Field Operations Manual

Updated April 2021

Contents
Overview and Introduction......................................................................... 3
Part 1 – Expectations .................................................................................. 4
1. Expedition Behavior, Safety and Culture of Caring ...................... 5
2. Professionalism .............................................................................. 8
3. Essential Eligibility Requirements............................................... 10
Part 2 – Policies........................................................................................ 11
1. Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco ....................................................... 11
2. General safety policies ................................................................. 12
3. Conservation Crew Specific Policies ........................................... 13
4. Tool/work specific policies.......................................................... 13
5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ......................................... 14
6. Chainsaw ..................................................................................... 17
7. Camp Policies .............................................................................. 17
8. Recreation .................................................................................... 19
9. Vehicles and Trailers ................................................................... 20
Part 3 – Procedures................................................................................... 23
1. ERPs and preparation .................................................................. 23
2. Screening Participant Medical History ........................................ 24
3. Medical/safety protocols .............................................................. 25
4. First-Aid Certification ................................................................. 25
5. Environmental hazards ................................................................ 25
6. Water ........................................................................................... 31
7. Wellness and Well-Being ............................................................ 32
8. Discipline ..................................................................................... 36
9. Managing Challenging Behavior ................................................. 42
10. Incident communication and response..................................... 42
Youth Participant Addendum ................................................................... 60
Index......................................................................................................... 67

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 Field Operations
Manual

Overview and Introduction

How we do things in the programs of Conservation Legacy is just as

important as what we do, and in some cases even more so. A failure in a
proper ‘how’ can put people’s safety at risk and/or jeopardize the
sustainability of the organization itself and its mission. This document
describes how we do things within Conservation Legacy and why.

Although we believe Conservation Legacy offers a significant amount of

independence and autonomy to professionals who are leaders or members of
our programs, we are particular about how we do certain things because we
believe in the highest program quality and experience we can achieve.
Because of this there are some hard and fast standards which everyone must
observe during a Conservation Legacy program. These have been developed
from many years of experience running Conservation Service Programs. They
are designed to protect our program members, our leaders/supervisors, and
the organization itself. They have not been made arbitrarily, or for the sake of
having rules alone.

These standards and policies cannot address every situation you may
encounter while participating in this program. Throughout this document you
will find guidance and advice, but there will be times when you face a
situation no one has anticipated. You have been brought into our organization
to exercise your best judgment in these cases and to be resourceful in solving
problems. When in doubt, use cautious, common sense as your guide and
contact a program support staff member for guidance. If you follow the
policies set forth here and use your best judgment, Conservation Legacy will
back you when you must make a difficult decision.

Balancing Conservation Legacy Standards and Personal Convictions

You may not agree with some of Conservation Legacy’s standards or
policies. Program members, leaders and staff all hold a variety of political
and philosophical convictions. We do not expect that you will agree with
everything the organization stands for, or with every management policy our
partner agencies and organizations follow.

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We do, however, expect you to uphold Conservation Legacy policies and
abide by our regulations, whatever your own feelings about them. If this
seems difficult, realize that we do not select you to run your own program,
but to participate in one of ours. If you feel unable to uphold our standards
and policies, you will need to consider withdrawing from the program. If you
remain committed despite your differences of opinion, it is incumbent on you
to come to timely terms with the issues and consider how you will negotiate
these.

Part 1 – Expectations
In your agreement to participate in a Conservation Legacy Program, you have
made a choice that requires you to take on added responsibilities which affect
you and your crew or partner colleagues. These expectations, policies and
procedures were developed with the consideration of your safety and well-
being, as well as to provide you with the greatest opportunity to gain skills
and a positive experience while you are with the program. It is important that
you know and respect the way we do things and adhere to these expectations.
Doing something not in line with this can impact others and can lead to
disciplinary action and may mean the possible dismissal from the program as
outlined in this handbook. You are encouraged to ask questions about these
policies and field procedures so that you may understand their justifications.

Being a member of a Conservation Legacy Program requires a degree of

sacrifice on the part of all involved. You will not be able to think solely of
yourself during the course of your program. Your actions will affect everyone
else on your crew or within your partner organization as well as the future
standing of the organization and the organization’s reputation in the
community. The standards we follow have been developed to maintain the
integrity of the program and many of the policies are non-negotiable. If, after
reading through these policies, you feel that you will be unable to abide by
what is set forth, perhaps you may want to reconsider being a member of this
program. Please inform the staff if you think that this program may not be a
good match for you.

Remember: It is your goals, values, and beliefs that brought you to this
program and it is those same goals, values, and beliefs that are reflected in
what we do and how we do it. It is a much more appropriate and healthy
response to say, “We don’t…” rather than “We can’t…”

4
1. Expedition Behavior, Safety and Culture of Caring

The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) developed, and has long
lived by, the concept of Expedition Behavior. This approach to living together
and depending on each other in outdoor settings is also something we believe

Scenario
You've hiked your last mile of a long, hard hiking
day, and now it's time to set up camp in the rain.
Everybody's tired. And wet. But you step up to the
challenge, making hot drinks for the group and
cracking a joke that makes everybody laugh

in at the programs of Conservation Legacy. It shortcuts the primacy of

policies and rules and goes straight to the responsibilities we all have to take
care of each other and sustain this unique opportunity we have been given.
Here is the definition of Expedition Behavior:

Each Member of the Community must:

• Serve the mission and goals of the group
• Be as concerned for others as you are for yourself
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect
• Support leadership and growth in everyone
• Respect the cultures you contact
• Be kind and open-hearted
• Do your share and stay organized
• Help others, but don't routinely do their work
• Model integrity by being honest and accountable
• Admit and correct your mistakes

And how do you know when this has gone astray? Here is a quote from the
founder of NOLS, Paul Petzoldt, who coined the term: “Poor expedition
behavior is a breakdown in human relations caused by selfishness,
rationalization, ignorance of personal faults, dodging blame or responsibility,
physical weakness, and in extreme cases, not being able to risk one’s own
survival to ensure that of a companion.”

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Creating a Culture of
Safety
The main goal of
Expedition Behavior is to Policy &
ensure a safe and positive
experience for all
Systems
members of the group,
including yourself.
Keeping safe depends on Conservation Legacy
many things.
Experience
Conservation Legacy
programs have put into Culture
Training
place protocols and of Safety
systems, and trains
leaders and members in
the knowledge they need
to carry these out.

It is not enough for you or your group to know what to do and have the ability
to do it. There also has to be a culture that supports a safe and inclusive
environment. Creating and maintaining this culture of safety and Expedition
Behavior in turn involves being attentive to and helping to develop the factors
that contribute to it. Within the Culture of Safety are three key factors:

Environment - This is the most straight-forward factor. In the context of

Safety, the environment is composed of the systems, procedures, and routines
that you set up with your group that respond to the tasks at hand and changing
or modifying these environmental factors based on the project site, crew type,
and natural environmental context (climate, environmental hazards, etc) as
needed. It is important that there are consistent routines and expectations for
all members as these will help elevate the importance of safety within the
group dynamic. These are things such as safety circle, doing camp safety
analyses, reviewing lightning procedures when there is a storm in the area,
and conscientiously wearing proper PPE among many others you put into
place each day.

Person - This factor requires experience, training and a disposition to

consider safety in all activities. Spending time training and educating yourself
on outdoor industry standards for safe field practices as well as current
wilderness medicine protocols will help keep the information you need to
respond readily accessible and will also allow you to inform others, thus
making it a part of the culture of your group. Spend time teaching your fellow
participants these practices or learn together by acting out scenarios and
debriefing the response.

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 PERSON ENVIRONMENT
Knowledge, skills, abilities, attitude, Equipment, tools, climate,
motives, personality management systems

BEHAVIOR
Complying, recognizing, communicating,
actively caring

Behavior - Perhaps the most difficult factor to develop is behavior, including

your own, and is often key to enabling the other factors to have any effect at
all. People must act on their knowledge, be ready to step in and speak up, and
truly care about the overall safety of the group. Nurturing a sense of worth
and belonging for each member is where to start and then developing a sense
of compassion among the group as a whole. Introduce the idea of taking care
of each other right from the beginning and reinforce it with modelling. Build
up the idea of the group as a family or community with the idea of keeping an
eye out for each other and having the courage to speak up for the sake of the
safety of the group as a whole.

Other Safety Culture Activities - Initially, we must all assume that

participants know nothing about how to identify hazards and assess and
mitigate risks on a program.
• Start off any new activity with a safety discussion. Utilize the
training you have received in hazard recognition and risk mitigation
to communicate effectively with your group. Solicit input from
everyone.
• Teach others to be aware of their personal safety and to look out for
each other’s safety. Encourage them to feel personally responsible
for the group’s safety record. Reward them for their good efforts.
• Teach first aid principles and procedures through presentations and
simulated practice sessions. Discuss what you all would do for each
injury or accident if it happened. Also teach how to use the radio,
cellular phone, GPS unit, or other communication device you have
assigned to your program.
• Ask if anyone has ever witnessed a serious accident and emergency
medical response. Discuss how much more difficult it would be to
get such medical attention in your program’s unique situation –
whether it is in the backcountry or urban environment.
• Encourage everyone to participate actively in all discussions and
formal demonstrations. Make sure everyone knows where the first
aid kit is and what is in it.
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 • Pay attention to safety during recreation and free time periods.
Avoid playing rough high-speed games like tackle football. Having
discussions early and often serves two purposes. First, important
information is conveyed that may prevent an accident. Second, by
emphasizing that each person’s knowledge is vital to overall safety,
the impression builds that each person must play an active role in
risk management. No one should be allowed to remain passive about
safety or to assume that it is solely the responsibility of the leader(s).

Enforce Safety Policies – (for leaders/supervisors)

Consider the fact that you must enforce the organization’s policies during
your program, as well as other policies you develop that are unique to either
your leadership style or the environment. Each crew leader’s “crew
standards” will differ, responding to the realities of each program. You should
appropriately model these policies and rules to set the tone for your group.
Whatever rules you decide to make, you need to enforce them consistently
and without exception. Follow these rules yourself. An inconsistent approach
confuses and frustrates participants. Motivation suffers when policies are
followed only when expedient. A participant’s repeated failure to observe
established safety procedures should be considered a serious infraction of the
policies. In this case you need to take assertive measures to bring things into
line. You must be firm in letting the crew know that flagrant disregard for
safety is grounds for being dismissed. Also remember that Conservation
Legacy’s policies for ensuring the emotional and mental safety of your
participants are equally important as their physical safety

2. Professionalism
Beyond the members of your crew or work colleagues you also have a
responsibility to the communities you work in and society at large through the
activities of this program. Of course, Expedition Behavior is applicable to all
relationships, but in addition to EB we all have work to do and contributions
to make through our service projects. In that regard professionalism in all
elements of operation is integral to the success of all Conservation Legacy
programs. Professionalism is a requirement of all interactions between
program participants, project partners, Conservation Legacy leadership and
staff, and community members. At times, this can be difficult when dealing
with others who choose a less tactful route. We will always hold our
leadership and program members to the highest standard of professionalism.

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• All participants and staff should regard their affiliation with a
Conservation Legacy program as a privilege and strive to maintain a
positive appearance, attitude and outlook at all times during work
projects and AmeriCorps activities.

The true test of character is not how much we know

how to do, but how we behave when we don't
know what to do. John Holt

• All those associated with Conservation Legacy are expected to be

responsible community citizens at work as well as while away from
work during their time with any of the programs. When your
behavior—during formal work hours or otherwise—reflects
negatively on Conservation Legacy or its programs, it impacts the
entire organization, and may affect your ability to complete your
term successfully. Any issues that may come back to the
organization from the community will be addressed directly and
promptly.
• Crew leaders/supervisors are responsible for their crew at all times
during the program. If an agency staff person is on hand to direct
some of the project work, keep in mind that the leader remains
responsible for the crew safety and experience. That responsibility
cannot be abdicated to another.
• All program members and staff are responsible for an emotionally
safe environment, and should actively interrupt any inappropriate
language or other physical or verbal interplay that is any way sexist,
racist, ableist, or is a slander toward any person or group of people.
All members must respect and make reasonable efforts to
accommodate others’ religious beliefs and customs as well as their
dietary needs. Everyone should also respect the rights and
viewpoints of all other members.
• Because crew leaders/supervisors are in a position of authority and
power they should be aware of their potential influence on program
members and must not exploit that relationship. All
leaders/supervisors will keep all relationships with participants on a
strict professional basis. Exclusive or sexual relationships with any
participant is prohibited, regardless of the person’s age. Crew
leaders/supervisors should be very wary of spending off time with
program members while with this organization. This often leads to
perceptions of favoritism or exclusive relationships, which disrupts
group dynamics. If this becomes an issue the leader may be
dismissed.
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 • Relationships that exclude others within the group can be
significantly disrupting to group dynamics and lead to emotional
stress in certain isolated members. It is everyone’s responsibility to
help prevent these exclusive relationships from developing by
encouraging fully inclusive activities.
• All members and leaders are required to uphold all policies and
abide by the hosting area’s regulations, regardless of personal views
or philosophies

3. Essential Eligibility Requirements (presented initially in your

position description when you applied for the program)

Essential eligibility requirements for the program must be met. If you are
unable to meet certain requirements, we may be able to assist you with some
modification unless it alters the fundamental nature of the program,
compromises the health and safety of participants or staff, or places an undue
financial or administrative burden on the organization. These requirements
are written the same for all positions and therefore may not apply directly to
your particular position.

Participation and Expedition Behavior

• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful
and difficult conditions. This may require problem solving on an
interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept
differences.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment; no harassment of others
or threatening behavior for any reason.
• Be willing and have the ability to complete all aspects of the
program including conservation projects, education, training and
national service. Members must commit to participating in all group
activities, including service days in local communities where
applicable.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to
supervisors, colleagues, and organization staff.
• Have the cognitive ability to learn necessary skills and apply them to
effectively carry out the service work requirements.
• Appropriately represent the Program and AmeriCorps to the public
and project partners at all times.
Safety and Judgment
• Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a
warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of
personal distress, injury, or need for assistance. You must be able to
do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited
visibility or loud background noise such as darkness or high winds.
• Effectively perceive, understand, and follow direction by others so
that you will be able to successfully execute appropriate and perhaps
10
 unfamiliar techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be
given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given
during exposure to the hazard.
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and
working in varied weather conditions
• Perceive and comprehend significant and apparent hazards,
including those hazards previously identified by others.
• Respond appropriately to stress or crises.
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to
maintain proper dosage by self-medicating without assistance from
others.
Environmental Ethics
• Learn and practice ‘Leave no Trace’ principles
Outdoor Skills and Fitness (where appropriate)
• Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor living/travel and
work skills as appropriate to the project. Additionally, remain
adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed so as to remain
generally healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries.
• Live in a physically demanding, possibly remote environment for an
uninterrupted period of up to several weeks. Conditions of this
environment may vary significantly and may include severe and/or
trying weather. The remoteness is such that it may require at a
minimum one hour, but perhaps in excess of 12 hours, to reach the
nearest advanced medical care.
Substance Free
• In accordance with a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are
prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities
and while on organization property.

