Club emergency plan: template and what can't be missing

Quick answer

The emergency plan is a short document that stays printed in the director's backpack and on every leader's phone. It lists: emergency numbers (192 SAMU, 193 Fire Department, 190 Police), the hospital nearest the site, the route to it, the meeting point, who is responsible for the first-aid kit and the medical forms, and the step-by-step of what to do in an accident or fire. It is not a mandatory national rule, but no one should camp without it.

DO: put together a single sheet with contacts (192/193/190), nearest hospital and route, meeting point, person responsible for the kit, and person responsible for the medical forms. Print it and carry a physical copy — phones die and lose signal.
WATCH OUT: the plan does not replace what is truly mandatory. The annual insurance through the SGC, a valid medical form for each member, and an exit authorization approved by the church board are requirements that hold by rule, and each Field has its own deadline. Without them, the camp should not go ahead.
TIP: test the plan beforehand. A meeting with the leadership simulating "child cut on the trail" reveals in five minutes who doesn't know their own role — and it is far better to find that out at headquarters than in the woods.

Ask the leadership of ten clubs where the emergency plan for next month's camp is. In most, the answer is the same: it's in the director's head. It works — until the day the director is the one who is injured, with no phone signal, and no one else knows the name of the hospital or where that child's medical form is.

An emergency plan is the opposite of improvising. It is a one- or two-page document, printed, that answers a simple question before it happens: if things go wrong, what do we do in the first five minutes? Contact whom, hospital where, route by which road, everyone gathers at which point, who carries the kit, who keeps the forms.

There is not, today, a single national form from the South American Division (DSA) called an "emergency plan". What exists are scattered pieces — the annual insurance, the medical form, the exit authorization, the camp safety guidelines — that this article brings together into a single tool, with a ready-made template for you to copy. Content verified on 07/23/2026 in the official sources listed at the end.

What is an emergency plan and why does almost no club have one?

An emergency plan is a contingency document: it describes, in advance and in writing, how the club reacts when something goes out of control. Accident, lost child, storm, fire, sudden illness. The key word is in advance — if you are reading the plan at the moment of the scare, it has already failed as a plan, but it still saves the day, because the information is there and not in one person's memory alone.

Why do so few clubs have one? For three honest reasons. First, no one likes to imagine someone else's child injured under their responsibility — it gives you a knot in the stomach that you keep putting off. Second, the experienced director knows the hospital, the way there, the mother's phone number — and mistakes knowing for having it on record. Third, there is no field in the SGC shouting "fill in your emergency plan here", so it never becomes a priority.

The antidote to all three is the same: turn what is in someone's head into a printed sheet that any leader can read and act on, even without the director nearby. A good plan does not assume the most prepared person is available. It assumes the opposite.

And make clear what this document is not: it is not the insurance, not the medical form, not the exit authorization. Those pieces have their own rules and you'll see them further below. The emergency plan is the map that connects all of them into a sequence of action — the "where is each thing and who does what" when the clock is running.

What can't be missing from the document?

An emergency plan fits on a single sheet, front and back. Any longer than that and no one reads it at the right time. These are the fields that can't be missing, and that serve both the weekly meeting at headquarters and the camp in the woods:

Block	What to record	Why it matters in the moment
Emergency contacts	192 (SAMU), 193 (Fire Department), 190 (Police); leadership phone; phone of two backup leaders	You won't remember the number by heart with adrenaline in your body
Health service	Name, address, and phone of the hospital or emergency clinic (UPA) nearest the site; route and estimated time	Every minute of doubt along the way is a minute lost
Meeting point	Exact place where everyone gathers when the alarm sounds, with a backup if the first is blocked	It is where roll is called and you find out who is missing
Named responsibilities	Who is responsible for the first-aid kit; who keeps the medical forms; who calls; who counts the children	A role with no name is no one's role
Accident protocol	Step by step: isolate, treat, alert, notify the family	Takes the decision out of the heat of the moment
Fire / evacuation protocol	How to raise the alarm, where to exit, where to go, how to check everyone got out	Smoke and scrambling don't mix with improvising
Group data	Number of children and leaders; exact location of the camp (with a reference point)	It is the first thing SAMU and the Fire Department ask

Notice that almost everything here is specific to the location and date. The hospital nearest headquarters is not the same as the one near the site where you'll camp. The meeting point at the church hall does not exist in the woods. That is why the plan is not written once and forgotten: it is updated for each outing, with that place's data. Five minutes of filling in before each camp.

