Insurance

Field trip leaders and co-leaders with SCVBA contracts fall under the SCVBA insurance policy as "agents" of SCVBA, and so are protected under our general liability policy during the field trips.  Leaders and co-leaders are not covered during travel to and from field trips. Also, if a car accident occurs during a field trip, volunteers and participants are primarily responsible (SCVBA insurance is secondary). If you have any questions, please contract Carolyn Knight at programs@scvas.org

Safety Protocols

• Leaders and co-leaders should exchange cell phone numbers prior to the trip. If the trip is in a more remote area, the leader and co-leader should arrive and leave the location at the same time so that no one is left alone. After the trip, you may also want to check-in with each other to make sure you both got home safely.

• Leaders may always end an activity early if they feel unsafe, or if they believe they cannot ensure the safety of the group (examples include extreme weather and disruptive participants).  

• Leaders are responsible for making sure everyone gets back to the trip ending point. If someone leaves the trip early, make a note on the waiver.  The co-lead can walk them back to trip starting point if needed.

• Be prepared for the possibility of problems such as accidents or illness that prevent the attendees from continuing on the trip. 

  • Phone number of park ranger

  • No cell phone service? Use your co-lead to get help.

  • Decide on appropriate action, call 911 if necessary.  In less serious cases, make sure the person gets the help they need, and never leave the person alone. When the trip is over, these incidents should be immediately reported to the SCVBA Staff (Carolyn or Matthew).

• Report any car accidents, injuries, property damage or any other incident just in case. We may need to file a report with our insurance company.

• If you have a concern about a trip leader, co-leader or attendee, please report the concern to Carolyn Knight at programs@scvas.org.