Part 2 – Policies
1. Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco
1.1. Drugs and Alcohol – Program participants will not purchase,
possess, consume or be under the influence of alcohol or illicit
drugs at any time during work hours, anytime while on field duty
or during any other AmeriCorps-related event. If a participant
violates this policy, they may be subject to immediate termination
from the program. Conviction of any criminal drug statute must be
reported to the program staff immediately. In addition, no article
of clothing bearing the AmeriCorps logo will be worn in any
establishment that makes most of its money from the sale of
alcoholic beverages or marijuana products.
1.2. Medical/Recreational Marijuana Use – As stated above the use
or possession of any controlled substance is prohibited. This
includes medical or recreational marijuana use, whether the
participant holds a valid medical marijuana use card or not. No
11
 program member or staff person may possess or consume
marijuana in any form during the entire length of a hitch/spike or
anytime in the field for program activities including break or
downtimes. In addition, program members or staff may not be
under the influence of controlled substances during this same
period.
1.3. Drug Testing – Conservation Legacy maintains the right to
perform drug testing of any staff or participant at any time for
purposes of upholding policy and ensuring the safety of crews and
participants. In addition, Conservation Legacy’s workers
compensation insurer may require a drug test when a claim is filed
with them.
1.4. Tobacco Use – Conservation Legacy prohibits tobacco use –
including e-cigarettes, vaping and chewing tobacco – on
Conservation Legacy property and inside of Conservation Legacy
vehicles. Tobacco may be used before and after the workday and
on designated breaks only. The same guidelines apply to volunteer
events, Conservation Legacy sponsored events, and any other
instance in which participants are representing the organization.
Participants choosing to use any of the above are expected to honor
the rights and health of their fellow members by refraining from
smoking in communal areas and tight quarters.
Partner or project demands regarding tobacco use may supersede
Conservation Legacy policy. In addition - during periods of
restrictions due to the potential for wildfire - smoking will not be
allowed at any time during field activities including at camp.

2. General safety policies

2.1. A first-aid kit and communication device must be with any crew or
individual working in the field and be accessible at all times
including at the work site, in base camp, and at every excursion
beyond base camp. In addition to the usual medical supplies, the
following items must be stored in the first aid kit or with the crew
leaders:
• Participant/crew leader Medical History Forms with
emergency contact info for each participant
• Emergency Response Plan
• Blank workers comp and incident report forms
• SOAA’P Notes
• Writing implement and paper
*The kit must be resupplied after each work hitch or session.
2.2. No program leader or anyone else who is not properly trained and
licensed may administer any prescription or non-prescription
medication.
2.3. If epinephrine is delivered, regardless of the apparent success of
the treatment, immediate evacuation is required.

12
 2.4. All injuries and illnesses, both serious and minor, must be recorded
either in a Daily Log and/or on an Incident Report Form (IRF)
according to the protocols listed in the Incidence Response section
of this document.
2.5. Crew Leaders are required to initiate contact with their program
staff through the on-call system as outlined on the Incident
Threshold Chart located in the Incidence Response section of this
document.

It is the momentary carelessness in easy

places, the lapsed attention, or the wandering
look that is the usual parent of disaster.
A. F. Mummery

3. Conservation Crew Specific Policies

3.1. The crew or individual members must not be unsupervised for any
length of time, except under strictly controlled circumstances
dictated by the crew leader. “Solo” experiences are not part of
Conservation Legacy’s curriculum and are not allowed.
3.2. Safety meetings will be facilitated by the Leader(s) every morning
prior to beginning work. These meetings should address project
and site-specific hazards as well as a safety-focused briefing of the
day ahead
3.3. Each crew will be required to conduct a safety stretching session
including stretches for each of the major muscle groups at the
beginning of each day. It is recommended that crews also do a
quick stretching session at the end of each lunch break.

4. Tool/work specific policies - for all individuals working on field

projects
4.1. Tools and equipment should only be operated by individuals who
have been trained in how to use the specific tool or equipment.
4.2. If a Project Partner requires the use of an unfamiliar tool or
machine, program members MUST ensure that proper training is
received before anyone uses that machine or tool. A job site hazard
analysis (JHA) should be completed for any new tool or machine
that will be part of the work project.
4.3. Individuals under the age of 18 are not allowed to use
motorized/mechanized equipment or apply herbicides or
pesticides.
4.4. If you or any member of your group has taken medication that
affects alertness, responsiveness, or mental/physical abilities, that

13
 person should not use sharp or heavy tools, operate any motorized
equipment or drive a program vehicle.
4.5. Identify hazards and address them with the crew before beginning
project work. All unsafe conditions and hazards must be mitigated
before commencing work.
4.6. Crew leaders are required to take appropriate precautions to protect
themselves and their crew members from sunburn and excessive
sun exposure, including but not limited to sunscreen and protective
clothing.
4.7. In general, working at heights is one of the most dangerous
activities and all precautions need to be made including the
following:
• No working on roofs unless approved by Field Operations
Director
• Those under age 18 may not perform any work at heights.
• Any work where a person is exposed to a fall of 6 feet or
more requires risk mitigation whether it is on ladders, up a
tree, over a ledge, etc. Mitigation will require guardrails,
safety harnesses, and/or personal fall arrest systems in
accordance with all current OSHA and industry standards.
(See standards 1910.25-28 and 1926 Subpart M)
• Any risk of injury from falling objects should be mitigated
through closing off areas, using a hanging net, and posting
warning signs as appropriate.
• When working at heights, before any work is completed, a
program staff person familiar with OSHA regulations must
confirm the structural integrity of walking surfaces that are
at height and identify hidden hazards. Crews must consider
air temperature, wind conditions, and UV exposure.
• Absolutely no chainsawing at height and no ladders on
elevated surfaces, trees etc.

5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

5.1. All required personal protective equipment (PPE) will be worn
during project work. Refer to the chart below for required and
recommended PPE depending on the work activity. Disciplinary
action will be considered for anyone not wearing the proper PPE.
Participants who do not have the proper PPE will not be
allowed to work and may jeopardize their worker’s
compensation benefits.
5.2. Appropriate work boots/footwear – Boots (or appropriate
footwear) should always be worn at any work site. NO working in
lightweight hiking shoes unless otherwise allowed by a program
staff member or the PPE chart below.
5.3. A t-shirt or long-sleeved work shirt with the AmeriCorps and
Conservation Legacy Program logo is required at the work site and

14
 any other time designated by a Leader. No modified shirt sleeves
or tank tops.
5.4. All proper PPE and uniforms MUST be used during de-rig and rig-
up.
5.5. Dust masks are required while cutting or breaking rock with a
power tool (e.g. Pionjär) as well as when deconstructing buildings.
The appropriate type should be used for each activity and should
be in accordance with OSHA standards (generally N95 respirators
for molds and air-born toxins, and standard dust masks for non-
toxic dusts). The mask must seal tightly against the user’s face. A
beard will interfere with this.
5.6. Ear protection rated to at least 28dB Noise Reduction Rating
(NRR) is required for any use of a power tool or working around
heavy machinery. This is a lower requirement than for chainsaws,
which need an NRR of 32dB. Earplugs issued for chainsaw work
are adequate for other heavy machinery work, but the reverse isn’t
necessarily so.
5.7. For herbicide application, water-resistant coveralls, chemical-
resistant gloves and chemical-resistant boots, and any other PPE as
required or recommended on the herbicide label will be worn in
addition to standard PPE as dictated by the work. Hand-wash and
eye-wash stations are also required on all projects involving
herbicide application. All PPE will be thoroughly cleaned between
projects.

15
 Conservation Legacy’ s PPE Guidelines (X-Required, S-Suggested)
PPE requirements of activities not listed here will be determined by Program Director
Activity Conservation Legacy’
Boots Hard Hat Gloves s PPEEyeGuidelines (X-Required,
Pro Long Pants Chaps L.S. Shirt Dust Mask High-Vis Vest
Ear Pro S-Suggested)
PPE requirements of activities not listed here will be determined by Program Director
Weed pulling S S X X S S
Weed spraying X S Legacy’
Conservation X s PPE Guidelines
X X(X-Required, S-Suggested)S S
PPE requirements of activities not listed here will be determined by Program Director
Working near heavy machinery X X X X X X S
Working near highway X X Legacy’
Conservation X s PPE Guidelines
X X(X-Required, S-Suggested) X
Painting PPE requirements
S S activities
of S here will be determined by Program Director
X not listed
Trash pick up Conservation
S X s PPE Guidelines
Legacy’ S S(X-Required, S-Suggested) S
Power tools PPE requirements
X X activities
of X here willXbe determined
X not listed X by Program Director
S S

16
Gardening w/ tools X X X X X
Gardening w/gardening tools only S S S
Tool carrying X S X X X
Tool maintenance X S X X X
Fencing X X X X X S X
Planting/Restoration work X X X X X
Trail work X X X X X
Brush cutter - bladed X X X X X X S X
Crosscut work X X X X X S S
Chainsaw work (including close X X X X X X X X S
swamping)
6. Chainsaw – Refer to the separate Chainsaw manual for all protocols
and policies

7. Camp Policies (this applies to crews, but should also be practiced by

individual placements in the field for assignment and individual staff
members in the field)
7.1. All program members should follow Leave No Trace guidelines to
operate a minimum-impact base camp and instruct others in
appropriate outdoor camping skills. Everyone is responsible for
knowing and following all local area camping regulations,
including any fire restrictions that may be in place.
7.2. Footwear must be worn at all times, except for bathing, while in
tents, and in other situations the crew leader carefully controls.

Campsite
7.3. Camps will be set up in the safest possible location. Inquire about
known animal or other ecological concerns (e.g., bears, poison ivy,
etc.). Participants will also be responsible for doing a walk-around
to get a sense of the area. Any dangers, (e.g., cliffs, snags, etc.)
should be discussed with the entire group before camp is set up.
Other pertinent camp information should also be discussed as a
group during the first night in camp, including: evacuation plan,
location of latrines, camp boundaries, and location of potable
water.
7.4. Program members will take special precautions when camping in a
burned area. All tents are to be set up at least two tree lengths
from the base of any dead or fire-damaged trees. Hazard trees
within the designated camp area should be felled if doing so can be
accomplished safely. This should be done only when no other
suitable camping area exists. It should also be approved by the
project partner if the tree is outside of designated work area and/or
project scope.
7.5. When considering tent sharing, emotional and physical safety for
each member must be taken into account and crew leaders have the
authority to regulate this as they determine appropriate.
7.6. Camp boundaries should be set and agreed upon. They must be put
within sight and clearly outlined to the entire group. Camp
boundaries should be established so that anyone can be easily
located within 5 minutes. Within these boundaries, anyone may
travel alone.
7.7. Individuals wanting to leave camp boundaries must travel in
groups of three. (Exceptions may be made with prior approval of
program support staff). When a group leaves camp boundaries, it
must give crew leaders a travel plan that includes the destination or
route of travel and time of return. All travel must occur on
established roads or trails. Bushwhacking or cross-country travel is
17
 not allowed except as an entire crew as described below. Crew
leaders will have discretion over what camp boundaries are and
extra caution must be used in particularly remote situations like
backcountry camps.

Campfires
7.8. Program members will comply with all fire restrictions of the
Partner Agency. Campfires are not allowed unless they have
express permission of the Project Partner.
7.9. Program staff reserve the right to implement fire restrictions above
and beyond those of the Project Partner or other agencies.
7.10. Use fire pans whenever it is determined that it is safe to have a
campfire and there is not a safe, appropriate existing campfire ring.
The only exception to this will be if the Project Partner specifically
requests the crew to do otherwise. A 6’ diameter area will be
cleared under and around the fire location. Do not use liquid fire
starters such as gasoline or chainsaw fuel to start fires.
7.11. Never leave a fire unattended for any amount of time. The fire will
be completely extinguished each night before going to bed and
each morning before leaving for work. The fire should be doused
with water and stirred until heat cannot be felt on a hand held one
inch above any part of the fire. If sufficient water is not available,
mineral soil can be mixed with the ashes to extinguish the fire.
7.12. Keep fires reasonably sized. Flame heights should not exceed 2-3
feet at any time. Keep in mind the environmental impacts of fuel
use to the area when deciding whether to have a campfire and
when deciding the size and duration of that fire.

Hygiene
7.13. For proper health and when possible, all program members should
wash their bodies with whatever resources are available.
7.14. Group dishes must be washed thoroughly and carefully with the 4
bucket system: rinse, hot soapy water, rinse, bleach water (always
cold to ensure proper sanitization).
7.15. Human waste must be disposed of properly whether in a trench
latrine (minimum of six inches deep), groover, or cat holes.
7.16. Grey water should be strained and poured into a sump (in
minimally impacted sites) or broadcasted over an impacted site
such as a roadbed. When sinks are available all dishwater needs to
be strained into them.
7.17. All trash should be taken or packed out and disposed of properly.

Food
7.18. All crews must protect local animals from the crew’s food and
other scented items. Food should be stored in vehicles, bear boxes,
or in bear hangs, NEVER in the tent. All food and scented items
will be kept together and stored in a way to prevent the attraction
18
 of animals. Have crew members check their pockets before going
to bed to remove wrappers and other scented items.
7.19. No food or other scented items will be stored in personal packs,
tents, or daypacks overnight and food must never be eaten in tents.
7.20. Proper food handling is essential for the overall health of the crew.
7.21. All crew leaders and members are required to wash their hands
with soap before handling any food and after using the latrine.
Hand sanitizer is not a good substitute for this practice, especially
in the kitchen – use soap and water.

Water
7.22. All water used for drinking and the washing of dishes will be either
obtained from a reliably potable source (i.e. municipally treated) or
treated by filtering, chemical treatment (bleach, iodine, etc.), or
boiling, in order to reduce the chances of waterborne illnesses such
as giardia and cryptosporidium. See water treatment procedures
later in this document.

8. Recreation Policies – applies when in the field or on hitch for project

purposes
8.1. All other program policies remain in effect during recreation time.

