We run our lost camper drill twice during staff training. The first time we all start from our "go to" place and practice the drill and the second time we are told the genral time frame it will happen but not when it will happen. After those two times, we do not practice it. It's so important to go threw these drills. A few years ago we did have a run away and since we were prepaired we were able to search threw our camp 3 times in 20 min. before we called the police. The eventually found the girl on our neighbors property.
As far as missing swimmer drill, we split up into 4 teams and spend 2 days learning what our team is saposed to do. We throw old milk jugs in the water for the staff to find and time the search also. 2 days after this each staff member is assigned to a place to camp... they stay at their place untill they hear our air horn (what we use to tell that their is a water search). Later that day at about dusk, we run the search at night too. At the begining of each session we practice this search and let the campers watch and instruct them that if a real search was to occur they are to sit on their assigned benches with there backs to the lake. This way they are not compelled to look at the lake and have the possiblitiy of seeing a body being draged out of the water.
I personaly think it is very important to practice searches so staff can get the job done quickly and correctly and would have no problem if this was to be done.
