FOP Leader Handbook

General Guidelines for Evacuations

The FOP basecamp is designed to provide logistical and emergency support for the program. It can be located within 20 minutes of some trail heads, but as much as 2-3 hours from others; you should know the location of base camp in relation to your route, so that you have a clear idea of travel times in the event of an emergency.

Each FOP leader should have emergency contact information, including phone numbers for base camp (see inside back cover of handbook) and numbers for rangers and rescue personnel in northern New England.

When initiating an evacuation, leaders should create a plan for how they would like to proceed, bearing in mind that basecamp and/or rescue services may not comply with the plan. Walk-outs should be conducted whenever safely possible, because outside rescuers can rarely get there the same day. If self-evacuation is possible (i.e. if you can walk out with the sick or injured FOPper) then you can call base camp to be picked up. A base camp staffer can meet you and bring you either to base camp or to a hospital, depending upon the situation. When necessary, the FOPper can spend the rest of the week in base camp, although it is our hope that most evacuations will be able to return to the field. In the event of severe injuries other forms of evacuation may be employed (e.g. litter carry), but these are less preferable because of the time and risk involved.

Hitchhiking is discouraged as a means of communication with base camp. Please refer to the hitchhiking policies and procedures.

In the event of a death, cover the body and cordon off the surrounding area. Record all significant events with the times they occurred, perhaps putting one person in charge of this duty.

In an emergency, remember always to bring the following:

• A map, marked with the groups position
• Your leader handbook
• A record of the victims vital signs (also known as the SOAP note)
• The completed Oh Shoot Form
• A copy of the patients medical form
• Other necessary outdoor gear (split, and leave some with the group that stays): food, water treatment, shelter, stoves and cook equipment (including fuel), med kit. It is imperative that you fill out your emergency form carefully and completely. One leader plus two FOPpers should hike out to request help, carrying food, water, extra clothing, and bivouac gear (if necessary.)

Emotional Evacuations

It is possible that an evacuation may be necessary in the absence of major physical pain or injury. There is a difference between a disgruntled and homesick FOPper and one with more serious concerns. Try to convince a disgruntled FOPper to stay, but keep in mind more serious issues may exist:

• Suicidal Ideation: If a FOPper is verbalizing a wish to commit suicide, either to you or to other FOPpers, that person needs to be taken out of the field.
• Threatening Behavior: If an individual presents a risk to other individuals, or to themselves, they need to be taken out of the field. This behavior could manifest itself in threatening language or actions.
• Eating Problems: Maintaining healthy caloric and water intake is essential in the outdoors. It is necessary not only to retain the energy for rigorous physical activity, but it is also an important part of preventing injuries. Individuals are more susceptible to accidents and hypothermia when their blood sugar is low. Because food and water are so important in the outdoors, an individual who is unwilling to eat the food presents a serious problem. Go over the importance of food in Cambridge and frame it along with other safety guidelines and rules. Continue to emphasize the importance of food in the backcountry and encourage your FOPper to eat. See if you can do anything to adjust to their concerns.

Missing Person Procedures

We hope that you will never have to deal with this subject, but we want to offer some guidance just in case you do. The following outlines how you should react in the case of a lost FOPper.

React quickly if someone is missing. Hold the group up and send at least three people, including a leader, back a ways. If someone is lost, time is working against you. Disoriented people can cover a surprising amount of ground, usually in a direction that will only make things worse.

What to do if someone is lost:

1. Shout the person’s name, or use whistles in an attempt to get a response.
2. Get out a map and try to figure out where the person might be after calling has failed. Try to recall where and when the person was last seen, as well as what they were wearing. Is there a pond or mountain summit nearby? Two or three people should go as a group to check that place. They should bring a map and a compass and agree to return by a certain time if they have no luck.
3. It is critical not to let anyone else get lost. Don’t send people scurrying wildly in every direction. People should scout away from the group only for designated amount of time (ex: 10 minutes).
4. During the wait, keep the group together and calm. Make hot drinks, eat some food, begin setting up camp if necessary.
5. After one hour of searching, notify Basecamp.
6. If you do not have sufficient cellular service to communicate with Basecamp, send a leader and two FOPpers out a designated evacuation route to make contact. They should bring a map marked with the groups location, a compass, food, and stuff for an overnight (depending on the time of day and distance). The remaining group should stay put. Both groups should yell or whistle from time to time. If the lost person wanders back, follow a plan agreed upon with those who walked out for help.

Ways to avoid losing people in the first place!

While in Cambridge, you should inform your FOPpers what to do in case they get lost:

• Stay put! Advise them to avoid their natural desire to move around. Staying in one location makes it much easier to find them. They should stay put until they are found.
• Try to attract attention. Make noise (yelling, whistling), tie brightly-colored clothing in noticeable locations nearby, etc.

