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Phantom Lake YMCA Camp prioritizes robust safety measures following Texas flooding tragedy

Phantom Lake YMCA Camp prioritizes robust safety measures following Texas flooding tragedy
Summer camp safety in wake of Texas Flooding Tragedy
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MUKWONAGO — In the wake of recent devastating flooding in Texas, efforts to enhance safety for children at local camps have gained renewed focus.

TMJ4's Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins went to Phantom Lake YMCA Camp in Mukwonago, the oldest YMCA camp in North America, to explore how the camp is working to keep kids safe.

Jeff Spang, the camp's CEO, emphasized the organization's "crazy obsession with safety."

Jeff Spang
Jeff Spang is the CEO of Phantom Lake YMCA Camp.

He said the camp employs various strategies, including monitoring weather reports, conducting weekly drills, and ongoing staff training to ensure that safety remains the top priority.

Watch: Phantom Lake YMCA Camp prioritizes robust safety measures following Texas flooding tragedy

Phantom Lake YMCA Camp prioritizes robust safety measures following Texas flooding tragedy

"If they can practice it, if they drill it, when it happens, it's much easier," Spang said. "They know exactly where to go, everyone's accounted for."

To strengthen safety measures even further, Spang has hired Anthony Torres as the first-ever Director of Safety and Quality at any YMCA camp nationwide.

Torres noted that the possibility of natural disasters is always on their radar.

"We never want to count out a natural disaster," he said.

Tragic reports regarding a summer camp in Texas have made national headlines, after dozens of girls and counselors lost their lives and many more went missing after being swept away in catastrophic floods.

Anthony Torres
Anthony Torres is the Director of Safety and Quality at Phantom Lake YMCA Camp

Torres shared his thoughts on how such tragedies impact the community and how they strive to learn from these unfortunate events.

"It's a devastating experience that all of the community is going through right now, and our hearts go out to them," Torres said. "We try to learn from those experiences that are happening at those camps and figure out how we can be proactive."

Jenkins also visited the National Weather Service in Dousman, where John Gagan serves as the Science and Operations Officer. He discussed the importance of having multiple ways to receive weather information, especially in more remote areas.

"You just need multiple ways to get information, and it's a lot more difficult when you're more remote," Gagan said. "So, you need to be thinking about what works in that area. NOAA weather radios are designed to work in those remote spots."

John Gagan
John Gagan is the Science and Operations Officer at NWS Milwaukee.

Gagan underscores the need to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts, especially when traveling to remote areas.

Torres echoed the sentiment, stating that while the camp cannot control the weather, they prioritize the safety of staff and children alike.

"As we know, at camp we can't control the weather, but we do our best to make sure everybody, staff, children, are at the forefront of our minds for safety," he said.


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