Every day Camp Daleville is in session, Vince Kalinoski monitors the depth of the campground creek.
Although it hasn’t overflowed in as long as he can remember, the director of the summer day camp in Covington Twp. does have a plan in place in case it does — and in case other emergency situations arise.
Kalinoski and other summer camp leaders throughout Northeast Pennsylvania say they place a high priority on the safety of campers.
Summer camp safety has come into focus following catastrophic flash flooding in Texas Hill Country this week. The flooding, which killed more than 100 people, hit several summer camps — notably Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, where 27 children and counselors were killed when floodwaters from the nearby Guadalupe River ripped through the camp.
Regional camp leaders said in interviews this week that camp staff undergo training to handle emergencies and are regularly in touch with first responders. Campers also participate in drills.
Michael Schlank, CEO of NJY Camps, a Jewish camp that runs overnight camps in Dingman and Preston townships, said staff takes an all-hazards approach, being prepared for any kind of situation.
“It’s our job to identify those possible scenarios ahead of time, prepare the facilities that we run physically and train our staff,” he said.
Schlank said the camp has a training plan, which staff tweak throughout the season, that addresses different scenarios, including how to shelter in place and relocating campers in the event of an emergency or inclement weather.
“We think about all of those things and how we identify what the proper response is and then we execute that,” he said.
Staff at Camp Orchard Hill, a Christian coeducational camp that runs day and overnight camps in Dallas, Drums and Tunkhannock, also have a plan for emergencies.
Executive Director Jim Payne said it is important for staff to know and practice it before camp begins. It includes procedures for getting campers inside during severe storms as well as active shooter protocols.
“Planning is critically important,” he said.
In addition, Payne said staff undergo background checks.
Camp Daleville’s Kalinoski said Secure Community Network does a presentation on camp security with staff prior to the start of the day camp, which is run by the Scranton Jewish Community Center.
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Council of Scouting America, which covers school districts Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties, employs lifeguards and trained medical staff at Camp Acahela in Tobyhanna Twp. and Goose Pond Scout Reservation in Paupack Twp., both of which host Scout troops for camping trips and summer camps.
Bill Ditchey, council ranger and property manager for the sites, said the emergency plan book for them outlines what to do in the event of emergencies, and what is and isn’t allowed at the camps.
“We don’t just let anybody walk through the gate; you have to sign in, sign out,” he said. “That’s a protection set in place for the kids’ safety.”
In addition, there are age requirements for scouts to participate in different events at the sites, and Scouting America has rules on what activities are allowed, Ditchey said.
Campers at Camp Daleville, Camp Orchard Hill and the NJY Camps aren’t allowed to use cellphones, but staff use them, as well as walkie-talkies, and PA and alarm systems. Schlenk said having only staff use cellphones allows them to give campers information easily.
“That fact doesn’t change our ability to react to an emergency. In fact in some ways it enhances it because we’re getting the correct information and filtering appropriately, versus a bunch of campers who are not understanding what they’re seeing or communicating with each other,” he said.
Campers are allowed to use cellphones at Camp Acahela and Goose Lake Scout Reservation, Ditchey said.
Children swim at JCC Camp Daleville in Covington Twp. Thursday, July 10, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Children take turns jumping into the swimming pool at JCC Camp Daleville in Covington Twp. Thursday, July 10, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Registered dietitian for ShopRite Supermarkets Katie Gallagher teaches children about nutritious food at JCC Camp Daleville in Covington Twp. Thursday, July 10, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Camp leaders regularly monitor the weather, which they said determines what happens at camp for the day. They also have procedures in place to get campers indoors should severe weather hit.
“We’re always monitoring because the last thing we want is kids to get caught up in a surprise thunderstorm,” Ditchey said.
Schlank and Payne said camp leadership monitor weather regularly, using multiple weather apps and forecast systems on a day when storms are forecast. Kalinoski said he contacts the National Weather Service forecast office in Binghamton, New York, when there is severe weather, and Payne said the camp gets briefings from the NWS.
“If I know that we’re going to have bad storms coming through like we did (Tuesday), I’ll contact somebody there to see how bad they are and what to expect,” Kalinoski said.
Although Camp Daleville rarely if ever experiences flooding, Kalinoski took precautions last summer when heavy rain hit the camp by alerting parents and dismissing the camp early.
Camp Acahela, located near Tobyhanna Creek and the Lehigh River, has experienced flooding in the past, Ditchey said, but no campers were around and there was no significant damage. The rest of the camp operations are located on higher ground.
“If I even have people down on the field and I know a storm is coming, we move them up the hill to our shelters,” he said.
Ditchey said safety procedures have evolved as Scouting has evolved, and include requirements for water safety and hazardous weather. Fifty percent of staff must be trained in first aid and CPR.
Pennsylvania law requires organized camps be registered with the state Department of Health. Laws regarding background checks, public bathing, food and attractions also apply to camps.
Experts agree that information about how a camp plans for emergencies is just as important as the lunch menu and swimming periods. The American Camp Association, which accredits camps and has thousands of members nationwide, said parents may want to ask how a camp stays in touch with local emergency service teams.
Other experts suggest asking how a camp handles any emergency, even an active shooter.
Schlank said parents should know that camps take safety seriously.
“Especially up here in Pennsylvania, this is an industry that’s been around for more than a hundred years and we all do our very best to keep all our kids safe,” he said. “It doesn’t guarantee perfection, but it does guarantee that the people’s children are in good hands.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.