Focus on Risk Management
ARCC’S RISK MANAGEMENT & SAFETY RECORD
ARCC takes seriously its commitment to risk management and safety on all of our programs. With over 40 years of operation, ARCC has worked to develop comprehensive guidelines and policies to prioritize the safety of our students, staff and partners. While ARCC recognizes the inherent risks associated with global travel and the activities and projects we participate in, our goal is to manage those risks to safeguard our students, staff, and local communities to the best of our ability. We are proud of our safety record and are constantly reviewing and updating our protocols to ensure they meet or exceed current industry standards.
DETAILED PLANS
Our programs are extremely well planned — leaving little to chance.
Almost every minute of every day of our programs is planned in advance. Activities, meals, service projects, transportation, etc. are organized by our experienced office staff up to a year in advance of the departure date of any program. This way, we are able to arm our trip leaders with an extremely well planned and detailed itinerary, which allows them to better focus on the well being of their students, which in turn leads to safer programs.
ADVANCED MEDICAL TRAINING
All ARCC Program Leaders are required to have at minimum a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Certification, which is roughly 80 hours of active backcountry first aid training.
Prior to leading programs for ARCC, all leaders are required to be up-to-date with their WFR training as well as attend an additional 10 days of staff training and trip preparation. While these first aid skills are most frequently used for scrapes, bruises, blisters, and general traveler sickness, we’ve found that this level of medical training prepares our leaders to respond to a range of potential events including emergencies.
QUALITY LEADERS
We hire smart, experienced, and mature Trip Leaders to operate our programs.
A typical trip leader is in their 20s or early 30s and is selected from a group of highly qualified candidates with varying backgrounds and experiences in trip leading and working with teenagers. ARCC leaders are enthusiastic about serving others and, most importantly, working with young adults and helping our students thrive.
Our safety and risk management protocols are directed by a unified leadership team that supports both ARCC and our sister program, Bold Earth. This collaborative structure ensures that both programs benefit from a deeper pool of field expertise and a robust network of global resources, providing a high standard of risk management for all our students.
ARCC believes strongly in being proactive about the safety of our students which is why we have a philosophy of “Safety First” in whatever we do. Whether designing our trip itineraries, hiring our staff, choosing our locations, selecting outfitters, or developing protocols, our first consideration is always for the safety of our students, staff, and partners.