Fircom's COVID-19 Notice
Dear Friends of Fircom,
At Camp Fircom, the health and well-being of our participants is our top priority. While COVID-19 poses no immediate concern for camps as the risk level remains low in British Columbia, our leadership team and board members recognize the importance of informing our community about how our organization intends to provide a safe, healthy space for all of our participants and staff. The key recommendation from BC CDC and Vancouver Coastal Health is for participants and staff to stay home if they are sick and to keep excellent respiratory hygiene practices.
Currently, Camp Fircom has a communicable disease protocol in place that will be revised in cooperation with public health authorities as additional COVID-19 guidance is provided. We will work closely with the local public health department to maintain effective protocols for the identification and appropriate treatment of any illnesses that may occur at camp, including COVID-19.
Our leadership team met this week to review our current health and hygiene practices and to craft an action plan to support the implementation of preventative measures recommended by local and provincial health authorities to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. These measures include, but are not limited to:
increasing the frequency of our cleaning and sanitizing routines each day (this includes the sanitation of doorknobs, light switches, faucets, tables and other commonly-touched surfaces)
providing alcohol-based hand sanitizers in all community gathering spaces
increasing the number of hand-washing stations on site
requiring participants to wash their hands before meals or accessing the coffee and tea station, and to use hand sanitizer before entering community gathering spaces
posting hygiene tips (i.e., advice on hand-washing and other ways to stay safe) in all bathrooms and at all hand-washing stations
ensuring we have practices in place to safely and comfortably support any participants who may become ill and work with the Medical Health Officer to bring guests who present symptoms to proper care off island
for rental groups, advising organizers to request that their attendees/guests stay home if they are feeling sick, especially if they have a fever, cough and/or difficulty breathing
for retreat guests and campers registered in our Camp Fircom programs:
requesting that they stay home if they are feeling sick or have respiratory symptoms
being in communication 48 hours before camp or retreat to confirm participants are not presenting symptoms
screening participants for symptoms of illness, especially symptoms related to the COVID-19 virus, during our check-in process at Horseshoe Bay
serving of food (including salads and side dishes) by camp staff instead of offering a self-serve option to participants
hiring a Wellness Coordinator/Medic for the duration of the high season (May to August) to collaborate with our volunteer nurses and provide consistent care to participants and consistent leadership in monitoring the health and well-being of all participants and staff
reviewing our current cancellation policies in consideration of the recommendation that participants stay home if they are ill or have symptoms of illness, especially symptoms associated with the COVID-19 virus
offering the option of postponing bookings to a later date (based on availability) or refunding 100% of deposits paid IF it is necessary for us to suspend operations in accordance with decisions made by local and provincial health authorities, as well as The United Church of Canada
We want our community to feel informed and we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. We will post this and all future updates on our website and Facebook page. Together, we will continue to ensure all of our participants feel welcomed in a safe, healthy space.
If you have questions about our response to the COVID-19 situation, you are encouraged to call our office at (604)662-7756 or send us an email at info@fircom.ca. Further information and recommendations can be found by visiting Health Canada’s coronavirus disease resource page:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation, understanding and continued support. We look forward to an incredible time at camp during the spring and summer seasons!
With wishes for togetherness and good health,
The Camp Fircom Leadership Team & Board of Directors