Coming for A Camp

It is important to follow the directions of the USOPC staff whenever there is an emergency.

Emergency Services

• For fire, medical, or any emergency, dial 9-1-1.
• If 9-1-1 is called, also notify the OPTC Staff/Security at (518) 523-2600 (Lake Placid). If medical, security officers will call Medical On- Call LP: (518) 572-3652.
• Inform of the type of emergency, location, those affected, and your name and contact information.

General Information

• For security officer assistance or inquires contact (518) 523-2600 (Lake Placid) – 24/7 For guests, visitors, and deliveries notify the Front Desk (Lake Placid).
• All food deliveries, taxis, Uber, etc., are to be met at the main entrance (Lake Placid).
• For everyone’s safety, abide by posted speed limits and signage.
• Do not ride bicycles or drive vehicles on sidewalks and in pedestrian areas.

Valuables and Other Items

• Secure valuables.
• Do not leave items unattended in public areas.
• Do not leave your residence hall room door unlocked or open.

Card Issue Access

• Display your access card whenever possible.

• When entering buildings, do not allow others to follow or enter unless they have an access card visible. Assist/inquire of others that appear out of place or lost – Or contact security officers. If your access card is lost or stolen immediately notify OPTC Operations and the security officers. Participants are not permitted to enter areas that their access card does not grant access to unless authorized or accompanied by USOPC personnel.

• Vehicles may only be left at the training center during extended time away if an individual is currently checked into a program (i.e., resident program; monthly housing). Please leave an extra set of car keys at the front desk in case vehicles need to be moved for snow removal, alarm issues, etc. Vehicles may be moved by OPTC staff to a designated offsite location for duration of time away to ensure parking space is available for other programs.
• OPTC vans should be parked in the rear kitchen lot in the designated “OPTC Fleet” spots,  van keys must be returned each evening to front desk (Lake Placid) unless otherwise instructed.

• Always be alert and aware of your surroundings.
• Remain in public, reputable, and well-lit areas and stay out of questionable areas and establishments.
• Do not draw attention to yourself, i.e., expensive jewelry, electronics, etc.
• Buddy System – Don’t go out alone or go in groups.
• Always let someone know where you are going and when you will return.
• Regularly account for team members.
• Use prearranged transportation and do not use unlicensed taxis.
• Do not open unidentified or suspicious letters and packages.
• Use ATMs in reputable and safe locations, i.e., banks, OPTC, etc., and check if anyone is watching.

If you require assistance and cannot exit the building because of fire, stay where you are, call Security at 518-523-2600 (Lake Placid) and give them your location, or move to a safe area with assigned assistants. The Fire Department will assist with your evacuation.

In a multi-story building, do not use the elevator or try to move a person in a wheelchair down the stairs.

When a fire alarm sounds athletes will:

• Close dorm room doors and any doors behind you.
• Exit building and report to the designated safe area.
• Wait until the ALL CLEAR from the Fire Department, USOPC Security, and USOPC Facility Management Division is given before returning to the building.

If there is a fire within the building and the alarm has not sounded, the person finding the fire should:

• Close any doors to the fire areas.
• Pull the nearest manual fire alarm box or call Security at 518-523-2600 (Lake Placid) from another location.
• Exit the building and report to the designated safe area.
• Contact Security at 518-523-2600 (Lake Placid).

Municipal Fire Code

The willful disabling of any smoke detector or tampering or interfering in any way with any fire alarm system to include causing a false fire alarm (by pulling the fire alarm handle) will result in immediate dismissal from the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center.

Fire Drills

Fire drills will be held periodically. All residence hall and building occupants are required to participate. Fire alarm drills will not be announced in advance.

Deliberately ignoring a fire drill or alarm is a violation of the USOPTC Fire and Safety Code and will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to, and including, dismissal from the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center.

The Colorado Springs and Lake Placid areas are often subjected to sudden and sometimes violent changing weather conditions. In the case of severe weather, USOPC staff members will be on-hand to advise athletes of the proper safety procedures.

If you are in a dorm during a warning, you will be directed to go to the first floor, center hallway of your building. If you are not in your dorm, please consult the "Shelter Areas" portion in this section. Please stay in a safe area until you are cleared to leave.

Lake Placid Shelter Areas

Review the Code of Conduct, Levels of Disciplinary Action, and Disciplinary Procedures in the complete OPTC Handbook, Rates & Policies document.

CHAPERONE PROTOCOL

Requirements

• All chaperones MUST be 21 years or older, not a participating athlete, assigned by the respective NGB, and listed on a camp roster, as well as acknowledge they’ve read the OPTC handbook.

• SafeSport Training: All adults, defined as those individuals 18 years or older, are REQUIRED to complete the online SafeSport Training prior to checking in to either training center. All adults, including chaperones, may not check into their rooms or interact with athletes until this training has been completed. Training can be found at https://safesporttrained.org/
• Background Check: All adults are required to receive a cleared background check prior to checking in to either training center. It is the responsibility of the respective NGB to submit on the behalf of their assigned chaperone(s) and receive clearance notification for each chaperone prior to the start date of a camp. 
• Yearly OPTC Paperwork: All adults are REQUIRED to complete yearly OPTC paperwork prior to checking in to either training center. *Legal guardians will sign on behalf of minors, acknowledging minors have an understanding of OPTC Code of Conduct policies. 
• Code of Conduct: All individuals accessing the OPTCs will be responsible for adhering to the Code of Conduct. The complete Code of Conduct, Disciplinary Action, Athlete Safety, and Services Available to Onsite Users can be referenced in the OPTC Handbook, available on the Team USA website: https://www.usopc.org/training-centers. Remember: It is a privilege, not a right, to stay and train at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. 

