The following guidelines shall be followed with respect to overnight student trips:

The DCCCD employee organizing the trip shall check and make certain that liability protection (DCCCD Insurance) is provided as to the type of student trip involved and that the coverage limits are adequate. (DCCCD employee can confirm protection and limits through Risk Management.)

Prior to the student trip, the DCCCD employee(s) involved or approving the student trip shall define and address the itinerary of the student trip and/or other travel-related components. In developing the itinerary for the student trip, factors to be taken into consideration shall include:

1. Exposure of students to possible personal injury or other dangerous conditions;
2. Age and composition of student participants;
3. Past experience with the students;
4. Necessity/advisability of establishing and maintaining a certain student/teacher ratio;
5. Educational purpose served by proposed trip.
6. Travel and overnight stay procedures.
7. Emergency procedures base on a 24/7/365 framework that includes emergency communications with students, campus, and the District.

If the overnight field trip involves the use of a travel company to arrange for transportation, rooms, or any other aspect of the trip, the District employee submitting the proposal must confirm that the vendor is:

(a) Licensed to operate in this State and other states were it is providing services to DCCCD. (Request copy from vendor)
(b) Registered and bonded; (Request copy from vendor)
(c) Properly insured for the proposed trip and all phases of the trip from the point at which the trip begins to the point at which it ends. As evidence of insurance the vendor’s insurance carrier shall provide a certificate of insurance naming DCCCD as an additional insured.

Designation of one District employee on the trip who will be primarily responsible for following through and insuring that others obey District rules and the guidelines as to the trip, and other employees/chaperons on the trip enforce the rules and guidelines.

An additional information sheet will be sent home with the required forms (See District "Field Trip Procedures.") This information sheet will include:

1. Specific times for the trip (Time of departure from the campus, time of departure from the field trip site, time of arrival back to the campus.) Although some of this information is already included on the field trip form this would be an information sheet that parents could keep for their future reference.
2. A detailed (as much as possible) schedule of the field trip activities.
3. A telephone number for the field trip site (security office, etc.) when available.
4. Meal arrangements (if applicable).
5. Any additional money or supplies needed for the trip.

Each participating student, and a custodial parent of the student, shall complete and sign the required forms (See District “Field Trip Procedures”) for the student to participate in the student trip and agree to abide by all rules and regulations of DCCCD, and these guidelines, while on the student trip.

A custodial parent of a student(s) involved in the trip shall provide the same completed and signed “required forms” for their child as required of other participates in case an emergency should occur.

Copies of the Student Code of Conduct and any Field Trip Policies will be provided to parents and students. (See “Student Code of Conduct”)

Parents will be advised in writing of parents/student responsibilities if it becomes necessary to send a student home from any field trip for disciplinary reasons.

It will be the responsibility of the parent to assume all expenses associated with sending the student home. If the parent cannot be contacted the student will remain under the care of a DCCCD staff member until the parent can be reached. All actions will be documented.

Staff supervising the field trip will need to carry the original "Emergency Information Form" for each student int eh group.  Copies of all forms and emergency contact information will be kept in the Campus Police Department's Office during the trip.

It is extremely important that the information provided on the “Emergency Information Forms” be treated with the utmost confidentiality, and thus should be seen only by the faculty/staff. However, it is possible that a medical emergency could arise in which the faculty/staff is incapacitated or unavailable. As a result, all Chaperons must be aware of the location of the “Emergency Information Forms”. Original will be archived in a secure location and copies destroyed following (DCCCD Archive Guidelines)

All Chaperons need to have a typed list of all students in the group.

The staff will carry a first aid kit. The recommended items in the group's first aid kit are as follows: multi-size adhesive bandages, adhesive tape, disposable vinyl gloves, gauze pads, tweezers, scissors, cotton balls, a thermometer without mercury or glass, and zip lock storage bags for ice packs.

Faculty sponsors will develop a backup plan for possible delays, transportation difficulties or other emergencies, including a way to communicate with parents about changes.

If any emergency should arise on any trip, the following procedures will be followed:

(a) The District employee in charge will telephone the emergency contact for Administration as soon as possible and report the incident.
(b) The Administrator will immediately notify the Chancellor or designee (through administrative channels), District Legal, Risk Management, of the emergency and action being recommended or taken. Public Information may also need to be contact for possible media inquiries.

If all students are not accounted for at the time of departure during any part of the overnight field trip at least one DCCCD employee will remain on the site. The parents or guardians and local authorities will be contacted immediately.

Discourage students from wearing clothing or carrying items on which their names are displayed.

Make sure that students carry some form of identification and emergency contact information with them in case they become separated from Chaperons or need assistance. (Ex. Cell phone numbers for Chaperons and hotel) make certain that students have the correct change to use a pay phone and/or their personal cell phone ~ consider dressing students in (Example: bright colored group t-Shirt) or asking them to wear brightly colored clothes so that they may be more easily spotted in the park.

In case a student is missing, Chaperons should be able to provide an accurate description of the student and the clothing that the student is wearing. (For this purpose group t-shirts are helpful)