Our Focus on Safety
ARCC’s safety record is simply unmatched and we are very proud of our experience. In 26 years of operation, no ARCC student has ever suffered an injury requiring an overnight hospital stay. Considering that we have had thousands of students participate in our programs, our safety record is the envy of the industry. Some very important reasons for this extraordinary record are:
1. Our programs are extremely well planned — leaving little to chance.
Almost every minute of every day of our programs is planned in advance. Activities, meals, service projects, transportation, etc. are organized by our experienced office staff up to a year in advance of the departure date of any program. This way, we are able to arm our trip leaders with an extremely well planned and detailed itinerary, which allows them to better focus on the well being of their students, which in turn leads to safer programs.
2. All ARCC trip leaders have at least 80-hours of first aid training (WFR).
Many ARCC trip leaders are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) which requires at least 120 hours of medical training. While these skills are rarely used for more than scrapes, bruises, and blisters, we’ve found that this level of medical training ensures that our leaders are extremely proactive in any environments that have safety implications. By being proactive, we can generally avoid most potentially dangerous situations. Our impeccable safety record suggests that our leaders have been successful in these efforts.
3. We hire smart, experienced, and mature trip leaders to operate our programs.
A typical trip leader is 24 years old and has considerable trip leading experience and experience working with teenagers. We hire leaders who make intelligent decisions on behalf of our students and our organization. This maturity and experience is critical to operating a safe and successful program.
ARCC believes strongly in being proactive about the safety of our students which is why we have a philosophy of “Safety First” in whatever we do. Whether designing our trip itineraries, hiring our staff, choosing our locations, selecting outfitters, or developing protocols, our first consideration is always for the safety of our students and our unblemished safety record suggests we are doing things right.
“The care and commitment to safety that ARCC provides is beyond any parent’s expectation”
— Parent of Katie H.