the cornerstone of what we do at Camp OTX
We treat everyone at OTX like they are a part of our own family. At Camp OTX, we have excellent systems and procedures in place to create a safe environment to help cultivate a premier experience for every camper and staff member. Our safety standards are all designed to meet or exceed the requirements of the American Camping Association.
Campus Overview
Since our beginning, Camp OTX has been focused on providing a premier camp environment and experience.
The Camp OTX facility and operations infrastructure have been developed with a methodical focus on camper safety and experience.
- Camp OTX is not located in the Flood Plain or Flood Way. The nearest Flood Plain is the Medina River located approximately 8.5 miles away. Camp OTX has never flooded.
- We are located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country on high ground bisected by two man made impoundments
- We consistently have full-time and Top Staff with multiple communication devices housed in close proximity to camper cabin areas
- We have multi-purpose shelters in cabin and program areas
- We have an on campus Health Center staffed 24/7 with a physician and several registered nurses
- We have backup power systems and redundant communications infrastructure
- We have internal road infrastructure with vehicle access to all cabin and program areas
- We have ongoing facility inspections, maintenance, and improvements
- We are in compliance with state, federal and American Camp Association operating policies and standards
Emergency Preparedness
Your child's safety is our number one priority at Camp OTX.
Camp OTX prioritizes campers’ safety through the use of multiple strategies, including, but not limited to, extensive training, strategic partnerships and emergency readiness, advanced emergency monitoring systems, and the use of communication and technology platforms. Specifics include:
- Comprehensive emergency procedures, including evacuation plans, accessible to all camp families and staff
- Extensive staff emergency preparedness training
- Operational drills and procedural practice in multiple emergency scenarios
- Multi-use shelters strategically located throughout camper cabin and program areas
- Redundant emergency communication capabilities
- Redundant commercial-grade generators that provide backup power for critical facilities and infrastructure
- A medical team that maintains BLS (Basic Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support), and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certifications with training in emergency care for both pediatric and adult populations
- On-site mass transportation capabilities, including school buses, passenger vans, and UTVs
Health & Wellness
We recognize that before the camp experience can be anything else, it must be a secure environment for the child to learn and grow.
Our Camp OTX Health & Wellness program is led year-round by a team of seasoned medical professionals. The team includes one of our owners, a Registered Nurse with a Master’s in Health Education and more than 40 years of camp nursing experience; our Medical Director, a board-certified pediatrician with over 25 years of clinical practice; and our Director of Health and Wellness, who holds a Doctorate in Social Work with a focus on child and adolescent wellbeing. The Camp OTX Health & Wellness program includes:
- Thoroughly equipped Health Center on site
- Licensed physician on site and on call each session
- Up to 5 registered nurses on site and on call each session
- Access to a network of specialty physicians for advanced care, including emergency medicine, radiology, orthopedics, and more
- A strong emphasis on the Big Five – hand washing, hydration, nutrition, rest, and sun protection
- Staff trained in American Red Cross CPR and First Aid
- Advanced emergency resources on property
- A written medical emergency plan including emergency and medical evacuation procedures
Leadership Staff
Camper safety begins with the premier Camp OTX Leadership Team.
Working year-round, this team sets the standard for excellence in camp operations as they oversee program planning, staff selection and training, and strategic facilities development.
- Direct involvement in supervision of all major programming and areas of camp
- Year-round, full-time commitment to operational excellence
- Annual participation in leadership and professional trainings and certifications
- Oversight of 20+ year-round employees
- Highly qualified professionals with graduate degrees in medicine, business, theology, education, and behavioral health.
- Experienced parents with children of their own
Summer Staff
Camp OTX is committed to hiring the very best summer staff every year. Who we hire matters.
Camp OTX goes to great lengths to ensure that our staff is properly screened during the application and interview process and then thoroughly trained so that your child will be surrounded by the finest, college-aged, Christian role models. Each year, expertly trained recruiters conduct over 1,000 personal interviews as they seek to hire the very best. Camp OTX also partners with several third-party experts, such as Praesidium, the nation’s leader in child protection, in order to implement an industry-leading staff screening, selection, and oversight process that includes:
- Commitment to robust staffing
- Industry-leading screening and selection procedures
- Extensive application, interview, and redundant review process
- Comprehensive training program for all staff members
- Multi-layered camper and cabin supervision
- Direct supervision in activity areas by trained staff
- Innovative Camper Care Team, including Camp Moms and Program Dads, as an additional layer of quality control, camper care and oversight
Camper Protection
At OTX, it is our goal to create a secure environment for your child.
Through our extensive expertise and professional partnerships, Camp OTX has become a national leader among camps in developing, training on, and implementing child protection policies. Key components of our approach to Camper Protection include:
- Expert-infused screening process embedded in our interviews, applications, references, and recruiting procedures
- Professional screening and selection training led by Praesidium, the nation’s leader in child protection
- Background checks and voluntary disclosure statements are required for all summer staff
- Expert training for our summer staff in the areas of child protection, supervision, monitoring behavior, and camper care
- Age-appropriate staff-to-camper ratios
- Robust camper monitoring, supervision, and reporting systems
- A layered supervision system for all cabins that includes counselors, Top Staff, and Permanent Staff, all who share monitoring and supervision responsibilities
CAMPER MONITORING
Camp OTX firmly believes that all campers deserve to have a premier camp experience.
OTX has developed a system of Camper Monitoring designed to prevent, identify and resolve camper behavior issues. And, while rare, any camper behavior that negatively affects the experience of others will be addressed in a decisive and timely fashion.