Swimming
8.2. The area must be explored first to make sure it is free of hazards
and safe for swimming.
8.3. A supervising person who knows how to swim must be on shore at
all times to observe activity and all swimmers must be in sight of
this person at all times.

Free Time
8.4. All program members on crews must do activities in groups of at
least three individuals and they must receive prior approval from a
leader/supervisor.
8.5. Hitchhiking during program time is ABSOLUTELY prohibited at
all times, unless it is an emergency situation.
8.6. Crew and individuals are not allowed to complete “solo”
experiences.

Hiking Trips
8.7. Hiking trips are an excellent off-time activity but are not without
risk. It is a leader’s responsibility to evaluate all trips and use good
judgment to ensure the group’s safety. Groups should always carry
with them the “10 essentials” for hiking.
8.8. Hikes that require technical knowledge, significant route finding or
are aid-assisted (eg. Rock climbing) are prohibited.
8.9. Off-trail hiking should only be done as an entire group led by staff
or leaders.
19
 8.10. Trip plans must be approved by program support staff prior to
starting the hike.
8.11. Leaders should always place themselves so that one is at the
beginning of the group and the other sweeps up the rear. No one
should hike alone.

9. Vehicles and Trailers

General Policies
9.1. A vehicle check, as prescribed by program staff, will be conducted
before each use of any vehicle.
9.2. Driving and riding in vehicles is one of the most risky activities in
Conservation Legacy programs; please take all necessary caution
to ensure the safety of your passengers.
9.3. Program vehicles shall be driven only by staff or selected members
that are currently covered by Conservation Legacy vehicle
insurance and have received the appropriate program driver
training.
9.4. All drivers will receive vehicle training, complete a driver training
course, and be observed by a program staff member before driving
a program vehicle.
9.5. In transporting crews or other groups, the person seated in the front
passenger seat will act as a Co-driver. This person will remain
awake and alert at all times and perform the following functions:
a. Monitor driver’s alertness and judgment
b. Assist with navigation and hazard identification
c. Manage potential driver distractions (e.g., answer
phone, change music or climate control, maintain good
behavior of passengers, etc.)
9.6. In transporting crews or other groups, no combination of work and
drive time during one day shall exceed 11 hours.
9.7. Driving crew vehicles in the dark is prohibited for distances more
than 30 miles except in the case of medical emergency or if
explicitly authorized by program support staff.
9.8. Always have a passenger back you up to safely indicate direction
and watch for oncoming traffic.
9.9. Drivers of high capacity or crew vehicles are not allowed to drive
over 65 mph due to safety concerns, such as tire blow outs, roll-
overs, etc.
9.10. In most instances a vehicle must remain with the crew at all times.
A crew may only be left without a vehicle if there are other
vehicles and/or other arranged access to emergency assistance.
This could include ample emergency communications options,
working/camping in public places near other vehicles, access to
agency vehicles, or other means for those left behind to exit
quickly and safely if needed. In those situations, there should be a
clear plan in place for communication/evacuation while the crew

20
 vehicle is away. In ALL other situations, the entire crew must
leave if the vehicle leaves.
9.11. Vehicles will be used for program use only. Recreational trips
must receive prior approval from the office.
9.12. All passengers and the driver must wear seat belts while the
vehicle is in motion. It is the driver’s responsibility to check all
seat belts before starting to drive. If seat belts are non-functioning
or missing for any seat, the affected seat cannot be used.
9.13. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other mind-altering drugs
(prescribed or non-prescribed) is prohibited.
9.14. All drivers and passengers are required to behave professionally,
including but not limited to keeping feet inside the vehicle and
keeping music at a reasonable volume.
9.15. All vehicular accidents must be reported according to the incident
response procedures described in the incident management chapter
of this manual and will be reviewed by program support staff.
9.16. Drivers are responsible for the payment of any tickets resulting
from a violation of traffic laws; it will be documented on their
driving records and may result in disciplinary action.
9.17. Individuals must notify the Program Staff of any traffic violations
they receive whether driving a personal or program vehicle after
submitting a driving record to Conservation Legacy. All violations
must be reported no later than one week after the date it was
received.
9.18. Tools may not be transported in program vehicles carrying
passengers unless secured in one of the following ways:
a. In the trunk of a car
b. In the bed of a pick-up, or otherwise physically separated
from passenger space
c. Behind the last seat of a van/SUV wrapped in a tarp and
secured to the floor.
9.19. Fuel and propane may not be transported inside any vehicle and
must be secured outside the vehicle or in a trailer.
9.20. Park for egress (i.e. backed in and facing forward) – A vehicle
parked facing the direction of egress is more effective in case of
emergency evacuation and easier to get to for necessary repairs and
inspection.
9.21. Program vehicles must carry the following items at all times: a
minimum of two sets of keys (if possible), one form of
communication (radio, cell phone or satellite phone), one insurance
card, the vehicle registration, a completed Emergency Response
Form, all member and staff medical disclosure forms, local and
program safety contact information, a first aid kit, an emergency
vehicle kit, all relevant maps, and a jack and spare tire.
9.22. Because program vehicles are frequently operated off-highway and
in inclement weather, drivers must exercise their own best
judgment in these situations. Therefore, whenever a vehicle is
21
 traveling on primitive roads or in bad weather, operators must
carefully decide their maximum speed, judge when a road is
impassible, or decide whether conditions warrant a new route
and/or travel schedule.
9.23. Not only should divers use spotters when backing, but if ever there
is a physical obstacle to overcome, a spotter should be used.
Common obstacles include large rocks on primitive roads that
cannot be moved, large ruts where a tire could fall in and get the
vehicle stuck, and other instances where ground clearance, roof
clearance, or side clearance might be in question.

Trailer Policies
9.24. All lights, hitches and safety chains must be checked and correctly
attached to the vehicle before departing. Do not cut and splice
trailer wires unless trained; instead notify the office.
9.25. Ensure the trailer tongue is locked on the ball of the hitch
correctly.
9.26. The trailer padlock or hitch pin must be on and tongue lock closed
both when the trailer is attached to the vehicle and disconnected
from it.
9.27. If the trailer is swaying behind the vehicle you have too much
weight in the rear of it. Pull over and re-distribute the weight so the
bulk of it is over the axle or closer to the front.
9.28. When maneuvering in tight situations remove the trailer and move
it by hand.
9.29. Take the trailer off hitch and chock if you are parking somewhere
for the day.

ATV/OHV Policies
9.30. To operate an ATV or OHV (4-wheelers) drivers must complete
agency training, meet agency safety requirements and must wear
an agency-approved helmet. In addition, ATV/OHV operators
must:
1. Wear a helmet that meets current safety standards
2. Wear appropriate boots and long pants
3. Not exceed the maximum weight limit for the vehicle.
9.31. UTVs (side-by-side or Gators) may only be operated by those that
are also fully designated drivers for the program, i.e. their driver’s
record has been reviewed and they have passed a full driver
training.

22
Part 3 – Procedures

1. ERPs and preparation

Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

One of the most important tools for use in anticipating both the risks inherent
in the program, and for preparing an appropriate response to situations that
may arise is the Emergency Response Plan (ERP). A leader will research,
discuss with their crew and distribute it in the initial days of the crew. The
preprinted form that Conservation Legacy has developed will guide the
efficient gathering of the information required including crew information,
project partner contacts, vehicle information, communication devices, and
emergency service information for local hospitals, police and rescue. Having
this plan prepared before or early into the hitch will enhance the ability to
manage a challenging evacuation or other emergency. Also, by having this
plan, the agency coordinator will understand all of the crews’ needs and
requirements, and all of the expectations of the agency’s resources will be
clearly stated and communicated. And, finally, by program staff also having
this plan in hand, a crew can be assured that the support the program provides
through the on-call system will be consistent and informed.

Completing the ERP

Although some of the information to complete an ERP may be provided by
support staff and contained in the Project Specs, the crew leader is
responsible for verifying information and completing each part. The ERP is
available as an electronic form that can be easily filled out at a computer if
desired. Be sure to verify phone numbers and review for accuracy all the
information upon arrival to the project site.

Discuss Emergency Procedures with Project Partner

Review with the project partner the steps the crew will follow to get help and
manage an incident or evacuation. Identify who will be monitoring the crew’s
communication device during the day and night, and whom to contact if the
crew cannot reach anyone in the immediate area. The project partner should
be able to explain the steps they will follow if the crew contacts their
dispatcher or other personnel for assistance in an emergency. Find out who
might be involved in a rescue, whether it be local agency personnel, the
sheriff or other law enforcement personnel, or other search and rescue teams.
Find out how the area handles emergency response. Given the location, think
about how rescuers will probably come in — on foot, horseback, helicopter,
or vehicle. Will the choice of transport depend on the nature of the injury? If
so, what kinds of injuries automatically justify using helicopters? Once the
crew has notified the local authority or partner staff of the problem and the
nature of the injury, the leader will need to understand who will decide what
kind of response or evacuation is required. In an emergency requiring Search
23
and Rescue or a helicopter evacuation, the crew may have little say in how
and when things happen. This may make the leader feel helpless. However,
simply knowing who is making decisions can be comforting, especially if the
leader had the chance to meet that person and develop a trust in them. During
any partner-driven response, be sure to also continuously communicate with
program staff as the response unfolds.

Locate Nearest Helicopter Landing Sites

If there is a possibility of a helicopter evacuation, locate the nearest helicopter
landing area at both work and camp. Agree on these with the project partner
and mark them on a topographic map or provide coordinates. This will help
the agency give a helicopter pilot accurate direction to find the crew quickly.

Visit nearest Hospital/Urgent Care

If there is an opportunity, visit the hospital or Urgent Care that the crew
would use to get medical care. Learn the fastest driving route there from the
trailhead. If the program will be running in poisonous snake country, ask if
the clinic has the appropriate anti-venom treatments for the species of snakes
you might encounter.

Procedures for distribution:

1. One copy to your program supervisor
2. One copy to your agency field coordinator
3. One copy in each first aid kit

2. Screening Participant Medical History (for Leaders)

One of the most important pre-program tasks a leader will accomplish with
the goal of running a safe program for the season will be screening each crew
member’s medical information to assure that they are physically and mentally
prepared for the rigors of the program experience. All reasonable attempts
will be made to accommodate participants with diagnosed medical
conditions. Certain conditions, such as asthma, heart condition, diabetes,
severe allergies, and seizure disorders must be actively managed by
participants before they are approved to be in the field. Such measures are
necessary in order to ensure overall safety and well-being for the crew as a
whole.

Please note the following requirements regarding medical histories for

Conservation Legacy activities:
1. Conservation Legacy must have a completed medical history form
from each crew member and leader. The information on the form
must be reviewed and approved as per review protocols prior to the
member/leader going into the field.
2. Crew leaders should be prepared to support and deal with all medical
issues and needs of their crew – including making sure individuals
have their correct medications and that allergies and their potential
reactions are known and prepared for.
24
 3. Although sorting through a potential participant’s medical history
may involve several staff members or phone calls to parents of
minors, all crew leaders and staff must do their best to preserve the
confidentiality of the information contained within the medical form.
At all times, other than when medically needed, these forms should
be kept in a sealed envelope.
4. If you have any concern regarding a participant’s medical
assessment, contact your staff supervisor.

3. Medical/safety protocols
For Conservation Legacy Medical Protocols see separate document

Field Evacuations
Because the variables in each situation can vary widely, the final decision
whether to evacuate someone from the field will always have to be made by
the leader in the field. However, below are some general guidelines that
attempt to strike a balance between ensuring the health and safety of all crew
members and avoiding the expense and extra risk of unnecessary evacuations.
Evacuations from the field will be limited to the following cases:
1. A medical emergency or illness requiring immediate medical
attention
2. A patient whose health is deteriorating due to being in the field
3. Keeping the patient in the field is deemed unsafe for any reason
4. Keeping the patient in the field impairs the ability of the rest of the
crew to accomplish work objectives.

4. First-Aid Certification
Another important step in managing risk in any Conservation Legacy
program is to make sure you have the skills and experience necessary to
contain a situation involving an accident or illness from becoming a larger
situation. Holding current first-aid certification is a requirement for leaders of
Conservation Legacy programs, whether they are a new crew leader or have
led 10 crews. A leader must gain required certification or renew a present
certification before their program begins.
• Crew leaders will at minimum hold current Wilderness First Aid.
• Each Backcountry and Leadership Crew will have at least one crew
leader certified as a Wilderness First Responder or higher.
• Programs may have higher level requirements for leader positions
and requirements also for members. This will be made clear through
the application process or the certifications may be part of the crew
training after the start of the program.
• Any individual practicing first aid or medicine as part of
Conservation Legacy must remain within the scope of their training
level.

5. Environmental hazards
25
Hazard Assessment
Anytime a crew is presented with a new campsite, a new project, a new task
or tool within a project, or changing environmental or work conditions, a new
Hazard Assessment and Mitigation worksheet should be completed (or a
current one should be updated). These worksheets can be found in the crew
paperwork. It is best to complete this with all the crew involved and to also
periodically review either at the stretch and safety circle or at some other
relevant point during the day. Be sure to keep this a relevant and dynamic
document – conditions change and your mitigation strategies might change as
well depending on resources available and increased knowledge of variables
involved.

Cold and High Elevation

In cold weather or at high elevations, increase food and water intake and take
more breaks for shorter amounts of time. You’ll need hot drinks to get people
going in the morning, and probably find that you crave fats and carbohydrates
in food. Indulge these urges, as it is your body telling you what it needs.
Living at high elevations, or rapidly gaining elevation above 7,000’ can cause
altitude sickness, or acute mountain sickness (AMS). Preventive care includes
drinking lots of water. Anyone exhibiting symptoms of altitude sickness such
as dizziness, weakness, vomiting, or headaches should not engage in
strenuous work. Time and rest are required for recovery, which may take
several days or longer. Patients suffering severe symptoms need to be
relocated to lower elevations quickly and then receive professional medical
care as soon as possible.