A format tip that makes a difference: print it on paper, put it in a waterproof plastic folder, and leave one copy with the director and another with a leader from a different unit. Two copies, two places. Phones die, fall in the water, and lose signal precisely where there is more brush and fewer towers.

Contacts, hospital, and medical form: the part that really saves lives

If the plan had to fit in three lines, they would be these: whom to call, where to take them, and what the child has. The rest is organization; this is survival.

Start with the numbers that hold across all of Brazil. Keep them at the top of the sheet, in large type:

Number	Service	When to use
192	SAMU	Medical emergency: fainting, fracture, serious cut, sudden illness
193	Fire Department	Fire, drowning, rescue, child trapped or lost in a hazardous area
190	Military Police	Violence, threat, missing person, security situation
199	Civil Defense	Flood, landslide, storm, environmental risk at the site

Next, the health service for that location. Before finalizing the camp, someone needs to find the nearest hospital or emergency clinic (UPA), note the address and phone, and map the route — preferably having already driven the way on the map. Add up the estimated time. If it's more than thirty or forty minutes of dirt road to the emergency room, that changes how much first aid you need to be able to handle on your own for longer.

And then the most sensitive piece: each Pathfinder's medical form. It is the official member registration document and carries what the rescue team needs to know in seconds — allergies, ongoing medications, health conditions, blood type when provided, the guardian's contact. Two practical rules that almost every club forgets:

The medical form has an expiry. The DSA's guidance is that it be updated annually, based on the information the parent or guardian provides. A form from three years ago may list an allergy that is gone or hide one that has appeared.
The form travels with the club. There's no use in it being filed at the office. At camp, someone carries a copy of all the forms, physical, in the same folder as the plan. If SAMU asks "is the child allergic to any medication?", the answer cannot be "I'll call the secretary".

An extra layer of care, because it involves minors' data: the medical form is sensitive information. It circulates only with those who need it to provide aid — leadership and named responsibles —, stays stored away, and does not become a WhatsApp group or a photo on everyone's phone. Caring for the child includes caring for the child's data.

Route, meeting point, and evacuation: how does it work in practice?

The meeting point is the heart of the plan, and it is the easiest to define badly. It is the place everyone runs to when the alarm sounds — and where roll is called to find out, in seconds, who is missing.

Three criteria for a good meeting point: it is outside the risk zone (away from the fire, the riverbank, the slope), it is easy to find even for a frightened ten-year-old, and it holds the whole group standing still. Also choose a secondary point, in case the first is blocked by the very emergency. And teach the point to everyone on the first day — there's no use in the point existing only on the director's sheet.

The evacuation sequence, when the alarm sounds, is always the same and is worth having written down:

Alarm. An agreed, unmistakable signal — a whistle in repeated long blasts, a siren, whatever it is. Everyone learns the sound on the first day.
Movement. Each unit goes together to the meeting point, without stopping to grab a backpack, without going back to the tent.
Roll call. At the point, the counselor counts their unit against the list. Someone missing? Alert the leadership at once.
Stay put. No one leaves the meeting point until the leadership releases them. It is the rule that keeps a person "handling it on their own" from becoming the second victim.

For the movement, be clear on the exit route from the site: how to get out of the tent area to the meeting point, and how to get out of the whole property to the road, in case you have to truly evacuate. In an enclosed place — hall, church, lodging —, that is the route to the door and the obstacle-free exits. In an open place, it is the clear path to the clearing or the agreed courtyard.

