Sullivan County, NY – Cabins at overnight camps in New York are about as basic as can be, with screens on the windows, a light bulb or two, bunk beds and no cooking areas or winterization.
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But under current law, According to a report in the Journal News they are subject to the same regulations as a Hilton hotel and a State University of New York dormitory.
Organizations that represent camps said Tuesday that lawmakers inadvertently put the children’s camps under the same umbrella when they passed legislation about 10 years ago for a statewide building and fire code. They are urging Gov. David Paterson to sign a bill the Legislature passed unanimously this year to place the camps back under the oversight of state and local health departments.
“It’s really a rudimentary shelter, and it should be treated separately from hotels and high-rise buildings and dormitories,” said Gene De Santis, spokesman for the New York State Camp Directors Association.
Read the story here
If any of these rules include health or saftery considerations, they should be imposed on the camps as well regardless of the cost. Our children are too important to even consider subjecting them to any material risks. Otherwise, it makes no sense to use the same standards for camp bunks as 4 star hotels.
The problem though is that groups such as the Skvere have sustained a stereotype of jewish organizations seeking to evade or short-circuit the existing local standards so that uniform statewide standards are needed. This is the “hidden cost” every time groups such as the Skvere act so arrogantly and impost this burden on all other jewish institutions.
If the law “passed” so who is holding it up from going to the governor to get signed.
And why the big fuss now, if it’s “all over” since it was already signed and no one is expecting it to “not be signed”.
Unless something else to the contrary is involved, but if so, not one word about is mentioned here nor in the original article.
Also the title of the article is very misleading such as:
“Camp s want law changed” but in fact the law has already been changed and it’s all but “over” in a few seconds when it will be signed.
Same with the original article “cams at risk” – the risk has already been taken care of with new legislation and everyone is sure it will be signed (certainly no one said that they doubt if it will b signed), so WHAT risk is there for camps NOW?
Time to take out the Champaign to have it ready in a few minutes form now, when the governor will sign it.
Ridiculous law. Camp means just that – a temporary shelter, very basic, no frills. Not much more than a tent.
camps are chashovah….i think things would have been better for survivors if the camps had rules…emisdick
Sure make them invest millions to bing the bunks up to Hilton standard – because “our children are too important.”
And then we can pay $2000 a week (Hiton rate!) instead of $2000 a season! Or maybe NOT?
Man! that’s a lot of fruit punch!
the law should pass these are not temporary one night or weekend cabins these are our childrens home for the summer
There is logic to undoing the unintended consequenses of the previous year’s legislation.
However, it is also clear to me that this undoing does not vindicate the seemingly horrific and patently unsafe violations of the Skvere camp, which was basically a repurposing of a decrepit and unmarketable hotel.
There is a difference between rustic and ruins.
I remember those camps at Mogen Av. Very rudimentary bungalos in the woods. They were only occupied during the summer and by kids. You lose that country feeling if it had to meet the same codes as for regular buildings. Just my 1 1/2 cents.
ushmartem al nafshoseichem. we do not need luxuries, but common sense safety we should do lifnim mishuras hadin. smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers should be checked weekly, not weakly. emergency lighting more is better, especially if used for megillas Eichah! doors, roofs, windows–safety first. It makes me sick when seeing some of the short cuts. clean kitchens for physical and fire safety, besides Kashrus.we should be our own inspectors- then we will have nothing to fear from any fair law or reasonable inspection