Wellness & Safety
There is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our Alonim campers and staff. We take the responsibility of caring for our Alonim family very seriously, and our directors have instilled a culture of responsibility and concern in our staff. We focus a great deal of attention to caring for the emotional and social well-being of our campers.
Camp Alonim is an American Camp Association accredited camp and we hire staff who have extensive experience working with children, as well as hold a variety of certifications from nationally recognized organizations. We reinforce our staff’s strong commitment to care and responsibility with comprehensive staff training in the weeks before campers arrive. This training covers a variety of subjects; from homesickness and how to help your camper adjust to camp, to programming and bunk management techniques. Lifeguards, ropes course staff, nature staff and horseback riding staff go through specially created orientation programs specific to their specialty areas. Finally, all camp staff are CPR and first aid certified prior to the beginning of the summer.
The Health Center at Camp Alonim is centrally located, air-conditioned and well-equipped to meet most health needs. A doctor and multiple registered nurses live at camp so that medical assistance is available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Because of the communal living style at camp, it is not unusual for campers to catch the common cold during their session. While highly unusual, emergency medical treatment is available at a nearby hospital if needed.
Campers receive excellent medical attention should they require treatment, take daily medication, or are admitted for an overnight stay. Your child is our first priority. Be confident that our professional medical staff is committed to ensuring the health and safety of your camper.
Please refer to your Family Handbook for more information about when we contact parents when a child is treated by the Health Center staff.
Our highest priority is the safety of the children at camp. Camp Alonim is located on the Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University (AJU). This location is staffed with a guard during all times that Alonim campers and/or staff members are present, with additional support present during high-traffic periods. We also have a large number of in-residence staff members who live on the property year-round and have been trained to recognize and report any suspicious activity. Furthermore, we have created an instant communication response protocol that can be utilized in case of an emergency.
American Jewish University has developed a wonderful working relationship with the Simi Valley and Ventura County first responders. The main headquarters of the police force is located on Tapo Canyon – the same street as AJU’s Brandeis-Bardin Campus – and is within two minutes of our location. Police officers are familiar with the layout of Camp Alonim and the Brandeis-Bardin Campus as they, along with firefighters and other emergency responders, conduct regular meetings and training sessions at our location throughout the year. Police cruisers also regularly drive through the Brandeis-Bardin Campus during the year, including while camp is in session, during part of their regular area patrol.
We continually work with law enforcement and our security team to evaluate and update emergency response procedures, as safety remains our top priority.
American Jewish University is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our campers, staff and visitors. This will remain AJU’s single highest priority.
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) issued a formal statement regarding the safety of our property. Please read the DTSC’s 2017 Community Update on Brandeis-Bardin.
DTSC has affirmed officially, publicly and definitively that the Brandeis-Bardin property is safe. Here is an excerpt from its statement:
“The Brandeis-Bardin Institute Campus is safe for use by Faculty, Staff, Students, and Campers. Contamination at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) does not pose a health threat to users (e.g., campers, visitors, students, faculty, administrators or staff) of Brandeis-Bardin Institute, or other off-site areas.”
(DTSC Community Update May 2017)
This update is accompanied by an extensive technical memo evaluating more than 25 years of data gathered from the Brandeis-Bardin Campus and an Executive Summary. This analysis includes studies conducted over many years by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Health, and others. This analysis also reviewed the many years of monitoring by the former Brandeis-Bardin Institute, now American Jewish University.
For additional updates, including regular testing results and reports, please reference aju.edu/bbcsafety.