None of this works without constant head counts. The count that matters is not only in the emergency: it is at every activity change, at every return from the trail, before sleeping and on waking. A club that counts the children all the time discovers a disappearance in minutes, not in an hour.

First-aid kit and who is responsible for it

The camp safety guidelines are unanimous on one point: there must be a first-aid kit available, and someone trained to use it. A kit without people who know how to use it is a pretty box; people who know how to use it without a kit is pure frustration. You need both.

The basic contents of a club kit — adjust to the size of the group and the duration — usually include:

Disposable gloves, sterile gauze, bandages, and adhesive tape
Antiseptic, saline solution to clean wounds, cotton
Blunt-tip scissors, tweezers, thermometer
Instant cold pack, thermal blanket
A list of what the child uses only with the guardian's written authorization — someone else's medication is not given on your own initiative

On medication, the golden rule is simple and protects everyone: a leader does not medicate on their own initiative. Painkiller, antihistamine, any pill — only what is authorized in writing on the form, at the dose the guardian indicated, or on the guidance of the health service. When in doubt, call 192 and the family. Good intentions cover no one legally.

Whoever understands the subject in the club has usually earned the First Aid honor. It is well worth having, on each outing's team, at least one person with that grounding — not to become a nurse, but to stabilize and not make things worse while help arrives. It is the kind of preparation you hope never to use and are grateful to have on the day you do.

Finally, name the kit's owner. One person is responsible for checking the contents before leaving, replacing what has expired, and carrying the kit during activities. "The kit belongs to the club" means, in practice, that no one checks it. "The kit is So-and-so's on this camp" means someone checks it.

Accident and fire protocol: the first five minutes

The value of a protocol is taking the decision out of the heat of the moment. When someone gets hurt, the brain freezes; the paper decides for you. Leave these two step-by-steps written, short, numbered.

If there is an accident or someone feels ill:

Protect the scene. Move the other children away and remove the hazard that caused the accident, so as not to have a second victim.
Assess and treat. Whoever has the first-aid grounding provides the initial care. Do not move the victim if a fracture or fall from height is suspected, unless there is greater risk at the site.
Alert. Call 192 (or 193). Say what happened, how many victims, their condition, and the exact location, with a reference point. Do not hang up before the operator authorizes it.
Notify the family. The leadership calls the guardian — with calm and information, not with panic. That is why their phone is on the form.
Record it. Afterward, note what happened. It serves for the insurance and for the club's memory.

If there is the start of a fire:

Immediate alarm. Give the agreed signal. The priority is getting people out, not saving things.
Evacuation to the meeting point. Each unit together, by the exit route, without going back for anything.
Roll call at the point. Count everyone. If someone is missing, alert the Fire Department on their arrival — they need to know if a person is trapped.
Fight it only if it is safe and small. A campfire spark that escaped, yes, with water or dirt. Fire that has already grown, no: it is 193 and distance.
Stay at the point until the leadership and the Fire Department release you.

A detail that clubs surrounded by woods forget: the campfire is the number one cause of scares at camp. Clear area around it, a bucket of water and a shovel of dirt always alongside, and the fire fully out — stirred and doused until it stops smoking — before sleeping. Prevention is cheaper than protocol, always.

Where the plan meets the rules: insurance, authorization, and board

Here the subject changes in nature. The route, the meeting point, and the protocol are good practice — no one is going to fine you for not having them, but you answer morally if they are missing. But three things around the camp have a written rule, and it is best not to confuse the layers.

1. What is written. Before any outside activity, the club needs three things up to date: the annual insurance, contracted through the SGC and covering personal accidents of active members during club activities; each participant's medical form, within its validity; and the exit authorization, signed by the guardians and approved by the church board. Without that trio, the camp should not happen — and, if it does, the club is exposed.