Heat
In hot weather, insist that everyone drink copious amounts of water and take
longer breaks (in the shade!). Most people do not drink enough under
“normal” circumstances and, in certain conditions, a gallon or more per
person per day will be required! Your crew may not drink enough even if you
insist. Watch each member carefully for symptoms of dehydration, including
headaches, sore eyes, nausea or stomach cramps and general malaise or
discomfort. Use the following protocol to guide your actions:
* The temperature ranges are relative, i.e. if your crew has been used to
working in 70-degree weather, but the temperature spikes to 90, heat will be
an issue.
• Temperature a minimal issue (100 F and below): Normal work
schedule (people can still drink and take short breaks when needed)
• Temperature a concern (100-110 F): restricted work (5 through 10
minute mandatory breaks on the hour to drink water)
• Temperature a danger (110 F plus): Mandatory consultation with the
project partner AND program staff to determine whether or not
crews can continue working.
If heat will be an issue, plan to start the day early in order to complete work
before it gets too hot. If feasible, plan to work in shaded areas or areas with
easier access to water as the temperature climbs. Complications due to
26
dehydration and/or loss of electrolytes are significant risks when working in
the heat. Drink enough fluids throughout the day, and use electrolyte-
containing drinks (e.g. Gatorade, or homemade equivalent) to ensure
electrolyte balance. The heat guidelines are recommendations for action based
on a certain temperature. However, similar action should also be taken
outside of these temperature ranges if the situation becomes dangerous due to
a number of other factors such as, preexisting low hydration levels, humidity
or fatigue.

Rain or Snow
Neither is a work-stopper, but precautions should be taken when either are
present to maintain the health and safety of the crew. Be sure that each
member has the proper gear and attire to work in these conditions prior to
leaving for the field. Each of these conditions can result in slippery and loose
walking/ working conditions and crew members should be careful with their
footing. Driving in these conditions is even more dangerous than driving is on
its own; make sure you have taken the precautions necessary to get to and
from the worksite if you know inclement weather is on the horizon.

Lightning Safety
Lightning is, by its nature, a random and unpredictable process, though it is
also quite common in monsoonal areas such as the southwest. There is no
way to completely eliminate the risk of lightning strikes in the field, but there
are ways to reduce the risk and mitigate injuries due to lightning strikes.
The best way to protect yourself from lightning in the field is to be aware of
your surroundings, the conditions, and the local weather patterns. Lightning
can behave differently depending on where you are in relation to hillsides/tree
cover/mountain tops/etc. There are some suggestions for recognizing safer
areas later in this section, but judgement and awareness of your surroundings
will be key to your decision-making in the field. Ultimately the decision to
pause work, return to work, or seek a safer location will be the leaders’.

Recommendations:
Timing:
If you see a storm approaching or developing, or if you hear lightning, begin
moving to safer terrain. Set turnaround times that will get you off exposed
terrain (e.g., mountain tops or large open spaces where you are the tallest
object) before afternoon mountain storms hit. Moving to safer terrain is the
single most effective protection from lightning injury, but you have to move
before the storm hits. If you are already in safer terrain, cease work and get in
a vehicle or building if possible (or assume the lightning position if not) if
there is less than 30 seconds between the lightning flash and the sound of
thunder (this means that the strike was within 6 miles of you). Stay there
until 30 minutes have passed without hearing thunder before returning to
work. As in other safety situations use good judgment as much as rule-of-
thumb to determine actions.
Safer Locations:
27
In a front country situation, get into a building or metal-roofed vehicle, and
then avoid touching any metal objects. These are by far the safest locations in
which to ride out a storm. In the backcountry, avoid high-risk locations, such
as high peaks or other exposed terrain, when storms are likely or imminent.
Low areas or depressions are safer in wide open terrain. Areas with relatively
low vegetation (bushes or small trees) are also safer than wide open ground.
In rolling terrain, low spots are not necessarily any safer.
Other Things to Avoid:
· Trees: Trees are especially good at producing positively charged ground
streamers, which attract lightning strikes. If moving through a forest to a
safer location, stay away from all tree trunks, detour at least 75 ft around
especially large trees and avoid passing through large open meadows. A lone
tree in an open space is especially dangerous.
· Long conductors: Stay away from long pieces of metal, especially ones
near the ground, as lightning currents tend to travel along them. Working on
a fence is one of the most dangerous things you can do when lightning is
imminent. Also avoid measuring tapes, power lines and other wires, railroad
tracks, bridges, and handrails. Wet ropes can also act as conductors.
· Tents: If your tent has metal poles, it can increase your chances of being
struck. If your tent is set up in a safer location, assume the lightning position
(see below) inside your tent. If your tent is in an exposed location, get away
from the tent and assume the lightning position until the storm has passed.
· Cave entrances and overhangs: Lightning can “jump the gap” between the
floor and ceiling of cave entrances or overhangs, so avoid these locations.
· Open water: Avoid all bodies of water. However, naturally wet ground,
such as that near a stream, is not any more dangerous than dry land.
The Lightning Position
If you smell ozone, see coronas or feel your hair stand on end, STOP and
assume the lightning position. A strike could be imminent and seconds
count! Many people have been struck while attempting to reach a safer
location.
HOWEVER, the effectiveness of the lightning position is not a guarantee and
should never substitute for getting to a safe location before being placed in an
immediate threat situation.
To assume the lightning position, first get rid of all metallic objects. Disperse
the crewmembers at least 50 ft apart to avoid multiple injuries in case of a
strike. Squat down (on an insulating object, e.g., backpack or sleeping pad)
with your feet together (at least try to touch your heels) and ball up to make
yourself as small as possible. Wrap your arms around your legs, cover your
ears with your hands and close your eyes.
First Aid for Lightning Victims
See Medical Protocol for Lightning Strikes

River and Stream Crossings

Crossing large, swift streams or rivers can be very dangerous. Attempt a
crossing only if it is the safest route, then do so with great care at the
shallowest part of the river. Avoid fast currents and water deeper than waist
28
height. Remember that even seemingly slow-moving water is powerful
enough to sweep someone downstream if it’s deep enough. Assemble the
group to explain how to make the crossing and what to do if anyone is swept
downstream. Cross the river wearing your sneakers or boots with no socks
(put your socks back on after crossing to help dry your boots). If you choose
to cross in sneakers, tie your boots to your pack rather than carrying them in
your hands. Do not cross in bare feet as it is likely someone will twist an
ankle, cut a foot, or be caused to lose their balance. Never purposely try to
wedge your feet beneath rocks, boulders, or submerged logs. Always unfasten
the waist strap of your pack. If you fall, your pack will float better than you,
and you could be trapped face down underneath it. You need to be able to
wiggle out of your shoulder straps if this happens. Never tie a rope to a
person crossing a dangerous spot. It could be helpful to hang a rope across to
use as a guide and something to grab a hold of.

Living and Traveling in Bear Country (much the same applies to mountain
lions)
Find out as much about the bears in the area as you can from your coordinator
and anyone else who spends time in the field. Learn what the project partner’s
policies and practices are on bear avoidance and management. Important
questions to ask are:
• Are the bears habituated to people? Or are they “wild” bears that
tend to avoid human contact?
• What regulations does the area have regarding food storage,
campfires, etc?
• What native foods are the bears likely to be feeding on at the time of
year you will be in the field? Where are those food sources found
and what can you do to avoid those areas?
• Are bears likely to be with their cubs this time of year? Mothers with
cubs tend to be much more aggressive and defensive in encounters.
• What does the agency recommend as the most effective/ appropriate
response to a curious bear or an attacking bear?
Rehearse with your crew what each person would do in any number of bear
situations. Have sufficient preparation so that your crew members will
respond appropriately to the different situations you might find yourselves in.
Secure all food in vehicles or in a bear hang. If you are charged by a black
bear, the current wisdom is to fight back. Aggression toward attacking black
bears often can repulse the attack. Black bears are less aggressive overall than
grizzly bears and will retire more readily. Making loud noises to scare black
bears out of camp (yelling, banging pots and pans, blowing an air horn) may
be all it takes. If more drastic measures are required, throw stones at it. If the
bear physically attacks you or one of your crew members, DO NOT PLAY
DEAD. Aggressively fight back and use any available tool or weapon on
hand: rocks, Pulaskis, sticks, fists, etc. Climbing trees to escape an intent
black bear is probably futile, as anyone who has watched a black bear “run”
up a tree can attest to. Instead, gather your group together, perhaps with your
backs to a tree or rock and make a stand.
29
Snake Bites
The treatment for serious snake venom poisoning is the administration of
anti-venom. The best thing you can do for a victim is to get them to a medical
facility as soon as possible. Here are some general guidelines:
• Back out of striking range. Consider the length of the snake as the
striking range, then double it for good measure. A rattlesnake can
strike at a speed of 8 ft / 2.4 m per second.
• Don’t panic. Most snake bites do not result in medically significant
envenomation. Reassure the victim and keep them from wasting
energy. Have them sit or lay down, avoid unnecessary movement,
and stay calm to keep their heart rate low.
• Identify the species. If time allows or others are on hand, try and
identify the species. Don’t try to capture or kill the snake, but do try
to identify it. You may be able to take a photo for later identification.
If the snake is dead, use a stick to put it into a safe container for
transport. Be aware that the jaws of a dead snake can bite in a reflex
action for up to 90 minutes after death.
Treatment
• Arrange immediate evacuation
• Rest the bitten extremity at a level below or even with the heart
• Clean wound to remove any venom around the bite. (Apply same
concepts of wound management and make sure to use the cleanest
water available).
• Remove jewelry or other constrictive items.
• Mark swelling with a permanent marker and the time that it was
marked – this will help medical practitioners determine the rate of
spread of the venom.
• Pressure-immobilization bandage with ace wrap, coflex, coban, or
any elastic breathable material that will accommodate potential
swelling.
• Monitor ABC’s! Some snake bites such as the Green Mojave Rattle
Snake result in immediate respiratory distress while other might
trigger an allergic reaction; be prepared to preform CPR or Rescue
Breathing if patient’s vitals indicate inadequate breathing!
Avoid the following common treatment myths
• Don't suck out the venom. Making an incision and extracting the
venom by mouth or with a pump doesn’t work and the caretaker may
be adversely affected.
• Don't make a tourniquet. Trapping all the venom in one place can
increase tissue damage and could cost a victim their limb.
Additionally, upon release of the tourniquet, a flood of venom is
pushed toward the heart and could be fatal.

30
6. Water
Water Purification
Several purification options are available for ensuring safe drinking water for
crews. All are time consuming and require diligence in making sure that
water is purified before it is needed.
Boiling
Boiling questionable water for about a minute kills the giardia cyst. Water
that will be used for cooking, hot drinks or washing does not need to be
treated except by boiling. Boiling is not the ideal method for treating your
other drinking water as it consumes too much fuel. Take note that boiling
may be your only option in some circumstances.
Pre-filtering
If your water has organic matter or is cloudy, murky, or colored in any way,
chemical purification methods will be much less effective and water filters
could get clogged. For water in this condition, filter through a clean cloth then
allow it to settle for at least 30 minutes and pour off the clear water for
purifying.
Water Filters
Water filters are supplied in every backcountry cache, though the type varies
between programs. Be sure to use the filter according to the instructions and
be aware that most micro-filters do not filter out all viruses and small
bacteria. For these filters to work correctly and efficiently, it is paramount
that crew leaders maintain the filters. If the filters are filtering water
extremely slowly, the filter element most likely needs to be cleaned
(backflushing) or replaced.
Aquamira Drops or Tablets
Aquamira is reliable and easy to use. It is a two-step process, has no iodine or
free chlorine and can be used for large quantities. Just follow the directions
on the bottle. The two-ounce bottles are good for 60 gallons.
Chlorine (not a preferred method)
Disinfecting with household bleach kills most, but not all, types of disease-
causing organisms. The bleach must contain chlorine in order to work (i.e. not
the biodegradable kind). Most household chlorine bleaches have 4-6 percent
available chlorine, in which case you should add 1/8 teaspoon (8 drops) of
regular, unscented, liquid household chlorine bleach for each gallon of water
(2 drops per liter), stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it.
Check the label; if the percentage of available chlorine is around 1 percent, or
you don’t know what the percentage is, use 40 drops per gallon/10 drops per
liter; if the percentage is 7-10 percent, use four drops per gallon or one drop
per liter. Double the amount of chlorine if the water is cloudy, murky, or
colored, or if the water is extremely cold. If after sitting covered for 30
minutes, the water doesn’t have a slight chlorine odor, repeat the dosage and
let sit for another 15 minutes.
Iodine (not a preferred method)
Iodine purification has an advantage over micro-filtration in that it will kill
viruses as well as bacteria and parasites, but may be less effective against
giardia. In a populated area where groundwater may be contaminated with
31
pathogens like hepatitis, use iodine. However, drinking iodine treated water
for extended periods of time is not recommended so this should just be a
backup method in case of emergency. The speed at which iodine can kill
microbes depends on the temperature of the water. Purification time in cold
water is about twice that in warm water (above 60 degrees). Also, colored
foreign material in the water can bind the iodine. If your water has a lot of
tannin in it or other organic materials, double the amount of iodine you use.
Also, remember that the warmer the water, the less iodine you need to
adequately treat the water. Pre-filtering the water before treatment can help as
well.
Managing Water in Camp
Water Containers
Clearly mark your water containers “drinking” and “contaminated.” Don’t put
unpurified water in the drinking containers. If you use a gravity system for
purifying your water, you’ll need a third type of jug, “prefiltered,” to be used
for no other purpose than to be hung up to filter.
Estimating Water Needs
For your own information you will want to know about how much your crew
will drink. Estimating this becomes even more important if you have a dry
camp (with water being brought in by truck or mule) or if you will be using
bleach to purify it. Surely you have heard that you ought to drink eight
glasses of water a day. This amounts to about two quarts. But, when you are
working, your water consumption needs to go up dramatically, especially if
the weather is hot and/or you are at a high elevation. A crew of eight drinks
about 8 to 10 gallons of purified water per day in moderate conditions. This
does not include any of their hot drinks, soups or other foods that have water
in them, or dishes after dinner. In very hot, dry weather you will consume
much more. Always be thinking ahead about water that is on-hand. Do not
wait until all containers are empty before collecting and filtering more. This is
no fun to do at 5 a.m. because you need water for breakfast.
Dry Camps
If you will have a dry camp, plan on water consumption for drinking,
cooking, dishes, and a rare sponge-bath at roughly:
• 2.5 gallons per person per day, or
• 220 gallons for 8 people for an 11-day hitch, 150 gallons will do if
there is other water available for dishes and bathing.
If your water will be packed in you also need to estimate the weight of this
water. Calculate this weight using 8.3 pounds for each gallon of water, also
remembering to allow for the weight of the containers.

