Thursday, July 17, 2008

Holy Mackerel....what a day at camp! There had been rumors going around for a week that we would be having a practice drill. There are several different Codes at camp.....Code Red for fire, Code White for medical emergency and Code A for a missing camper. Sure enough, halfway through the morning we hear "Code White". All campers need to be escorted to the Moadon (hebrew for recreation hall) and all certified life guards go directly to the spot of the emergency to help. Things were going well ..... I was sure it was a practice drill. However, when I heard over the walkie talkie that 911 should be called, my blood ran cold. Perhaps it WAS a real emergency! I then heard that the backboard was needed and then that someone should go to the end of the road to wave the ambulance in. I was in the Moadon supervising our counselors-in-training as they sang songs to keep the campers amused, and wasn't able to know what was actually going on. Finally, I stole a look out the window and saw the "victim" sitting up casually on the backboard chatting to the administrative staff. It WAS a drill! Part of me was so thankful, and part of me was so angry that I'd gotten duped into believing it was real. The radio talk was done on purpose to make everyone believe it was a real emergency. They certainly fooled me! Unbelievably, in the afternoon.......over the walkie talkie came another Code A!! This time I was certain it was real and it was. There's never been a real Code A in the four years I've been at the camp, so again my heart ramped up into overtime as I searched the cabins behind my art room for the missing camper. It turns out it was a miscommunication....the camper had decided to join the group who went boating without telling anyone. It was assumed he was lost.....and he was just out in the lake having a great time. Again, I was glad he was okay.....but I sincerely hope this is the last time we go through this for the rest of the summer!

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