2. What varies — and who decides. The deadline and the way to submit the exit authorization change from Field to Field: there are Conferences and Missions that require the request weeks ahead to the Pathfinder Ministry, others with their own form in the system. Who defines the deadline and the template is your Field (the Conference or Mission); who approves the activity for the insurance to hold is the church board; who is responsible for checking all of this is the club's secretariat and leadership. Do not rely on memory: confirm your Field's deadline at each event, because the insurance and system rules have already changed more than once.

3. The principle behind it. All this paperwork exists for one reason only: the child you take into the woods is not yours, it belongs to a family that trusted you. The insurance, the form, and the authorization are the institutional way to honor that trust — and the emergency plan is the practical way. One completes the other. Having the insurance without knowing the hospital is insurance in a vacuum; knowing the hospital without having the insurance is courage without a net.

If you want the full picture of each piece, see separately the club's annual insurance, the medical form, and the rules of child protection. The emergency plan is the document that ties the three together at camp time.

Ready-made template to copy

Copy the structure below, fill it in with your club's data and the site of each outing, and print. A single sheet, front and back, does the job. Carry two copies, in two different hands.

Plan field	Fill in with
Club / date / site	Club name, event period, full address, and the site's reference point
No. of participants	How many children and how many leaders (exact number, updated at boarding)
National emergency	192 SAMU · 193 Fire Department · 190 Police · 199 Civil Defense
Nearest hospital / UPA	Name, address, phone, distance, and estimated time; route described
Leadership	Name and cell of the director and of two backup leaders
Meeting point	Primary place and secondary place, taught to everyone on day 1
Alarm signal	What the agreed sound is (repeated long whistle, siren…)
Person responsible for the kit	Name of whoever carries and checks the first-aid kit
Person responsible for the forms	Name of whoever keeps the copies of the medical forms
Who calls / who counts	Name of whoever summons help and of whoever calls the roll
Accident protocol	Protect · treat · call 192 · notify family · record
Fire protocol	Alarm · evacuate to the point · roll call · 193 · stay put
Documentation up to date	Annual insurance (SGC) · valid medical forms · approved exit authorization

One last piece of advice, the cheapest and the most ignored: test the plan before you need it. At a leadership meeting, say the sentence "a child cut their foot on the trail, the director isn't nearby" and watch. Who grabs the kit? Who knows the name of the hospital? Who calls? In five minutes you find out exactly where the plan is dead paper — and you fix it at headquarters, coffee in hand, and not in the woods, with a child crying.

Frequently asked questions

The questions that come up when the leadership sits down to build the document — each one with what is a rule, what is good practice, and who is responsible.

Is the club emergency plan mandatory under DSA rules?

There is not, as of the date of this research, a single national form from the South American Division called an "emergency plan" that is required like the other documents. What is mandatory and has a rule are the pieces around it: the annual insurance through the SGC, a valid medical form for each member, and an exit authorization approved by the church board, with a deadline set by each Field. The emergency plan itself is good safety practice — it is not a stamped requirement, but no responsible camp should go out without one. It is the document that organizes the response; the other pieces are the institutional backing.

What can't be missing from a camp emergency plan?

Seven blocks: the emergency phone numbers (192 SAMU, 193 Fire Department, 190 Police, 199 Civil Defense); the hospital or emergency clinic (UPA) nearest the site, with address, phone, and route; the meeting point (primary and a secondary); the named responsibles for the first-aid kit and the medical forms; the accident protocol; the fire and evacuation protocol; and the group data (how many children, how many leaders, exact location with a reference point). It fits on a single sheet, front and back, and much of it changes at each location — which is why it is updated before each outing.

Who should carry the children's medical forms at camp?

A copy of all the medical forms must travel with the club, physical, in the same folder as the emergency plan, under the responsibility of a named person — usually someone from the leadership or the secretariat present at the outing. There's no use in the form being filed at headquarters: when SAMU asks whether the child is allergic to any medication, the answer needs to be in hand, not a phone call away. Remember that the form is sensitive data about a minor: it circulates only with those who need it to provide aid, stays stored away, and does not become a group message. The DSA's guidance is to update it annually with the guardian's information.