7. Wellness and Well-Being

A responsibility that everyone has throughout the program is the health and
safety of yourself and fellow crew members. Continually identifying hazards
and assessing risks will get you started in the right direction, and monitoring
and being concerned with the health of the crew is equally as importantFor
32
some participants, participating in the program is the scariest, most
adventurous thing they have ever done. There are many stresses on them that
can cause unhappiness, homesickness, antisocial behavior, and carelessness
or accident proneness. For instance, they may not have the social skills to deal
well with a group of strangers. The food may be totally foreign to them. They
may not know what is expected of them nor have the skills to accomplish
something, both at work and in camp. Unfortunately, there is no magic
formula for evaluating and mitigating these stresses. You need to be aware
that stress manifests itself in many ways and you must be prepared to
confront situations honestly, sympathetically and with a large dose of human
kindness. Be alert to potential problems as indicated by moodiness, antisocial
behavior, aggressive behavior, and crying. Make a point of asking your crew
members how they are feeling about their experience. Also, informally check-
in with each crew member each day and ask them how they are generally
doing. Ask them mundane questions, such as:
• Is everyone getting enough to eat?
• Are you sleeping well at night?
• Do you have regular (daily) bowel movements?
• Are you happy being here? Why or why not?
• Do you feel disconnected/depressed/unmotivated/stressed?
• Do your muscles hurt?
• Is the sun/heat affecting your energy levels?
• Do you like going to work? Why or why not?
• Are there changes in what you are eating, drinking, or taking for
medication that you are feeling the effect of?

33
The answers to such basic
inquiries can be very
illuminating. Either you will Now this is the Law of
be reassured that everything the Jungle - as old and true as
is OK, or you will be set on the sky;
the track of what is not well.
Follow up with more And the Wolf that shall keep it
questions, in a group forum may prosper, but the Wolf that
or individually, to find out
shall break it must die.
what is really going on.
Sometimes it may not be any
specific thing, just a sense of As the creeper that girdles the
uneasiness that can be tree-trunk, the Law runneth
dispelled by encouraging a forward and back -
lonely member to vocalize
their feelings and actively For the strength of the Pack is
listening to what they say. the Wolf, and the strength of
the Wolf is the Pack.
Preventive Health Care and
Treatment
As well as anticipating and Rudyard Kiping
preventing accidents, you The Second Jungle Book
should focus some energy on
preventing common illnesses.
You should also remember that as much as you would like to respect the
privacy of each member of your crew, you may need to intrude a bit further
into their personal health “space” than you would under many other
circumstances to assure a crew member’s well-being.

Allergic Reactions
Keep an eye out for any reactions to bee stings, bugs, sun, food, or other
irritants. You can’t rely completely on the medical forms to alert you to these,
as participants may try to play down an allergy, or may not be aware of it.

Blisters
Blisters present the most chronic and annoying of the injuries that crews deal
with. The three main causes of blisters are heat, sweat, and friction. Teaching
the crew how to prevent blisters can alleviate much misery down the road. If
members come with new boots that have not been well broken in, or with old,
broken-in boots that they have not worn yet this year, there is bound to be
trouble. In the breaking-in process, both feet and boots need to get
accustomed to each other. Common prevention strategies include:
• Before starting out, put tape or moleskin on areas that commonly
blister.
• If possible, wear synthetic or wool socks that wick sweat away
effectively. Change socks regularly.

34
 • If boots are large enough, wear two layers of socks to reduce
friction. The inner sock should be nylon, silk, or some other slippery
fiber that allows easy movement between sock layers.
• Keep feet dry with powder to reduce friction. Air feet out by taking
boots off after work and slipping into camp shoes/sandals
• Stop to apply moleskin as soon as you feel a hot spot.
• Keep feet clean.

Diarrhea and other Stomach Complaints

Diarrhea results from a number of causes. Common problems on camp crews
include inadequate rinsing of soap from dishes, giardia, or worms and other
parasites resulting from poor sanitary practices. Often, diarrhea will go away
in a day or two without treatment. Make sure that members stay hydrated and
eat carefully during this time. One note that is worth considering in managing
minor gastrointestinal complaints is that many members will be making some
fairly dramatic dietary transitions on a program. The loose (normal) stools
that come from eating a high fiber, low meat diet may alarm some members
used to high fat and meat, and low fiber “junk food” habits, and they may
think they are suffering from diarrhea when they are not! Instruct crew
members not to drink from one another’s water bottles, serve community
food like GORP in less communal ways. Instead of scooping food like GORP
out of bags (with their potentially dirty hands), have members pour into
personal bowls. Make the placement of the hand-washing station convenient,
such as placement between the toilet and kitchen. Insist that cooks and all
crew members in the kitchen wash with soap and water before beginning to
prepare meals. Explaining the reason for these precautions to your group will
help them to understand why you’re doing it and help them to buy into the
process. Failure to maintain appropriate sanitation in the kitchen has led to
more illness on crews than any other cause.

Vaginal or Urinary Tract Infections

Stress, change of diet, heat and being away from familiar sanitary facilities all
increase the possibility of women developing vaginal or urinary tract
infections. These can be extremely uncomfortable and if left untreated, may
become a systemic infection, which is a very serious medical problem.
Advise members complaining of itchiness or burning (genital area, while
urinating) to wear clean, loose clothing and to wash daily with mild, non-
perfumed soap. Reducing refined sugars or high acid foods can also help.
Douching with a mild solution of lemon juice or vinegar may help. Many
over the counter medications are now available to treat yeast infections.

Tracking Health and Wellness

Keep track of all injuries and illnesses, both serious and minor. Take careful
note of the date and time of first injury or complaint, the symptoms and the
treatment. This record can help you identify patterns of behavior in the field,
give a thorough medical history if professional medical help becomes
necessary, and complete an IRF accurately.
35
8. Discipline
Sometimes policy violations or disruptive behavior calls for individual
disciplinary action. Although this demands courage as a leader, do not wait
too long before applying disciplinary measures; you may erode your
credibility as a leader by doing so. Although there are formal procedures to
deal with these situations (below), the following elements of good discipline
will help you be effective:
Act Fairly:
• Familiarize yourself and your crew members with all Conservation
Legacy policies, rules and disciplinary procedures.
• Make sure the incident or behavior warrants discipline under the
policy.
• Check that the member knew and understood the rule that was
violated.
• Find out if there were any circumstances beyond the crew member’s
control that affected what they did.
• Determine if the member knew and understood the penalties for
policy violation.
• Make the discipline match the offence; don’t treat minor infractions
the same as serious ones.
Act Consistently:
• Discipline the same or similar violations the same way.
• Be sure you’re not coming down especially hard on a crew member
because of personal dislike or other problems.
• Be sure you’re not looking the other way on violations committed by
other crew members you like or who are especially important to your
group.
Act Legally:
• Act promptly after a violation occurs, even with a verbal warning.
• Be sure to follow the steps of progressive discipline.
• Document what the rules violation was, when it happened, and what
disciplinary action was taken and when.
• Check that disciplinary action was fair and consistent in terms of
what has happened with other crew members.
• Ask whether a reasonable person could interpret this discipline as
retaliation for exercising legal rights.
• Ask whether a reasonable person could interpret this discipline as
discriminatory.
• Ask whether a reasonable person would consider the “punishment”
fit the “crime.”

36
Restorative Justice
Imagining a “Restorative”
What is restorative justice?
approach:
Restorative justice is a framework
Conservation Legacy is moving
that works to repair harm and restore
community. Restorative justice forward in 2022 with a new
processes identify the needs of the approach to supporting our
harmed party, the responsible party, members that will incorporate
and the larger community. restorative practices into our work.
Restorative justice ensures This information provides
sustainable community safety, educational points about the
improved community cohesion for restorative philosophy that aligns
groups, and increased self-esteem in with our organization’s mission to
individuals. promote healthy, resilient
communities and ecosystems.
4 Guiding Principles of Restorative
Justice Conservation Legacy’s historical
1. Safety: can you proceed approach to discipline can be found
with a restorative after this section, to be used by
process and keep your those who are not yet trained or
crew safe while doing otherwise un-prepared to
so? Or is the situation implement the restorative approach
beyond your capacity to with their programming
ensure safety for you
and your crew?
Different programs have
different levels of capacity to handle various situations, what
can your program safely handle, and what can it not handle?
2. Harmed Party Centered: have you checked in with those
harmed by the actions? What are their needs? How do they want
to proceed?
3. Accountability: Is the responsible party willing to take
accountability to restore relationships and repair harm?
4. Racial equity: What are the underlying racial, gendered, and
historical context of this situation? Are you ensuring your
process is mindful of the societal context at play?
What is Accountability?
Accountability is a practice. We can hold ourselves accountability, but we can
also support someone else in their own accountability.

To be accountable, the responsible party must:

1. Acknowledge the harm that they caused
2. Acknowledge the impact that this harm had on the harmed party
and community
3. Express genuine remorse

37
 4. Do sorry: take actual steps – ideally those identified by the
harmed party – to repair the harm. This can be a long process,
and that’s okay! Transformation takes time.
5. Become a person that never causes harm again.

What is Remorse?
Remorse is how we express and feel empathy when we are the cause of the
harm. When we feel remorse, we are putting ourselves in the shoes of the
person(s) we harmed. Although we often conflate remorse and shame, they
are VERY different. Shame centers our own experience and drives isolation.
Remorse, like empathy, motivates connection.

Where is the Blame and Shame? There is no place for blame and shame in a
restorative process. We can process feelings in a healthy way that lead to
authentic change. Blame and shame PREVENT that change from happening.

38
Disciplinary Action Procedures
* This traditional Conservation Legacy approach is still in practice but will
be phased out as restorative techniques are adopted across the organization

Conservation Legacy philosophy is to modify inappropriate behavior through

a developmental learning process. When action is necessary it will be guided
by a series of formal progressive steps. However, at any time program
support or Crew Leaders may accelerate the process based on the action of
the individual and in consultation with program staff. Any disciplinary action
procedures that are implemented should be documented appropriately –
typically on a Disciplinary Action Form (DAF). Below are the guidelines for
disciplinary actions to be taken when performance does not meet the written
expectations.
1. Clarifying or Resetting Expectations: This is one of the most
powerful tools leaders have for changing behavior. In many cases,
the best way to correct performance or behavior problems is to meet
with the person to discuss the issue and to work together to solve it.
Doing this successfully requires prompt attention to, and a clear
understanding of, the issue, combined with a willingness to listen to
the person’s point of view. This is especially effective with people
who want to succeed but have difficulty understanding what is
expected of them. This is usually most effective when done in a
one-on-one setting.
2. Formal Verbal Warning (document on Disciplinary Action Form):
This is a verbal communication from the leader regarding a person’s
unacceptable performance or behavior. Unless the seriousness of the
issue warrants otherwise, a Verbal Reprimand should be used when
setting expectations has not solved the problem.
3. Performance Improvement Contract (document on Disciplinary
Action Form): If, following the above steps, a person continues to
engage in similar unacceptable behavior, or if the leader judges that
bypassing earlier steps is justified, the leader may issue a
Performance Improvement Contract (on the DAF). The person is
informed in writing that a serious infraction has occurred, and that
immediate improvement is required to avoid further disciplinary
action. The leader and member must sign the contract & program
support staff must be alerted upon returning from the field.
4. Suspension from program (document on Disciplinary Action Form):
Typically, a person is suspended when previous disciplinary steps
have failed to correct the problem. This is a severe disciplinary
action that must be initiated only with the knowledge and support of
the Program Support Staff. This may also include fines accessed as
per AmeriCorps guidelines ($20/first offence). Living allowance
may be withheld in some circumstances, discuss this with program
staff prior to issuing this consequence.

39
 5. Termination (document on Disciplinary Action Form): The decision
to terminate a member typically is made after the above corrective
measures have been tried without success. When a member is
terminated, it must be because they have failed the program and not
because the program has failed them.

Certain behaviors are grounds for immediate termination, without

attempting prior corrective measures. These include:
• Purchasing, possessing, using, or being under the influence of
alcohol or drugs during work, spike, or any AmeriCorps-related
event
• Physical altercation or intimidation
• Verbal abuse or threats
• Immediately dangerous practices or gross negligence

Terminating a participant (for leaders)

Once in a while a crew may have a participant who needs more attention and
resources than a leader can reasonably provide. Their behavior may be simply
unsafe to themselves or the group or too disruptive. Generally, leaders tend to
try too hard and long before dismissing a participant. Resistance to “giving up
on somebody” is well-intentioned but may be misguided. A leader just cannot
win all the hard cases all the time. Weigh the benefit of focusing time and
energy on one crew member against the harm done by neglecting the
remaining crew members.
Termination of a crew member should include the following steps:
1. Unless impossible to do, discuss your decision with program support
staff or person-on-call before taking the following steps.
2. Tell the crew member what you have decided and why. Be honest in
explaining what brought you to this decision. Assuming you have
allowed them ample opportunity to clean up their act, make it clear
that you are no longer negotiating.
3. Tell the group that you have dismissed the crew member and why.
Give them a chance to say goodbye, unless the member leaving will
not create a safe situation.
4. If the crew member is over the age of 18 they may depart on their
own, but contact a program staff member to determine the best
options for transport. Members under 18 may not depart on their
own and program staff should be contacted to make arrangements
for transport. All members may be subject to paying the cost of
transport from the project site if terminated. (Terminated crew
leaders are also subject to the cost of transportation if a staff member
has to make an unplanned visit to the field to remove the staff
member.)
5. Have crew member complete all exit paperwork.
6. Make sure all program equipment, uniforms, and gear are returned.

40
 7. Log in and complete timesheet if possible, otherwise arrange for
them to do so later.
8. Once you are all back together (minus one) gather the group to talk
about how they feel about their departure and/or ask any questions.
You will likely have a few days of feeling off balance before the
group finds its new equilibrium.

Communicating with Parents (for leaders)

1. In most instances allow program support staff to do the
communication with parents, but do not shy away from inquiries if
they initiate the communication.
2. In all cases it is best to inform program staff when you communicate
with a parent regardless of the reason.
3. If the member is under 18 years of age
a. For medical situations (any visit to a clinic or hospital,
significant illness or injury, allergic reaction) the person(s) listed
as an emergency contact should be contacted and informed of
the situation. Have the member speak to the contact if possible
and put the contact in touch with the involved medical
facility/personnel if applicable. The details of the incident may
be shared with the contact, but refrain from using names of
other members/staff involved.
b. For behavior issues – a parent or guardian should be consulted if
1) is the parent/guardian is expected to assist in the resolution of
the issue, or 2) the incident will lead to dismissal from the
program.
4. If the member is over 18 years of age
a. If the member is unconscious or debilitated due to a medical
incident, contact the person(s) on the emergency contact form to
inform them of the situation. Put them in touch with the
involved medical facility/personnel. The details of the incident
may be shared with the contact, but refrain from using names of
other members/staff involved.
b. Once the member regains the ability to make a call, all
communication should be made by the member.
c. For medical incidents where the member is not debilitated, the
member should be encouraged to call
parents/guardians/relatives to inform them of the situation. Loan
them a phone if necessary.
d. Parents should not be contacted for non-medical or behavior
incidents.
e. If a parent contacts you, refrain from providing any information
that may be personal or confidential for the member. Encourage
them to contact their child for any information in that regard.

