Fire safety in California touches many parts of our lives. Even when a fire is far away it can still affect our health and safety through the effect of smoke on air quality. At Camp Augusta, we are committed to maintaining the health and safety of our campers by monitoring the local air quality and making decisions accordingly. Depending upon the air quality level, we have different processes in place to give options to health-sensitive campers and staff, modify our schedule and programming, or, in the case of very unhealthy air quality, even to start sending campers home for the session.
The AQI values to the right are a prediction of the air quality, for the next few hours, in Grass Valley.
Augusta’s Plan Creation and Health Effects
Our Air Quality Plan has been created using information from local and federal government agencies, interviewing scientific experts and pulmonologists, and comparing this information against the plans of similar organizations such as school districts or outdoor centers. In focusing upon how poor air quality affects the health of children, the plan was written so we could make decisions about our programming and the health of campers, and set clear evacuation conditions for our camp administrative staff.
Poor air quality is a major concern for areas of the world that experience chronic smog or ozone contaminants, such as New Delhi or Beijing, and remains a problem in some major US cities such as LA and Philadelphia. Such long-term multi-month exposure can affect lung health and life expectancy. However, for most children and young adults, short-term (several days, without vigorous activity) of poor air quality may only cause temporary health effects such as a sore throat or headaches.
For background and research information about our plan, please see our Air Quality Resources and Research page.
Measurement and Program Changes
To understand the local air quality, we look to the Air Quality Index (AQI) which can easily be measured with an on-site air quality monitor. This gives us a sense of how the air quality may affect our community, and it is how we make our decisions related to scheduling, programming, and camper activities. The Air Quality Index, and associated health predictions, are based upon an average daily value, and the actual moment-to-moment air quality may vary throughout the day. Data are checked every day by administrative staff, and are acted upon immediately when necessary.
As anyone who has been to camp knows, we have a rustic site and do not have enclosed indoor options in the event of poor air quality. Instead, if there is Red or worse air quality, we will change our programming:
- High activity and elevated heart-rate activities, such as high ropes, aerial silks, and agility course are removed from the schedule
- Evening Programs with run-around elements are rescheduled and switched out for more restful activities such as storytelling
- All other activities at camp (e.g. Playstation, Story Experiences, Cabin Activities) are assessed for their activity level, and we will work with counselors and campers to modify them when necessary.
In the case of unhealthy air quality we will be in contact with parents about its effect on camp, with ongoing updates as needed.
Evacuation Possibilities and Camper Tuition
We will evacuate camp due to air quality under the following conditions:
We anticipate five or more days of 150 or worse air quality
or
We anticipate one or more days of 200 or worse air quality
This will be determined by current air quality forecasts, the on-the-ground air quality throughout the day, and determinations from our local county government. Air quality values and predictions will be based upon a daily average rather than hour-to-hour measurements.
If an evacuation is called, we will be in contact with parents to let them know more information about our evacuation decision so arrangements can be made for campers to be picked up.
Cancellation and Tuition Insurance
Poor air quality can happen at any time, and if we anticipate that an evacuation will be necessary at the start of a session we will look to cancel the session before it begins (usually, tuition insurance must be claimed at least 48 hours before the program begins – crucial).
Cancellation due to air quality is not an insured event by our insurance company, nor are we able to secure such coverage reasonably. Camp Augusta is a very small, nonprofit camp without a larger agency or organization to fall back upon. We are not in a position to refund tuition in the event we cancel for air quality. To do so would likely end Augusta’s existence, or cripple its ability to reasonably function. Thus, our families assume the financial risk that air quality might impact your time at Augusta. We wish we were in a different financial position to absorb or share the risk and, we are not. There are many reasons we would be happy to share if you’re interested, Please consider this in your decision to enroll in one of our programs.
Note that tuition insurance does NOT include coverage once the program has begun, so if smoke/cancellation happens with 2 days of the program starting, or during the program, the insurance would have no use/impact.
If you are interested in purchasing an insurance plan for your camper’s tuition, we are strongly encouraging families to look into a Cancel for Any Reason plan this year. To help you narrow down your options, we have created a comparison table that includes a handful of tuition insurance companies. Though this list is not exhaustive, we have done a fair bit of research ourselves and we wanted to share. Please note, if you are purchasing a plan you will want to do so within 20 days of your first camp payment* in order to receive the Cancel for Any Reason coverage.
*See individual plans for the specific time window
This is a topic that we have given great thought and consideration. Before and throughout the summer, we encourage you to please contact us if you have thoughts or concerns about how we address air quality, would like an update on current conditions, or have any other questions! office@campaugusta.org | 530-265-3702