Whenever going into the great outdoors with a troop, it’s important to develop an Emergency Action Plan, or EAP.  An effective EAP must be simple, easy to remember, and in writing.  Y0u should make an EAP clear for all girls, volunteers, and event staff to understand.  A EAP should include these general features:

• How the person who recognizes the emergency is to signal others.
• The steps each person should take in an emergency.
• The location of rescue and safety equipment.
• Actions to minimize the emergency and safely rescue any victims.
• How to call for medical assistance when needed.
• Follow up procedures for after the emergency.

All adults should be briefed in detail what to do in case of an emergency with the troop.  Depending on the age of the girls, you can brief them at the same time if they’re older and can understand the details, or you may choose to brief younger girls separately using language they can more easily understand.

When you put your EAP into writing, consider including any of the applicable following sections:

• Layout of facility/environment.
  • EMS personnel access and entry/exit routes.
  • Location of rescue and first aid equipment.
  • Location of telephones, with emergency telephone numbers posted.
  • Location of keys for buildings or rooms with telephones or emergency equipment.
  • Exits and evacuation routes.
• Equipment available.
  • Rescue equipment.
  • First aid supplies.
  • Emergency equipment, such as flashlights or fire extinguishers.
• Support personnel available.
  • Internal.
    • Staff members.
    • Troop leaders.
    • Volunteers.
    • Clerical personnel.
    • Maintenance personnel.
  • External.
    • EMS personnel.
    • Police officers.
    • Fire fighters.
    • Hazardous materials (HazMat) team.
    • Poison control center.
    • Hospitals.
    • Power and gas companies.
    • Health department.
    • Search and rescue team.
• Staff responsibilities.
  • Assign each adult a duty:
    • Provide care.
    • Control bystanders and troop.
    • Meet EMS personnel.
    • Interview witnesses.
• Communications.
  • How and when to call 9-1-1 (or other local emergency number), and who will make the call.
  • Chain of command.
  • Personal to contact family/parents.
  • Person to deal with media.
• Follow up.
  • This includes items such as EAP documentation and evaluation.

Clearly, some of these sections do not need to be included for a day trip to a public, controlled area (such as a pool or water park).  They should all be included when taking an extended trip or a trip to a more remote area, like a day hike or weekend long camping trip.

For more, read Basic Water Rescue, a booklet published by the American Red Cross.

The styles for this song can be changed or expanded on.  You can easily let the girls come up with their own versions and let their creativity take over.  Basically, the main part is just re-sung with the different vocal styles.  This is a repeat back style song, where the song leader sings the line and the girls sing it back.

I said a boom chick-a boom
I said a boom chick-a boom
I said a boom chick-a rock-a chick-a rock-a chick-a boom
Uh-huh
Oh yeah
One more time…

Change style each time
Italiano style (boomba, rrrock-a)
Valley girl style (like, I said, like, a boom chicka boom)
Astronaut style (zoom chick-a zoom, take a rocket to the moon)
Opera Style
Janitor Style (broom sweep a broom, sweep-a mop-a)
Underwater style (using your finger to make underwater noises on your lips)
Southern Belle style
Broadway Musical Style
Etc.

This is a handy way to avoid most poisonous plants when camping and hiking.  And remember that poison oak and poison ivy are located even in some relatively urban areas, like this patch I found along a trail in Hayward, CA near the Girl Scout cabin in Memorial Park.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the saying “leaves of three, beware of me” can help identify poison ivy and oak, a more accurate saying is “leaflets of three, beware of me.” Each leaf on poison ivy and poison oak has three smaller leaflets. The middle leaflet has a longer stalk than the two on the sides.

Contact with a poisonous plant can lead to a nasty, itchy rash.  The best way to limit the spread to fellow campers is to isolate the clothing you were wearing at the time in a garbage bag and shower immediately.  A bath will just move the oils that cause the rash around and spread it to other parts of your body, so a shower is preferred. This won’t prevent a rash if you’ve had significant contact, but will help prevent the spread to others.

Treatment of a mild case can be solved with a cool shower and some over-the-counter medicine like Tecnu, Caldryl Clear or other itch relief lotion.  An oatmeal bath can also sooth the itch.  More advanced cases can require a trip to a doctor and a prescription medication to reduce the itching and swelling.