41
9. Managing Challenging Behavior
Many behavioral challenges can be effectively managed in the field through
skilled communication. Other behaviors are beyond the scope of leaders or
the program to manage or accept. Although there may be healing elements for
any population in being outdoors, none of Conservation Legacy’s programs
are therapeutic, aimed at rehabilitation or counseling, and it’s important to
recognize where the lines are between being supportive and the work that a
trained counselor or social worker should be doing.

Evacuate from the field and submit an incident report under any of the
following circumstances:
• Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, or undisclosed history of suicidal
behavior is grounds for immediate evacuation from the field and a call to
your coordinator
• Intentional self-harm (for example, cutting oneself with a knife or razor)
• Any member who displays eating disorders such as binging and purging
• Any member who poses a direct threat to themselves, or those around
them
• Any member whose behavior creates a physically or emotionally unsafe
work environment
• Any member whose mental state (depression, anxiety, inability to follow
instructions, etc.) compromises the leaders’ ability to adequately focus on
the safety/well-being of the rest of the group
• Sexual activity involving minors (whether consensual or not)
• Any non-consensual sexual activity (at any age)

Other behaviors may be ones that leaders or staff are able to work with
in the field, without necessitating evacuation. Examples of these
behaviors include:
• Low motivation
• Intentional destruction of property or environment
• Unprofessional behavior

10. Incident communication and response

Incident Management and Communication

Despite the best efforts to instill safety consciousness in a crew and to
anticipate and prevent accidents, there may come a time when you will need

The following incidents must be reported to OSHA at 1-800-321-OSHA

(6742) or via the OSHA website or through a local OSHA office. The
Regional Director or designated staff is responsible for the reporting.
• Fatality - within 8 hours
• Inpatient hospitalization – with 24 hours.
42
to manage an injury or illness. This section focuses on both managing serious
injuries and medical emergencies that require professional medical treatment
and/or evacuation as well as how and when to communicate your situation to
program support staff.

Crisis Leadership
When faced with a debilitating or perhaps life-threatening injury or illness,
the leaderis responsible for both caring for the hurt participant and leading the
rest of the crew, but any member can take on a leadership role in this
situation. Take charge of the situation in a firm, calm way. Let both the
injured person and the rest of the crew see that you are in control of the
situation and not being controlled by it. One of our greatest challenges in this
business of outdoor programming, however, is that it is often difficult to put
up “the wall of professionalism” that separates us from the human drama,
trauma, and sometimes tragedy of the situation to which we are responding.
The reason this happens is that rather than coming to the aid of patients we
have never met, the patient will likely be a member of our group of
wilderness travelers, and perhaps even a colleague or longtime friend. And
we may in fact, like many outdoor leaders, be responsible for a decision that
led to the original incident. In the midst of the stress of such a situation,
remember to care for yourself. Once the injured person is stabilized, you may
want to step away for a moment to give yourself space to plan what you will
do next.

Aggravating Factors
Bad weather, fatigue, and uncertainty can further aggravate already stressful
emergency situations. Evaluate the impact of existing conditions on your first
aid treatment and evacuation plans. Prepare your crew to deal with the
situation you find yourselves in. Such factors might include:
• Fatigue
• Darkness
• Bad weather
• Absence of a written emergency response plan
• Unclear communications
• Unclear lines of authority
• Unstable group dynamics or peer pressure
• Communication device malfunction
• Unknown terrain

On-site Incident Manager

The On-site Incident Manager, generally the most senior person in the field,
stabilizes the situation and implements the emergency response plan (ERP).
This person is the on-site facilitator of communication and coordination
among all personnel involved with management and documentation of the
incident.

43
The tasks of On-site Incident Manager include:
• Stabilizing the situation. In cases of injury, administer first aid
• Calling a program support staff member to notify them of the
incident
• Implementing your Emergency Response Plan (ERP)
• Establishing On-site emergency roles as necessary
• Maintaining communication with program staff until incident is
resolved
• Preparing a written report of emergency details (who, what, when,
where, how, etc.)
• When necessary, obtaining written accounts of incident from all
witnesses (members, staff, and others if appropriate)
• In the event of a fatality, do not move the body. Wait for legal
authorities to arrive and conduct an investigation

Managing the Immediate Scene

Safety is your number one priority. You must stop and assess the scene before
you assess the patient(s). Before you touch your patient, ask yourself four
questions: What happened? Are you safe? Is the rest of your group safe? Is
the injured/ill person in a safe environment? Think before you act. As soon as
patient care begins, your ability to assess the larger scene for safety and
mechanism of injury is greatly reduced by your specific focus on the patient.
Despite both your training and experience, managing a critical scene is very
stressful and can be overwhelming. Imagine how you would feel if you were
the group leader of young adults and your route choice proved to be unsafe
and led to the injury of two of your members. The leader must be able to
control these emotions in order to focus on the important issues of the
moment: assuring scene safety, medical care of the patient, instituting the
emergency response plan, and providing for the needs of the uninjured group
members. Distracting emotions and concerns need to be moved into the “To
be dealt with later” file. These might include, though not limited to, pity or
fear, thoughts about the long-term outcome of the illness or injury, guilt and
feelings of personal responsibility, and the potential for professional and legal
consequences. Although you must deal with these issues at some point after
this critical stage, for now you need to concentrate on more immediate needs.
By recognizing that these concerns will loom up in the midst of your initial
response and anticipating them as absolutely normal and appropriate, you will
find it easier to focus your energies on the task at hand.

Administering First-aid
An incident manager’s immediate concern after an accident occurs, or as an
illness is developing, is to administer first aid. After assuring that the accident
site is safe and secure, attend to breathing, bleeding, and consciousness first.
Your training will kick in quickly as you assess the situation once immediate
concerns are handled. Remember that prevention of shock, hypothermia, and
heat stroke may be pressing concerns as well. Once you have stabilized the
patient and are confident that you can ward off shock, do not leave the patient
44
unattended. If it will be a long wait for evacuation, assign a rotating schedule
to the crew to sit with the patient through the night if necessary. This will
allow you some quiet time or even some sleep. If the patient’s condition
worsens, the attendant should call you.

Administering Prescription Drugs

Do not give prescription drugs to anyone, nor permit anyone on your crew to
take another participant’s prescribed medications. Drugs can alter symptoms
and behavior in undesirable ways. While you may be tempted to give
painkillers such as codeine to someone in extreme pain, remember that pain is
an important diagnostic symptom that may be critical in patient assessment.
Additionally, there is always a risk of a severe reaction to an unfamiliar drug.
If there is a situation going on that is making you consider administration of
drugs, it is time to evacuate!

Managing the Group as Well as the Patient

When you are devoting much of your attention to managing an accident site
or providing first aid to an injured participant, the other crew members may
be uncertain as to what they should be doing. Do not neglect your
responsibility to lead them during this time of anxiety and worry. They are
concerned for the injured person and probably uncertain of what to do.
Involve your crew in helping you administer first aid and evacuate the injured
person as much as is possible and safe. They will want to feel included and
useful. If you have discussed safety and your emergency response plan as
required, they will be mentally prepared to pitch in. If nothing else, at least
direct them to sit down or to accomplish an easy task. This will give them
something to concentrate on until you can interact with them and assign them
more meaningful tasks. If anyone on site becomes a nuisance rather than
helpful, direct them to perform another task unrelated to the first
aid/evacuation. If you suspect this participant may be suffering from
emotional shock, have them work with a partner who can keep an eye on
them. Witnesses of serious, gory accidents can easily go into shock without
being noticed. Managing stress in the patient, yourself and the rest of the crew
may be the hardest and most important thing you do to ensure a smooth
evacuation. Keep at it.

SOAA’P Notes and Incident Report Forms

Use a SOAA’P Note (in your crew binder) to help guide you in the
administration of first aid based on your level of training. The SOAA’P note
will also be valuable as you communicate the patient’s condition to outside
assistance and in transferring care to a more qualified caregiver. Note changes
in the patient’s vital signs at regular intervals until help arrives. This can
provide critical information to the caregiver. Taking vital signs regularly will
also reassure the patient that they are not being neglected. The more severe
the accident or illness, the more important it is to keep a concise and accurate
record of events and actions. Regardless of the severity of the incident,
completing an incident report form (IRF) will help guide this process of
45
documentation, but your narrative notes will be the most valuable.
Conservation Legacy uses the IRF to analyze the safety of our programs, and
to respond to trends with appropriate training or other adjustments. The
program support staff will mainly be responsible for the official completion
of the IRF, but they will depend on you for critical information. Bring
multiple copies of this form into the field with you. Assign one or two of the
crew to fill out the form if you are preoccupied with other matters. This is a
good “busy work” task to keep them involved and focused on a job instead of
on their fear.

Evacuations
Making a Plan
Once you have protected the injured person from immediate danger
andstabilized their injuries/illness to the best of your ability and training, you
will begin to act on the emergency response plan you developed with your
coordinator. Before you call for help, you will need to evaluate the
seriousness of the injury and have a plan for the course of action you think
you should follow. Remember that you are required to call Conservation
Legacy in the event of any evacuation, and after accidents or incidents.

Evacuation Criteria (adapted from Aerie Backcountry Medicine)

Evacuate Patients Exhibiting these Signs and Symptoms
1. ABCDE problems, current or resolved
• Anaphylaxis
• Severe asthma attack
• Persistent shortness of breath from any cause
• Unexplained, persistent chest pain
• Signs and symptoms of shock
2. Altered Mental Status
• Loss of consciousness/changes in level of responsiveness that is
related to medical/traumatic conditions or cannot be explained
• Changes in vision or speech
• Disoriented/irritable/combative
• Repetitive questioning
• Seizures
• Unexplained weakness
• Nausea/vomiting
• Cerebrospinal fluid from ears or nose
3. Musculoskeletal trauma
• Known or suspicious fracture
• Sprain or strain that impairs the patient’s ability to move on their
own >24 hours
• Persistent inability to bear weight
• Dislocations (resolved or not)
4. Nausea & vomiting/diarrhea/fever
• Persisting for >24 hours
46
 • Particularly with signs of dehydration
• Abdominal pain lasting >8 hours (immediate evacuation in sudden
onset of severe pain)
5. Spinal Injuries
• Significant trauma to body and
• Unreliable patient
a. Anything other than A&O X4 (unaware of person, place, time
or event)
b. Distracting pain; other fractures, lots of blood
c. Impairing emotions or drugs
• Signs and symptoms of spinal injury
a. Spinal pain or tenderness
b. Decrease or change in sensation or movement of extremities
• Numbness/tingling
• Inability to feel pain or light touch
• Weakness or paralysis
c. Deformity or crepitus of the spine
6. High Risk Wounds
• Animal or human bites
• Severe wounds to the hands, face, or genitals
• Wounds that cannot be adequately cleaned, protected, and closed in
the field
• Impalements
• Partial or full amputations
• Signs of severe infection
7. General
• Many causes for evacuation do not fit into tidy categories, but are
nonetheless justified
• Consider evacuating for:
a. Psychological crises, which may be very difficult to identify or
quantify. The listless, unhappy person is more prone to injury
and often unreliable in a crisis. These changes, especially if
sudden, may indicate needs for medication changes.
b. Mechanism of injury including high falls, significant force, etc.
Remember that young healthy people compensate and may not
manifest signs of significant injuries for many hours.

Managing an Evacuation
Once you decide that an evacuation is necessary, let the project partner know
how you prefer to proceed: by helicopter, horseback, handcrew, or vehicle. If
you suspect any possibility of a spinal injury, report it, so the partner can
arrange for the safest possible evacuation. You may not have any control over
what means they choose. Do not get too involved in this UNLESS you
believe they are making a potentially life-threatening error. Use your ERP to
make sure you have considered all the necessary steps and precautions in the

47
procedure. Gather the crew together before the rescue team arrives, and send
the following with those going out with the participant:
• Patient’s medical history form with emergency contact information
• Any essential prescription drugs the participant uses
• Change of clothes to replace bloody, ripped, wet, or muddy items
• Money for meals, motels, phone calls, prescriptions drugs, etc.
• List of emergency contacts, including your program’s on-call
number
• A crew leader, if you are part of a co-leading team.
Remember that if your crew has two leaders, one leader should go out with
the patient as an advocate if it is logistically possible (see discussion below).

Interfacing with Agency/Search & Rescue Personnel

When the evacuation team arrives, introduce yourself to the team leader and
identify yourself as the leader of your group. They will likely want to know
the details of the accident, what treatment has been performed, and the
general condition of the patient. Have a complete medical history ready. Offer
your cooperation and ask how you and your crew can help. If your situation
requires that a search and rescue take place, remember that searches must be
conducted in an organized, orderly fashion. Unless you are experienced, do
not attempt any search that necessitates route-finding and navigation skills by
participants. Nor should you initiate a search at night or in such a way that
your crew scatters out of earshot of one another. If you do make a decision to
offer your crew as a resource to a search and rescue operation, you must
never abdicate your supervisory authority over any member of your crew.

Working Apart
When the crew is not working in close proximity to each other, establish clear
parameters that will govern actions while you are apart. There may be some
instances in which it may be beneficial to divide the group. Carefully analyze
the reasons of wanting or needing these separations. Unless there are
extenuating circumstances, everyone should always be in a reasonably close
proximity to the group. Here are some reasons that may lead to the need to
separate the group:
• Having afternoon quiet time where everyone disperses away
from group interaction
• Going for a short walk on your own
• Allowing small groups of members to take a walk
• Managing an injury or evacuation with only a solo crew leader
On these occasions, the leader should carefully outline for the crew exactly
what is expected of each person. Discuss:
• Who is going or staying
• What tasks or activities they may and may not undertake in a
leader’s absence
• Where exactly they are going and what route they will follow to
get there and back
• When will the crew see them next
48
Establish a boundary around the camp/work/recreation site within which
members may wander freely by themselves. Make it big enough that
everyone can get the privacy they need, but small enough to search quickly
should someone be missing. Members should notify a leader if they wish to
go beyond the limits of this area.

If someone is hurt, someone (preferably a leader) should stay with the hurt
person and another leader or member should return to camp for help. A
seriously ill member should not be left alone in camp.

