Campfire Tails (also written as CFT or Camp in this document) is a group of like-minded furries camping together and sharing in a “friends helping friends” communal yearly camping event. At Campfire Tails, our most important measure of success is that everyone goes home safe and healthy. We are a small event and do not have the capacity to provide professional medical or security services. Campers must assume responsibility for their own safety and medical care and sign a waiver to that effect upon registration. Listed below is the level of security and medical attention campers can expect to receive at CFT as well as guidelines to increase the safety of all campers in the wilderness.
All Staff are volunteers who are dedicated to helping campers remain safe at CFT. Safety Staff take this on as their primary goal. Safety Staff are available at the Aid Station day and night when not addressing another safety concern, or patrolling the parking lot. Safety Staff can be reached by radio. If Staff cannot for a short time be present at the Aid Station, a radio may be left at the Aid Station for campers to use to contact Safety Staff. If a camper has a safety concern or need, please go to the Aid Station or find a Staff member who can radio for Safety Staff.
Safety Staff are not licensed or certified security or medical professionals.
Safety Staff are not certified security professionals. Campers should contact Safety Staff if there is any security concern but any Staff including Safety Staff can not and will not operate as law enforcement officers or professional security. If an individual feels that a situation requires immediate emergency law enforcement presence, please call 911 and alert any staff member to the emergency. Safety staff do retain the right to ask any individual to leave Ogden Group Camp, reasonably escort off premises those who have been asked to leave, reasonably separate physical altercations, defend themselves from physical attack, contact Emergency Services, as well as all other actions allowed by law. Safety Staff are dedicated to helping keep Campfire Tails safe for all individuals so please join them in working collaboratively toward that most important of goals.
Safety Staff are not licensed medical professionals and can not comment on the appropriate medical care for injuries or treat injuries. Safety Staff can provide you with a space to get out of the sun, lay down, hydrate, provide some basic medical supplies such as band-aids and over the counter pain medication, assist you in treating your small injuries, and other various assistance that may be provided by uncertified non-professionals. Safety Staff cannot recommend or decide medical treatment for you and it is your responsibility to seek proper medical help for any injury. A staff member is available to drive you to the hospital at your request. You or Staff may call for Emergency Medical Services but, due to the remote location to Ogden Group Camp, Emergency Services may be delayed in their arrival. If you are incapacitated and unable to make the decision to seek medical help, including but not limited to being unconscious or in some way unresponsive, Staff may decide to call for Emergency Medical Services for you.
Safety Staff do include patrolling the parking lot as part of their list of tasks. Campfire Tails is not responsible for lost or stolen goods. Campfire Tails is not responsible for the actions of campers as individuals or a whole. Please come to Safety Staff with any safety-related concerns and Safety Staff will do what is within their power to help.
These guidelines build off of Campfire Tail’s Code of Conduct document available on the Campfire Tails website. Please refer to both to understand the expectations inherent in your attendance of Campfire Tails. These documents are not exhaustive, please personally exercise all reasonable safe practices while at camp.
No vehicle may travel faster than 5MPH for safety of pedestrians and to keep the dust down.
Motorcyclists must wear helmets at all times.
Bicyclists must maintain control of their vehicle and be mindful of other campers.
The land is made of old lava flows, which means the rocks and dust particles in and out of the water are very sharp. Make sure to wear closed-toe shoes on land and water-appropriate footwear that can protect your feet in the water.
Pacific Northwest bodies of water may contain giardia. Be mindful of your interactions with the stream environment: avoid ingesting water and take care to wrap up any open injuries before entering the water. Please respect our water sources and use a non-toxic/water-safe sunscreen.
Ogden Group Camp, and thus CFT event insurance, does not stretch to the creek or waterfall. Some campers choose to free climb the rocks near the waterfall which could result in injury. Access these off-site locations at your own risk.
Campers should approach Safety Staff with any harassment complaints.
CFT may eject any instigator of harassment or take other appropriate action.
If campers have a concern relating to an overly intoxicated individual, please alert Safety Staff so we can assist that person. Safety staff will take appropriate action up to and including alerting off-site emergency medical services.
Excessive intoxication is not encouraged and individuals that require staff’s intervention in this manner may be ejected from the event.
Campers should alert Safety Staff to any medical incident immediately.
Safety Staff are untrained volunteers and are not trained to assist with emergency medical situations.
If a camper notices an unattended fire or a fire that is not contained in an appropriate campfire area, contact Safety Staff immediately.
If a camper sees a weapon in camp or if a camper sees a weapon being brandished, contact Safety Staff immediately.
Anyone instigating this form of incident may be immediately ejected from the event.
If a camper sees anyone who seems to be undergoing emotional/psychological crisis, alert Safety Staff immediately.
Safety Staff are not trained mental health professionals.
Camp Chair may make the decision to evacuate camp, or if the Chair is unavailable, another Council Member may make the decision. Any directive from Forest Service personnel or Emergency Services to evacuate camp will be complied with immediately by any Staff member. Once evacuation has been decided the following steps are to be quickly and safely followed:
ALL HANDS ON DECK
All staff needs to be alerted first and be ready to shut down camp and assist.
POST GATE/STAGING AREA CHECK
If there is time to stage people at the gate and get a head count before people leave, Staff will do so. If there is no time, one Staff member will stand at the gate to direct all campers leaving Ogden Group Camp to meet at the Rally Point below. This Staff member must take notes on who is heading home and who is heading to the Rally Point. This Staff member must be in position before the general announcement.
ANNOUNCE
Staff will announce the evacuation over the PA, and go camp to camp in pairs to notify everyone.
WATERFALL
Staff will send a runner to the waterfall to notify any campers.
STAFF TO RALLY POINT
A vehicle with at least one Staff member will head to the evacuation rally point at Gordy’s Truck Stop (17045 Whitney Road, La Pine, OR 97739). If the region is being evacuated, an alert will be sent out over AM/FM radio using the emergency broadcast system. In this case, such a radio should be available in the vehicle and Staff will relay instructions to campers as they arrive.
PUSH
Staff at camp will assist in getting everybody off site.
SWEEP
Staff will sweep the camp site, open and close every tent, outhouse, shower, and shade structure and make sure all cars have left.
CONFIRM HEAD COUNT
Staff will confirm with gate check that every person has been accounted for. If not, sweep again.
CAMP SAFETY CHECK
Staff will ensure that all generators are off, all propane tanks are turned off and disconnected, all fires are out dead cold, and all faucets are off.
LEAVE WHILE SAFE
Staff will leave ASAP and meet at the Rally Point.