Many individuals get lost when they go to the bathroom at night. Make sure your FOPpers let you know when they are going to the bathroom and suggest going out into the woods in pairs. Other suggestions:

• Before leaving Cambridge, make photocopies of your trail map and give them to FOPpers make sure they know how to read them and where they are going. Also, the Harvard Police gives out free whistles, so you may want to stop by during Pre-FOP and grab some for your FOPpers.
• Keep people together.
• Use the buddy system.
• Maintain voice and visual contact with the hikers in front of you and behind you.
• Always have a leader at or near the back of the group.
• Never pass a trail junction without getting the group together.

All members should always maintain visual contact with the rest of the group. Do not allow people to hike or canoe far ahead. It is simply too easy for people to get lost once a group is separated. Also, if an emergency occurs while the group is split up, it is vastly more difficult to deal with the situation.

Disclosures of Sexual Harassment or Sexual Assault

Please note that the FOP Director is not a confidential resource. They are legally required to report any knowledge of sexual harassment to a Title IX Coordinator. Individuals paid by the University, including deans, tutors, professors, PAFs, and most faculty are also not able to keep information about harassment confidential. To speak with a confidential resource, individuals should go to the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (OSAPR) or a peer counseling group that specializes in relationship violence (for example, Response).

“Disclosure Flow Chart”: What to do if someone discloses to you in the field or on campus

1. If someone discloses to you, the first thing you should do is offer support. Listen, and thank them for sharing their experience with you. Let them know you believe them. Do not introduce terms; use the language that they used. Do not ask “why” questions; they can be perceived as blaming.
   Example: “Thanks for telling me about that experience. It sounds like you had a really bad night, and I wish that hadn’t happened to you. I appreciate that you have shared this with me now, because I imagine it could be hard to share that experience with others.”
2. Let that individual know that, while you will not share all the details of the story with your co-leader, you will have to let your co know that the conversation occurred. Make sure the individual feels comfortable with the amount of information you will/will not share.
   Example: “Again, thanks for letting me know about this. Because of how FOP leaders make decisions, I will be letting my co-leader know that we have had this conversation. That said, I want you to feel comfortable with the amount of information I share. We won’t tell anyone else without talking it over with you. Would you prefer I just say that you told me about a bad night this past summer, and that you are still uncertain how to handle it? Would you be comfortable with me sharing a few details about when this event happened to provide some context?”
3. Ensure that the individual feels safe right now. Come up with a plan to ensure their emotional and physical safety for the remainder of the trip. This may require an evacuation.
   Example: “Our first concern is that you feel safe. How are you feeling about being in the woods right now? Would you prefer to go back to the frontcountry? Or are there certain parts of the trip that are making you uncomfortable that we could address? For example, do you feel comfortable sleeping under the tarp with everyone?”
4. Talk to your co-leader. This information should not be shared with anyone that is not the FOP Director, your co-leader, and/or OSAPR (if you choose to contact them).
5. If you and your co-leader would like additional support, or would like to talk through a plan for how to support the individual, call OSAPR’s 24-hour hotline. Option 3 will put you directly in touch with a confidential OSAPR staff member. Number: (617) 495-9100.
6. Consider whether you think FOP as a program should know about the incident. For example, did the incident occur on the trip itself, or during Blast Off Day? (Please note that some incidents of sexual assault or sexual harassment could require a mandatory evacuation. Please see the list of mandatory notifications and evacs below).

If you do think the program should be informed about the incident, contact Basecamp via normal notification procedures. Please consider that all Basecamp members are not confidential resources. That means they must disclose any information of which they are aware. Feel free to describe the incident in general terms; only use names if the individual has confirmed they are OK with you doing so.

Best Practices

• First and foremost, remember that you are NOT A PSYCHIATRIST and therefore are not expected (and should not feel like you have to) “solve” or “respond perfectly” to a disclosure. These are best practices. Remember that offering an ear to listen/a shoulder to cry on is incredibly helpful in and of itself.
• Ask if the person of concern feels safe right now. If they do not feel safe in their current environment, ensure their safety by rearranging camp, evacuating the trip or the individual, or other means.
• Offer support; indicate that the individual’s concern is valid and that you believe them.
• Don’t ask too many questions, or specific questions about the incident. Do not ask “Why” questions, as these can be perceived as blaming the victim.
• DO NOT introduce terms; use the terms that the survivor did.
• Provide but don’t force resources - it is a survivor’s decision to seek help if, how, and when they choose to.
• Do not respond by saying anything violent. It’s common for people to say things like “Oh, I want to hurt/beat up that person for doing that to you because I’m so angry,” etc. However, for someone who has recently undergone a traumatic/violent event, this can be frightening/damaging language.
• When you’re in the field:
  • Make sure you ask the person disclosing to you whether or not they are comfortable with you sharing the information with your co-leader. Where appropriate, let the person disclosing to you know that you will have to share some information with your co-leader, even if it’s not the “full disclosure” that they shared with you.
  • If you have cell service, you can call OSAPR directly (617-495-9100) or sit with the person of concern as they speak with OSAPR.