Missing/Overdue Person
A missing/overdue person is anyone that is unreasonably overdue at a
prearranged meeting place. Once you have a missing/overdue person, go
through the following steps:
• Conduct a quick and efficient search of the immediate area;
interview members for information about the person who is
missing.
• If your quick search does not find the missing person, activate
your crew emergency response plan.
• Maintain control of the rest of the group. Do not involve them in
the search unless directed by program support staff. While many
hands can make light work in most situations, a second or third
missing person who is inexperienced in search-and-rescue
protocols would only add to an already stressful situation.

Emergency Contact Procedures

It is Conservation Legacy’s goal to provide the best support possible for
crews, especially in challenging situations. Clear communication is a key
component of Conservation Legacy’s support. All crews should have a staff-
identified communication device with them. A Forest Service radio may also
be issued. They are to be accessible at all times in case of an emergency. In
addition, each crew leader will be given cell phone numbers of the Program
Staff.
During Normal Business Hours
During normal office hours, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Regional Office Time),
Monday through Friday, call the appropriate program staff member directly.
After Hours, Holidays and Weekends
After 5 p.m., on a weekend or a holiday, call your regional on-call number:

SCC (FC & LV) – (970) 403-0139

Ancestral Lands – (575) 737-8003
AZCC & CCNM – (520) 369-2884
SECC, ACC & CCNCC – (423) 436-1840

49
Upon reaching a Conservation Legacy staff member, be prepared to briefly
describe the situation.
It may not be a big emergency, and you may just need to talk to support staff
for some reason, which is fine. If it is a serious situation, like a medical
emergency, be organized and have all pertinent information on hand. This
includes:
• who the patient is
• what has happened
• what the present condition of the patient is
• where the patient is
• what the next step of treatment will be
• what you plan to do once the patient is released from the hospital
• what the status of the rest of the crew is
• when and how you will next communicate with Conservation
Legacy
For other situations, including behavioral issues or logistical problems, be
prepared to offer information such as:
• the current situation
• options you have considered
• type of help requested from program support staff
• next steps to be taken in the situation
• when and how you will next communicate with Conservation
Legacy
The on-call staff member will be writing all of this down, and may ask you to
repeat things for clarity. You will be reminded of the need to document some
types of situations.
If you can’t reach anyone through the on-call number
It happens. First, try calling the number again after some minutes (staff
person may be occupied for a moment). If you can’t reach the on-call person,
begin calling the numbers on the Emergency Information card. You should
leave a message on any phone not answered with your name, crew, date, time,
location, a short summary of the issue, whether or not you can be re-contacted
and through what number, and what your next steps will be.
What to do if you can’t get to a phone
Use any communication device provided to you by the program staff or the
agency and have a message relayed to program staff if necessary via your
partner or other 3rd party (this info should be in the ERP in possession of your
project partner).
When to call
We strongly emphasize that you strictly adhere to the criteria Conservation
Legacy has developed that require you to contact the Conservation Legacy
program staff.
In general:
1. When in doubt, call!
2. It is not just for emergencies – it is for use in many emergency and
non-emergency situations.

50
 3. It is not for travel snafus or problems that you can solve yourself,
except as a last resort. Use your judgment.
Conservation Legacy has developed an Incident Threshold System that allows
you and the program staff to assess the seriousness of an incident and initiate
the appropriate action and communication. You should familiarize yourself
with the chart below before going into the field and have it available in the
field to reference when an incident occurs. Following the Threshold Level
Chart is another chart outlining the actions you should take depending on
threshold level and what communications should occur.

Threshold Level
Incident1
1 2 3 4 5
Behavioral Breaking any of our policies or DAP
procedures
Member behavior that affects an DAP
individual or group’s ability to
function
Differences of style or opinion DAP
between staff affecting program
success
Contact to Parent or Guardian DAP
regarding behavioral concerns
Evacuation of a member for behavioral DAP
reasons
Dismissal of a member (If RM related
issue, otherwise DAP)
Evacuation of a staff member for
behavioral reasons
Member who is direct threat to self or
others
Dismissal or departure of Conservation
Legacy staff
Staff behavior that interferes with
effectiveness of individual or group
Staff member who is direct threat to
self or others
HR Member behavior (or other concern) DAP
that affects an individual or group’s
ability to function
Incident involving worker’s
compensation2
Member who may be threat to self or
others (for medical or other reasons)
Member or staff member whose
medical condition interferes with
ability to do job duties
Staff behavior that interferes with
effectiveness of individual or group
51
 Accusation of abuse or harassment
(sexual or physical)
Dismissal or departure of Conservation
Legacy staff
Staff member who may be a threat to
self or others (for medical or other
reasons)

Threshold
Incident
1 2 3 4 5
Medical Illness or minor injury that prevents
participating in part of a workday
Any visit to Hospital, Clinic, or
Medical Professional
Incident involving Worker’s
Compensation2
Contact to Parent or Guardian
regarding medical concerns
Self-evacuation3 of staff or member for
medical reasons (other than asthma or
systemic anaphylactic reaction)
Previously undisclosed and
unreviewed medical condition or
medication
Member or staff evacuated due to
asthma
Admission to a hospital or clinic
Member or staff member with medical
condition that interferes with ability to
do job duties
Expedited evacuation3 of a
Conservation Legacy member or staff
for any medical reason
Member or staff evacuated due to a
systemic anaphylactic reaction
Member who may be threat to self or
others (for medical or other reasons)
Staff member who may be a threat to
self or others (for medical or other
reasons)
Life threatening conditions or
potentially permanent disability to
Conservation Legacy member or staff
Fatality

52
 Threshold
Incident
1 2 3 4 5
Missing Failure of a Conservation Legacy
Person member to meet at the designated
meeting place at the beginning of the
program/hitch
Loss of contact with a Conservation
Legacy member for over 1 hr after
scheduled contact (during program
time)
Loss of contact with a Conservation
Legacy member for over 4 hrs after
scheduled contact (during program
time)
Search and rescue for a Conservation
Legacy member or staff
Missing person for over 24 hours
Political Conflict between Conservation Legacy
and an agency sponsor
Situation involving law enforcement
Political situation occurring with an
agency sponsor
Parent questions Conservation
Legacy’s authority or competency
Incident with significant media
attention
Vehicle Vehicle breakdown or very minor Call
dents and scrapes to vehicle
Vehicle incident/ accident which either
(a) results in any injury or (b) involves
damage to a Conservation Legacy
vehicle
Vehicle accident/incident which results
in multiple injuries
Threshold
Incident
1 2 3 4 5
Other Destruction or loss of equipment
Any equipment failure which could
have led to injury
Any significant near miss4
Destruction and/or loss of equipment
which affects the safety/success of the
program

53
 Living or environmental conditions
that interfere with the effectiveness of
individual or group (not affecting
safety)
Any equipment failure that resulted in
an injury
Conservation Legacy assists another
organization in any emergency action
Living or environmental conditions
that threaten the safety of member/staff
Conservation Legacy involvement in a
search and rescue or evacuation (not
involving a Conservation Legacy
member or staff)
Non- Slip and fall resulting in injury in the
Program office or on office property
Office/Facilities Break-in, theft of
property
A situation that requires evacuation of
the office (fire, flood, etc…)

*Notes about the Threshold Level Chart:

1. This is not a complete list Conservation Legacy staff utilizing the
On-Call System must use their own judgment to determine the
Incident Threshold. If a staff member feels unsure of the correct
Threshold Level designation and/or feels unqualified to manage the
situation, he/she should contact the on-call person or their
supervisor.
2. Workers Compensation Any injuries/accidents that occur during
program time must be called in and reported within 24 hours so a
worker’s compensation claim can be filed.
3. Self-evacuation The patient is able to walk or be driven to seek
further medical assistance. In an expedited evacuation, the fastest
evacuation plan is activated, as noted in the program’s Emergency
Response Plan. An expedited evacuation may enlist the help of
helicopter, litter carry, or ambulance support
4. Near Miss A potentially dangerous situation where safety was
compromised but no reportable injury or property damage was
sustained. Like an accident, a near miss is also an unplanned and
unforeseen event.

54
Communication Chart
Threshold Crew Leader Program Staff Notified by Incident
Level Protocol Incident Responder Management
Threshold 1 Note in Daily No need for immediate By Field Staff
Log – indicate contact unless assistance is
Threshold I needed
incident
Threshold 2 - Call On-Call - Complete Incident Report By On-Call
person for Form person or
notification and - On-Call person must notify designated
potential PD or designated program program staff
response staff within 24 hrs
- Begin filling out - If Worker’s Comp is
an Incident involved the reporting
Report Form process must be initiated
within 24 hours.
Threshold 3 - Call On-Call - Complete Incident Report By PD and/or
person for Form ED
notification and - On-Call person must notify
potential PD or ED immediately
response - If Worker’s Comp is
- Begin filling out involved the reporting
an Incident process must be initiated
Report Form within 24 hours.

Threshold 4 - Call On-Call - Complete Incident Report By ED and/or

person for Form FOD
notification and - On-Call person must notify
potential PD and/or ED immediately
response - PD and/or ED must notify
- Begin filling out Field Operations Director
an Incident immediately
Report Form
Threshold 5 - Call On-Call - Complete Incident Report By team of
person for Form ED, FOD and
notification and - On-Call person must notify COO
potential PD or ED immediately
response - PD or ED must notify FOD
- Begin filling out and Chief Operating Officer
an Incident immediately
Report Form - Board of Directors should
be notified of incident.

We insist that you follow through with this communication, but we also
expect you to use your best judgment in the timeliness of the communication.
Any situation listed above that brings you to town (or whatever counts as
“civilization” in your area) should lead to a phone call. Some situations,
particularly in remote settings, may obviously require patience on our part.

55
 Incident Report Forms (IRF)
As noted in the above charts, the IRF is not just for major medical incidents.
It is also required for vehicle accidents, significant behavior incidents,
significant crew dynamic incidents, incidents involving outside entities, etc.
The crew leader is responsible for starting the completion of the IRF. Provide
as much information as possible and work with the on-call staff and your
supervisor to complete the IRF. Providing follow-up information will also be
essential before the incident can be closed. Documentation of this sort helps
us improve our training, crew support, incident response, and organizational
policies. Keep copies in your binder and/or first-aid kits.

Vehicle Accidents
All vehicle accidents and incidents that result in anything but very minor
damage (scratches, small dent) – especially if it involves another vehicle – is
at least a Threshold 3 incident and the on-call staff needs to be contacted
immediately. A Vehicle Accident Report (VAR copies should be kept in the
vehicle) will assist with the gathering of critical information needed by the
program support staff to follow-up on the incident. An Incident Report Form
should also be completed and processed for any vehicle accident. Vehicle
insurance coverage is provided through a plan with Philadelphia Insurance.
Insurance information can be found in the glove box/console of each vehicle.
A vehicle accident review by the driver’s supervisor needs to be completed
following all accidents/incidents no matter how minor.
Vehicle Accident Procedures:
1. Take prompt measures to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
2. Stay Calm. Do Not Argue. Gather Facts.
3. Call a police officer to the scene
4. Obtain the name of the driver(s), passenger(s), and witnesses
5. Obtain the name of the other vehicle’s insurance company and
policy number, VIN number and license plate information
6. Take pictures of the accident scene and from each corner of each
damaged vehicle if it is safe to do so.
7. Contact Conservation Legacy staff through the on-call system
8. Complete a VAR and an IRF
9. Report any Workers Comp claims immediately

Worker’s Compensation
Worker’s Compensation insurance is for the protection of workers (i.e.
members and staff) who are injured or contract a disease as a direct result of
their occupation. Worker’s compensation does not cover non-work related
illness or injury nor does it cover you if you get hurt during time off —
during this time, Conservation Legacy is under no obligation to assist you
with your injury. The same applies to injury or illness in the field that is not
directly related to work as identified by our insurance provider. The time lost
from work is not compensated, light duty is not guaranteed, and you could be
subject to suspension or termination as a result of your inability to perform
your work duties.
56
Basic Policies
• Nearest medical facilities are listed on your Emergency Response
Plan (ERP)
• Non-emergency injuries should be taken to a medical clinic (ie.
Urgent Care). Use the ER only for more severe emergencies, or if no
clinic is available.
• If transporting crew members to medical facilities for any reason,
crew leaders must contact the office, via the on-call phone, as soon
as possible.
At Medical Facility
• Provide information listed on the Letter to Treating Provider if
needed and/or SOAA’P notes along with the claim number, if
available. Refer to the “Claimant Guidelines” document and “WC
Info Card” for processes information.
• If injured worker is under 18, contact legal guardian. If serious or
life-threatening injury, Conservation Legacy office staff will contact
legal guardians.
• Obtain a specific work release and/or follow-up requirements from
treating doctor before leaving medical facility - use “Letter to
Treating Provider” form each time a new provider is used and ensure
this same form is used for each follow-up visit by your patient.
Follow-up
• Any visit to the hospital REQUIRES contact to the on-call system.
The staff member will assist the crew leaders with making decisions
about the injured member/leader.
• Some workers will be clear ONLY for light duty work. Injured
workers cannot return to unrestricted work without doctor’s
clearance.
• All light duty is performed in the field unless restriction is such that
there is nothing that they can do in the field. In that case, contact the
office to arrange transport back to the office. Conservation Legacy
may suspend the member’s term until they are cleared to complete
the tasks identified in their original position description.
Conservation Legacy offices are not required to provide office duties
for light duty.
• Light duty is only for workers who are injured or sick as a direct
result of a work injury. If you do not have a legitimate work injury
or illness you will not receive light duty work and could face
termination for inability to do your job.

Responsibilities of Injured Participant/Staff

• Injured members/CLs are responsible for going to follow-up visits in
order to return to full duty. Claimant (injured worker) should follow
up on claim with the designated worker’s comp insurance company
and provide any needed paperwork and documentation to them.

57
 Member/CL should stick to prescribed light duty restrictions and not
re-injure themselves.
• Member/CL should bring copies of medical paperwork to the office
after each follow-up visit. Member/CL should notify office of their
status and restrictions after each follow up visit. Copies of medical
clearance need to be given to the office before an injured
Member/CL can return to the field.
• Once the injured member’s/CL’s claim has been reported by
Conservation Legacy, it is the member’s/CL’s responsibility to
monitor the claim, its billing and, communication to the insurance
provider.

* This is only a brief overview of worker’s comp. For more detailed

explanations or any questions contact the program support staff.

Agency Radios
Radios issued to a crew by the partner agency are borrowed and tend to be
very expensive items. Protect them from weather and abuse. Ask for and
follow any radio protocols provided to you from agency staff. As with all
communication devices, be sure that you orient your crew members on the
proper use of these devices so that they can call for help if you are the one
injured.

