By Chris Munzing
Though the program ended several weeks ago, whether it will be able to continue without camp certification is far from decided. The Herald previously reported that officials from the Nassau County Department of Health visited sites three times in August and found no safety hazards or deficiencies in the program. The lone issue was reported to involve the proper paperwork necessary to secure camp certification.
However, a report issued to the city by John Jacobs, director of the county's Bureau of Environmental Sanitation, suggests that county officials have more concerns about the program than previously indicated. "The inspections," Jacobs wrote, "revealed a number of alarming concerns" relative to the summer camp program, which is jointly operated by the city's Department of Recreation and the Long Beach City School District.
Jacobs' letter listed 10 specific concerns about the program:
[**PRODUCTION: PLEASE USE BULLETS AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH ITEM BELOW]
*Failure to provide adequate supervision.
*Failure to provide proof of a Health Director.
*Failure to provide acceptable first aid and CPR credentials.
*Failure to provide adequate proof of staff training and orientation.
*Failure to provide a bound injury illness logbook.
*Failure to provide camper medicals.
*Failure to provide proof of fire drills.
*Failure to provide staff applications for review.
*Failure to perform reference verification.
*Failure to provide a camp safety plan.
The final two weeks of this summer's playground program were without any off-site activities, including planned trips to Splish Splash and Adventureland. According to the Department of Health, in order to conduct off-site transportation to such activities, a program must be certified as a camp, which county officials discovered the program was not.
It has been the contention of the city's superintendent of recreation, Robert Carroll, that the program has always operated the same way and that no changes are necessary. Given the program's limited hours of operation -- primarily in the morning -- and the fact that no meals are served, Carroll doesn't believe that the program can be classified as a camp.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's always been a playground program," Carroll recently told the Herald. "We're only open four hours a day. We don't serve lunches." Carroll has maintained in the past, however, that whatever decision would benefit the children is the decision that would be made.
"If you have to meet certain guidelines ... then you conform to their needs, their requests," Carroll said of the county's requirements. "I don't think they're looking for anything too demanding." He added that a few of the deficiencies had either already been addressed or weren't a problem to begin with.
Carroll indicated that he and the city are ready to cooperate with the county. Superintendent of Schools Ron Friedman said, "Any issue the Health Department finds as a concern needs to be addressed, and will be." Friedman is confident that the issue will be taken care of "before we get anywhere near camp season" so that the children can enjoy their summer next year.