Guest and Staffing Policies for Minors: Required adult supervisor/chaperone to minor athlete ratio staying onsite is as follows:

• 12 years – 13 years old = 1 adult per 12 children

• 14 years + = 1 adult per 20 children
• At the discretion of the OPTC, higher or lower ratios may be advisable depending on the age of the participants and the nature of the activity.

Access to Housing

• ONLY Resident Athletes and Onsite Users are allowed to access the housing building. 
• Offsite Residents and Facility Users are NOT permitted in the dorm area unless prior approval is granted. 
• All visitors accompanied by an athlete must sign in at the front desk. (*COVID-19 community levels may impact whether guests are allowed onsite at any given time.)
  • If not a parent or legal guardian of a minor, then visitors of a minor must sign in at the Front Desk and are restricted to visitation in the front lobby.

Room Assignments

• An adult staff member must be housed on the same floor (or in the same building, if the floor is not available) as the program’s minors. The USOPC will not assign individuals of different gender to the same room unless the individuals are (i) a parent/legal guardian and the child of the parent/guardian or (ii) married. Gender neutral rooms will be made available upon request.

Check-In

• Roster: Chaperones should receive a printed roster including room assignments from the Front Desk upon check-in. It is the responsibility of the NGB to assign rooms/roommates on the roster. It is the chaperone’s responsibility to ensure that all athletes are staying in their assigned rooms. The Front Desk will not reassign rooms/roommates (Lake Placid). 
• Camp Schedule: It is the responsibility of the NGB to provide camp schedules to the Front Desk (Lake Placid). If there is a change to the camp schedule, please let the Front Desk know as soon as possible so that all OPTC staff are up-to-date on where athletes are at what times. 

Departure Day

• Prior to check out on your departure date (or the night before for extremely early departure times), a chaperone and coach MUST do a walk-through of each athletes’ dorm room to confirm that it is left in appropriate check out condition:
• All trash has been put in trashcans, all towels have been placed on top of the sink, all furniture has been put back in place. 
• Room is to be left in the condition it was in when you arrived. Please report any damage to rooms to the Front Desk. 

CHAPERONE RESPONSIBILITIES

Overseeing Athletes

• Athlete Whereabouts: It is the chaperone’s responsibility to know where athletes are at all times. If an athlete leaves the property for any reason (trip to the grocery store, outings with parents, etc.), please have them check in and out with you before leaving and upon their return.
• Quiet Hours: 10:00pm-7:00am. It is the chaperone’s responsibility to make sure noise levels are appropriate through out the evening and overnight hours. Please let the program Coach know if there are any problems with athletes causing noise disruption after hours. 

Room Checks: Chaperones must routinely check rooms of athletes they are overseeing every few days for an appropriate level of cleanliness. Please let the program Coach know if there are any problems with athletes maintaining a clean room. -Chaperones must comply with Athlete Safety rules – keeping the door open and entering with two (2) adults at a time while performing the room check. -Housekeeping will knock and enter rooms once a week regardless of whether a “Privacy Please” sign is on the door.

Athlete Training: Athletes are not permitted in trainings areas or weight room without a coach or chaperone present to supervise. 

• Sporting Equipment (basketballs, volleyballs, frisbees, etc.) must be signed out by the coach/chaperone at the Front Desk and returned to the desk when finished. If any mats or gym equipment are moved while in the gym, please ensure that they are returned to their proper location before leaving the gym.

Athlete Sickness / Injury: If any athlete is sick or injured, please let Sports Medicine know as soon as possible so that they can prevent the spread of illness and treat any injuries in a timely manner. 

Vehicle Reservations

• An NGB must request a vehicle rental prior to the start of a camp. 
• The designated driver(s) must complete a Vehicle Authorization Form and present a valid U.S. drivers license prior to using vehicle. 
• The chaperone/coach must pick-up and drop-off the vehicle(s) keys each day at the Front Desk (Lake Placid). 
• Vehicles are to be parked in the designated OPTC Fleet spaces in the front of the training center at the end of each day (Lake Placid). 
• It is the responsibility of the NGB to return the vehicle with a full tank of gas at the end of the duration of a camp vehicle reservation. 

Meeting Room Reservations: If you would like to reserve a meeting room, please stop by the Front Desk to ensure the room is available by signing up for a time slot. 

Office Space & Supplies: Office space is NOT available in Lake Placid. Chaperones may request front desk assistance with printer use supplying their own paper. A camp must also provide their own office supplies, i.e. tape, scissors, stapler, etc.

Storage Space: Due to fire safety code, sporting equipment (i.e. roller skis, skis and poles, equipment travel bags, etc.) may NOT be stored in hallways, outside dorm doors, or in Node stairwells. Chaperones may request access at the front desk to a storage room for this larger team equipment for the duration of their camp. 

Sporting Equipment Workspace: Sport-specific equipment workspace (i.e. sanding runners, sharping skis, etc. ) is NOT available in Lake Placid. All work must be done offsite.

If you suspect an athlete or anyone is being abused, report it!

Online: https://uscenterforsafesport.org/report-a-concern/

Phone: Call (833) 587-7233 *Operator is available M-F 8-4 MST

Notice: All suspected child abuse (including sexual abuse) of a minor must be reported to law enforcement/child protection services.