Media Procedures

In the event of a serious emergency, the director is responsible for notifying the FDO, which in turn will notify the appropriate Harvard authorities. Leaders will refer all questions to the Harvard Office of Public Affairs and Communication. Do not engage in speculation with anyone, not even each other.

No one should release any information that identifies responsibility for an accident. All questions will be handled by Harvard Authorities. Specific problems arise when:

• An assessment of fault or a criticism of conduct, of FOP policy or of equipment is made public without a full explanation of the circumstances of the accident.
• Information regarding the nature of the inquiry or illness is released prior to diagnosis by a licensed medical physician.
• Names of victims are released prior to notification of next of kin.

When dealing with an emergency, it is vital that information is transferred promptly, accurately and completely to Base Camp, and it is advisable for all parties to keep a record of communications.

Remember: In the event of an emergency, Harvard’s resources will be called upon to support you. Let Harvard communicate with the outside world, and focus on doing what is best for you and your group.

Notification Protocols

In order to facilitate communication, FOP uses a “stoplight” system to convey the urgency of phone calls. The words “green light”, “yellow light”, or “red light” should be the first things you say when contacting basecamp. Use the following chart to help you decide which light is appropriate, but don’t dwell over gray areas - this is, after all, just a communication tool.

Whenever you contact basecamp, you should prepare a plan for what you would like to happen. What will help resolve your current issue? How will the contact affect the trip logistics? Is the request feasible? (Basecamp will try to give you what you request, although occasionally circumstances will dictate that alternate plans are discussed.) When you are ready to initiate contact, follow these steps:

1. Send a text

Using the numbers in the Emergency Call Guide in your leader packet, start by sending a text. (Texting will often work even when there is insufficient cellular coverage for a voice call.) Use the following structure:

Light. Name. Trip #. Location. Situation. Time until you will call. Time that you sent this message.

For example: Green light. Ammar and Grace. Trip 84. On Tchou Tr on Mt Morange, 1 mi from Murray Tr jxn. Need to reroute - uncrossable stream. Will call in 15 min. Sent at 11:55 AM 8/23/2019.

2. Place a call

Again using the numbers in the Emergency Call Guide, call basecamp at the time you specified. Work your way down the phone numbers in the order specified until you make contact with someone.

3. If it is a red light situation and you cannot call basecamp, activate the PLB

Use this flow chart to determine whether to use the PLB in a red light situation:

Mandatory Notifications

The following events must be immediately reported to Base Camp:

• An evacuation for any reason.
• An accident or illness resulting in a FOPper or leader being in a critical or serious condition.
• An unanticipated lack of contact with a person lasting more than one hour.
• A sexual or physical assault.
• An accident or illness resulting in death.
• Alcohol or drugs found in possession of FOPper.

Mandatory Evacuations

The following are situations in which an evacuation is considered mandatory. Begin an evacuation even if you cannot communicate with basecamp.

• Anyone who has received CPR
• Spinal cord injury
• Shock victim
• Hypothermia in which the person lost consciousness or was placed in a hypowrap
• Priority injuries (to the head, face, chest, abdomen, femur, pelvis)
• Strains or sprains under the following conditions:
  • Those that require RICE treatment for more than one day
  • If the patient limps while hiking because of the strain or sprain
  • If patient slows pace of the group to a degree that jeopardizes the rest of the group
  • If the patient continually needs to take ibuprofen in order to hike.
  • If the patient has to drastically lighten their load
• Dislocations and fractures
• Sickness that a layover day will not cure
• Someone who has been struck by lightning
• Serious burns
  • Second degree burn that covers more than 15% of the body
  • All third degree burns
  • Any second or third degree burn that is circumferential
  • Any burn (first, second, or third degree) on the face or hands
• Heat stroke
• Anaphylaxis/any EPI-PEN or Twinject injection

In addition to the mandatory medical evacuations listed above, the following non-medical situations should also be considered mandatory evacuations:

• Emotional problems that are severe enough that they put person, leaders, or group in danger
• Eating concerns that are severe enough that they put person, leaders, or group in danger
• Suicidal ideations
• A FOP group without epinephrine (lost, broken, or used EPI-PEN/Twinject)
• Any sexual harassment or sexual assault that compromises the physical or emotional safety of an individual or the group