Emergency Location Devices

Your program coordinator may or may not issue you an Emergency or
Personal Location Device such as a SPOT or a DeLorme InReach. Each of
these devices has several versions, so you must obtain the proper instructions
and use protocols from your program coordinator. Do not use these devices
outside of the given protocol as it may lead to unnecessary involvement of
local rescue or law enforcement agencies.

Managing the Media

In the rare event that your emergency situation attracts media attention, it is
imperative that you maintain focus on managing the situation and/or people
for whom you are responsible, regardless of media inquiries. In most cases,
your Conservation Legacy program coordinator or an agency’s public
information officer will interface with reporters. Please refer media inquiries
to the program support staff. If you are in contact with the media concerning
an accident or fatality, be patient and polite. Do your utmost to contact
Conservation Legacy first. Do not participate in interviews or subject yourself
to detailed questioning. Never give out the names of patients, victims or crew
members.

Incident Review
Major incidents (typically those at Threshold 4 and 5) plus any others that
have a significant impact on operations or are judged to have lessons learned
should be formally reviewed by program staff. For major incidents, this will
58
be facilitated by the Field Operations Director. For all others the review can
happen at the program level. Reviews should be shared with other program
staff organization-wide. Reviews should contain the following elements:
1. Description of the incident/accident:
a. When and where the incident/accident occurred
b. Who and what were involved
c. The extent of the damage and injuries.
2. Build an account of the event and the response (gathered from several
sources if necessary)
a. Timeline and the sequence of events, including incident response
by program staff
3. Analyze the Incident/Accident
a. Determine the direct and indirect causes of the incident/accident
i. Human Factors
ii. Environmental Factors
iii. Equipment Factors
b. Determine what was normal or not normal before/during the
incident/accident.
c. Where and when the abnormality occurred and who noticed it.
4. Provide Recommendations to Prevent a Recurrence
a. What are our lessons learned from this incident/accident?
b. What could you have reasonably done to prevent this
incident/accident?

Notes:

59
Youth Participant Addendum
The following policies and additional guidelines apply to programs and crews
with youth participants (under 18). All policies and protocols outlined in
previous sections of this manual STILL APPLY unless specifically altered by
one below.
Missing Member
Policy:
An unplanned loss of contact with a youth member for any amount of time
should be dealt with as a missing person and is an immediate Threshold 2
incident.
Guidelines:
1. In the event of a missing corpsmember, program staff should be
notified immediately
2. Crew leaders should under no circumstance contact
parents/guardians. Program staff will notify parents/guardians once it
has been established that the participant is missing (Step 5).
3. Once staff is notified, a hasty search (i.e. bathrooms, vehicles,
campsite, worksite etc.) should be conducted
a. Keep the rest of the crew together and calm while
conducting the hasty search
b. Report back to program staff once this is complete
4. Program staff will contact project partners as needed in order to
request resources/disseminate information.
5. Once it is confirmed that a member is missing, program staff will
contact the parents/guardians and keep them up to date as more
information arises.

Supervision of a Minor
Policy:
1. Adult crew leaders cannot have one-on-one time with a youth
participant at any time during the program. One-on-one interaction
should always be within eyesight or hearing of the rest of the crew.
Exceptions can be made only in the case of an emergency.
2. Youth participants should always be under Crew Leader supervision
when on program time. Do not hand this over to project partners,
volunteers, or even parents if they are present.

60
Guidelines:
1. At work sites leaders need to supervise much more closely than they
would with an adult crew. Leaders should always be present for all
work activities. Do not send small groups or individuals off to work
at another site even if it is close by but out of eyesight or hearing.
Check all participants regularly with an eye to safe tool use and
health status.
2. One-on-one time could include a vehicle, separate room, or out of
eyesight from the rest of the crew including project work.

Discipline
Policy:
Any disciplinary action of a youth participant that occurs with a Crew Leader
needs to take place with another adult (preferably staff) in the conversation.
Any behavior or verbiage that could potentially lead to harm of self, other
members or the greater public must be immediately addressed with the
member.
Guidelines:
Disciplinary action for youth members should follow the standard process
outlined earlier in the manual, but altered to avoid one-on-one interactions
and to include parent involvement when necessary.
Examples of nonnegotiable actions with potential consequences:
1. If a youth member is found using drugs or alcohol, parents will be
notified immediately and the member may be removed from the field
until further discussion and decisions can be made.
2. If a youth member is caught lying, proper documentation will be
initiated and it will be addressed as determined by the crew leader
and/or program staff.
3. If a youth member is involved in a physical altercation or
intimidation they may be removed from the field immediately and
terminated from the program by a staff member.
4. If a youth member is verbally abusive or is making threats, they may
be removed from the field immediately and terminated from the
program by a staff member.

Youth/Adult Relationships
Policy:
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When supervising and leading youth on project and non-project hours, leaders
must use cautious and good judgement to ensure the mental, emotional, and
physical safety of the youth members, themselves, and those around them
prior to any decision. Exclusive relationships between youth and adult
leadership are prohibited during and after program hours. An exclusive
relationship may include, but are not limited to: romance, flirtation (verbal or
physical), behaviors or words clearly exhibiting preference of one youth
member over another, and majority of leader's time spent with a specific
youth member by choice.
Guidelines:
Leaders/Supervisors must be more cautious with socializing with youth
outside of program time and are discouraged from sharing personal contact
information with members. Do not have any in-depth conversations that
shares your history that could be used against you, or misinterpreted out of
context, that could compromise your leadership role with the youth and/or
their parent. Some examples may include but are not limited to: sexual
history, use of illegal substances, misuse of unhealthy legal (drugs)
substances (alcohol).

Medication Management
Policy:
Camping Crews –
1. Medications from Minors will be collected at the beginning of the
session by crew leaders. This includes all Rx (Prescription) Meds,
Over-the-Counter Medications, and Naturopathic meds. All
medications must be listed on the Medical Form. If a member arrives
in the program with medication not listed on their medical form, that
member may be suspended from participating in the program until
an updated Medical Form is submitted and reviewed. Medications
should be in their original containers with name, prescribed dosage,
and intake schedule. Members must bring enough medication for
their planned time in the field. Leaders will keep medication in a
safe and secure location.
2. It is the responsibility of the Youth to come to the leader and get
their medication when needed. Members will administer and take
their own medication, and leaders will record observed medication
intake in their daily log.
3. Exceptions are made for Inhalers and Epi-Pens, of which the
member will keep one dose/unit, and the leader keeps the other of
the required two that the member should bring.
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 4. If a youth refuses to take a medication that is required (versus “as
needed”), then the leader should make a note that they refused and
immediately notify program staff. The member may be dismissed if
they refuse to take required medication as directed by their doctor.
5. If members go home for the weekend, they must remind crew
leaders to get their medications back at the end of each hitch.

Day Crews –
1. Program must be made aware of any medications that members take
in case they could affect a member’s performance or behavior during
the workday.
2. Any medication that a youth member is required to take during work
hours will be treated the same as on camping crews, but crew leaders
are not responsible for holding any medications that a member takes
on their off-time.
3. Emergency medication which a member may need to take during
work time (like Epi-pens or inhalers) should be treated as outlined
above with camping crews.

Admitting Youth to Medical Care/ Worker’s Compensation Insurance

Policy:
Any youth participant classified as a volunteer in the program (i.e. not
receiving a living allowance) is not covered by Conservation Legacy’s
worker’s comp insurance, but instead will be covered by a parent’s insurance
or other provider (e.g. Medicaid). This includes Non-AmeriCorps members
who seek medical attention while not participating in paid project work (ie.
Camp, education, or recreation time). This is made clear to the participants
and their parents through the member agreement. In a situation where medical
attention is needed, the leader will need to inform the medical provider of
this. Insurance information will be listed on the participant’s Medical History
Form. If medical attention is sought the leader must also contact a program
staff member who will contact the participant’s parent.
Guidelines:
1. For emergency medical situations (any visit to a clinic or hospital,
significant illness or injury, allergic reaction) the person(s) listed as
an emergency contact should be contacted and informed of the
situation. Have the member speak to the contact if possible and put
the contact in touch with the involved medical facility/personnel if
applicable. If the member is unable to speak to their emergency
contact, program staff will speak directly with the contact. The
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 details of the incident may be shared with the contact but refrain
from using names of other members/staff involved.
2. Non-Emergency medical issues concerning a youth participant
should involve a parent and program staff when appropriate. This is
not necessary for routine first-aid issues such as blisters or minor
scrapes, but it is best to be conservative and document the incident,
the first aid provided, and communicate with program staff.
3. Members on a youth crew who are 18 years of age may choose to
not have their parent or guardian notified.

Mandatory Reporting
Policy:
Any disclosure by a minor participant of either physical or sexual abuse must
be reported to a program staff person as soon as possible. Program staff will
work with crew leaders to contact the appropriate authority.
Guidelines:
1. Write down what the youth participant says in their own words –
record what you have seen and heard also. Make certain you
distinguish between what the youth has actually said and the
inferences you may have made. Accuracy is paramount in this stage
of the procedure. In order to avoid misleading situations a
leader/supervisor should inform their crew that this will be the case
if any of them discloses something to a leader.
2. It is the responsibility of each program support staff to contact their
local Child Protective Services (CPS) to receive the correct
information and training for their state and locale. This information
should be distributed during crew leader training.

Non-Work/Service Hours
Policy:
Boundaries for work area, camp area, and other recreational activities will be
determined by crew leaders upon arrival to a new site and should be narrower
boundaries than with an adult crew. Participants should all be within sight or
hearing range at all times. Participants cannot go off in small groups without
accompaniment of a leader, including on the hike back to camp. This also
includes non-camp settings like in town or in stores. Extra considerations
should be made for backcountry or isolated crews where more conservative
judgement should be made to all policies.

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 Camping/Tent Arrangements
Policy:
When considering tent sharing, emotional and physical safety for each
member must be taken into account and Crew Leaders have the authority to
regulate this as they determine appropriate. No adult leader or member will
share a tent with any minor.
Guidelines:
Youth should either be in their own tents or with two other youth; avoid
putting two youth alone together. Parents should be notified if youth may be
sharing a tent. Crew Leaders should use judgement in where they place their
tents; choose a location to make youth feel safe, be accessible, and give the
ability to monitor youth.

Parent Interactions
Policy:
For behavioral issues, a parent or guardian will be notified by program staff if
a youth has received a Disciplinary Action Plan.
Guidelines:
1. Parents should be informed of Disciplinary Action Procedures prior
to the season
2. Parents/friends should not visit the worksite or contact crew leaders.
If a parent must visit the worksite, it should be approved by program
staff. If a parent needs to get a hold of the youth or CL, they should
contact program staff who will facilitate communication.
3. Youth crew members who are 18 or over may be exempted from this
policy

Tool Use
Policy:
Individuals under the age of 18 are not allowed to operate chainsaws, ATVs,
other large motorized/mechanical equipment, or apply herbicides or
pesticides. Youth may be allowed to use smaller power tools such as electric
drills and sanders with Crew Leader discretion and supervision, training, and
proper PPE.

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 Tobacco
Policy:
The use of tobacco products is prohibited on all youth crews including use by
crew leaders at all times. This includes smoking cigarettes, electronic
cigarettes, vaporizers, and chew products.

Transportation
Policy:
Conservation Legacy is not responsible for member transportation before or
after work hours and official program time.
Guidelines:
1. Parents may request that certain people should/should not be allowed
to pick up their child after work. Program staff will work the parents
to accommodate these needs.
2. Programs may have a sign-in/sign-out procedure as needed at the
discretion of staff.

Swimming

Policy:

Youth may only swim in public designated swimming areas with a

professional lifeguard on duty. An exception can be made for wading (not
swimming) no more than waist deep in calm water.

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Index
Alcohol .................................................................................................... 11
vehicles ................................................................................................ 21
ATV/OHV Policies.................................................................................. 22
Bear Country............................................................................................ 29
burn areas................................................................................................. 17
camp boundaries ...................................................................................... 17
Campfires ................................................................................................ 18
Campsite .................................................................................................. 17
Cold and High Elevation ......................................................................... 26
Discipline ................................................................................................. 39
Disciplinary Action Form ...................................................................... 39
Performance Improvement Contract .................................................. 39
dish washing ............................................................................................ 18
Drugs ....................................................................................................... 11
marijuana ............................................................................................. 11
Emergency Response Plan (ERP) ............................................................ 23
Epinephrine.............................................................................................. 12
Evacuations.............................................................................................. 46
First Aid
administering ....................................................................................... 44
Certification ......................................................................................... 25
First Aid Kit........................................................................................... 12
Food ......................................................................................................... 18
handling ............................................................................................... 19
footwear ................................................................................................... 17
Free Time................................................................................................. 19
Hazard Assessment ............................................................................ 13, 26
Heat.......................................................................................................... 26
heights, Working at.................................................................................. 14
herbicide .................................................................................................. 15
Hiking ...................................................................................................... 19
Hitchhiking .............................................................................................. 19
hours worked ........................................................................................... 20
Hygiene.................................................................................................... 18
Incident Report Form......................................................................... 13, 56
Incident Threshold Level Chart ......................................................... 51–54
Leave No Trace (LNT) ............................................................................ 17
Lightning Safety ...................................................................................... 27
Medications
administering ................................................................................. 12, 44
equipment use ..................................................................................... 13
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Missing/Overdue Person .......................................................................... 49
motorized/mechanized equipment............................................................ 13
on-call....................................................................................................... 13
On-Call
Numbers ............................................................................................... 49
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ...................................................... 14
chart ..................................................................................................... 16
Rain or Snow ............................................................................................ 27
Recreation ................................................................................................ 19
River and Stream Crossings ..................................................................... 28
Snake Bites ............................................................................................... 30
Solo Experiences ...................................................................................... 19
stretch and safety ...................................................................................... 13
sun exposure ............................................................................................. 14
Suspension ............................................................................................... 39
Swimming ................................................................................................ 19
tent sharing ............................................................................................... 17
Termination .............................................................................................. 40
Tools and Equipment ............................................................................... 13
UTV use ................................................................................................... 22
Vehicles and Trailers
Accidents .............................................................................................. 56
driver training....................................................................................... 20
driving after dark .................................................................................. 20
max speed ............................................................................................ 20
seat belts .............................................................................................. 21
tool transportation ............................................................................... 21
traffic violations ................................................................................... 21
vehicle check ........................................................................................ 20
Water ........................................................................................................ 19
estimating needs .................................................................................. 32
purification/treatment ......................................................................... 31
Workers Compensation ............................................................................ 56
Working Apart ......................................................................................... 48
Youth Programs
heights .................................................................................................. 14
Youth specific policies ............................................................................. 60

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