near misses, and youth protection/membership infraction incidents immediately to your local council.
Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Training—Before heading into a remote environment where definitive care by a physician or rapid transport to a medical facility is not available the BSA recommends and sometimes requires WFA. BSA has partnered with the American Red Cross and Emergency Care and Safety Institute to provide accredited courses to enable your participation in backcountry adventure.
Answers to Your General Health and Safety Questions—Review this page for answers to frequently asked questions ranging from Scouts on zip lines and pets at campouts to the Annual Health and Medical Record and insurance coverage. There are also links to other FAQ pages.
The BSA Commitment to Safety
The BSA’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. The Boy Scouts of America puts the utmost importance on the safe and healthy environments for its youth membership. The Susquehanna Council strives diligently 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.
Few youth organizations encompass the breadth, volume, and diversity of physical activity common to Scouting, and none enjoy a better safety record. The key to maintaining and improving this exemplary record is the conscientious and trained adult leader who is attentive to safety concerns.
Adult Volunteer Training
Age Appropriate Safety
Scouting Activity Safety
The Four Points of SAFE
Scouts and their parents expect all Boy Scouts of America activities to be conducted safely. To ensure the safety of participants, the Boy Scouts of America expects leaders to use the four points of SAFE when delivering the Scouting program..
Youth Protection Training (YPT) – Keep Training Up to Date
Scouters may complete this training module through the “My.Scouting.org” portal. First-time users to MyScouting must set up an account and password. From the My.Scouting.org portal, click on E-Learning and take the Youth Protection training.
Youth Protection Reporting
Mandatory Reporting Requirements
Mandatory Reporting Requirements – Pennsylvania
Scout First Helpline
Health and Safety Training
The BSA and council offers a variety of training courses to educate the adult leadership through training courses online as well as in a classroom setting. Additional information is also available in the Guide to Safe Scouting and on the BSA Scouting Safely website.
As we promote Scouting in our community, some people may have questions about our youth protection policies and how we keep kids safe. Each question is an opportunity to shed light on the important policies and procedures we’ve put in place that make Scouting safer than ever before.