Can a leader give medicine to a child at camp?

Only what is authorized in writing by the guardian — on the form or in a specific authorization —, at the indicated dose, or on the guidance of the health service. A leader does not medicate on their own initiative: not a painkiller, not an antihistamine, not any pill "to help". When in doubt, summon 192 and call the family. The rule protects the child and protects you: good intentions cover no one legally, and a reaction to a medication can be more serious than the original problem.

What is the difference between the emergency plan and the annual insurance?

They are complementary things, not the same. The annual insurance is the financial and institutional backing: contracted through the SGC, it covers personal accidents of active members during club activities, and depends on the activity being approved by the church board. The emergency plan is the map of action: whom to call, where to take them, where to exit, who does what in the first minutes. Having the insurance without knowing the hospital is a net without a plan; knowing the hospital without having the insurance is a plan without a net. A good club has both up to date before boarding.

How do you test whether the emergency plan actually works?

Run a tabletop simulation before the outing. At a leadership meeting, throw out a concrete scenario — "a child cut their foot on the trail and the director isn't nearby" — and watch who grabs the kit, who knows the name of the hospital, who calls, and who counts the children. In five minutes you identify the roles no one took on and the information that was only in one person's head. It is infinitely better to find the flaw at headquarters, calmly, than in the middle of the woods with a real emergency happening.

Sources and references

Administrative Manual of the Pathfinder Club — 2020 edition (DSA, official PDF) — Main source of this article. It supports the role of the medical form as the member registration document, the requirement of the annual insurance contracted through the SGC, the exit authorization approved by the church board as a condition for outside activities, and the framework of responsibilities of the club's leadership.
Tips for Pathfinder Club directors (adventistas.org) — It supports the safety guidelines for activities and camps: designating a person responsible for safety, keeping a first-aid kit available, training the leadership for emergencies, and communicating the rules to all Pathfinders.
Complete guide: how to plan a Pathfinder camp (O Camping) — It supports the good practices of planning and safety at camp: selecting a person responsible for safety, briefing on procedures, keeping a first-aid kit available, and a plan of response to accidents and hazards.
ARM Insurance — personal accident coverage for members (ARM South American) — It supports that the insurance covers personal accidents of active club members during activities and that the contracting is done through the official club management system.
Forms for the Pathfinder Club secretariat (medical form and exit authorization) — It supports the existence and use of the medical form and the exit authorization as standard club secretariat documents, required for participation and for outside activities.
Emergency numbers in Brazil (public utility reference) — It supports the national emergency numbers cited: 192 (SAMU), 193 (Fire Department), 190 (Military Police), and 199 (Civil Defense), valid across the entire Brazilian territory.

The requirements of annual insurance through the SGC, a valid medical form, and an exit authorization approved by the church board are official rules of the South American Division and of each Field (Conference or Mission), verified on 07/23/2026 in the Administrative Manual of the Pathfinder Club (2020 edition) and on the official pages listed. Deadlines and authorization templates and the insurance rules vary by Field and change over time — always confirm with your secretariat and your Field's Pathfinder Ministry. The emergency plan itself is recommended good safety practice, not a single national form; the template here is a starting point to be adapted to your club and to each location. The emergency numbers hold across all of Brazil; outside it, confirm the local ones.

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Published on June 15, 2026

Club emergency plan

Quick answer

🧭What is an emergency plan and why does almost no club have one?

📋What can't be missing from the document?

🏥Contacts, hospital, and medical form: the part that really saves lives

🗺️Route, meeting point, and evacuation: how does it work in practice?

🎒First-aid kit and who is responsible for it

🔥Accident and fire protocol: the first five minutes

🧑‍⚖️Where the plan meets the rules: insurance, authorization, and board

📝Ready-made template to copy