Your Responsibilities as a Leader	Health and Safety in Girl Scouting	First Aid
What you need to know and do to be a prepared and successful leader.	Safeguarding the health and safety of the girls during Girl Scout activities is your primary responsibility.	What is a First-Aider? Do we need one? Check out the frequently asked questions.
Safety-Wise	Recruiting Parents/Guardians Help	Service Units
Safety-Wise is a GSUSA publication. As a new volunteer, you may not have received the copy provided for your troop yet, but you will shortly. All Girl Scouts are required to follow Safety-Wise Activity Checkpoint and Program Standards.	You don't have to do it all yourself! Involve the troop/group parents and everyone benefits!	There are 42 service units covering the jurisdiction of Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council. A team of volunteers known as the Service Unit Team is responsible for the management of your service unit.

Your responsibilities as a Leader:

• This training, Leadership I, does not constitute appointment to leadership.  The volunteer application and background check must be cleared.
• Leadership II (knowledge of leadership skills and resources needed) is required within the first 6 months of appointment. Training calendar for Leadership II
• Leadership III (age level training) is required within the first year of appointment. Training calendar for Leadership III
• Understand and use information provided by the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council, including Safety-Wise.
• Attend or be represented at monthly Service Unit Meetings (a group of leaders in your area).
• Use the current Girl Scout Leader's guide for your troop's age level.
• Be proactive in requesting help from your service unit and/or the Girl Scout council office.
• Adhere to responsibilities and accountabilities listed on the Girl Scout Leader position description: Girl Scout Leader position description, Assistant Leader position, Troop Committee Member
  

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Health and Safety in Girl Scouting:
All forms and safety guidelines are truly to protect the safety of the girls. This is to be accomplished by:

• Registering you, your troop assistants and the girls with Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. annually.  Registrations are available through your service unit manager or service unit registrar.  Membership Due Summary (whihc must accompany all packets of membership registration)
  
• Adhering to the council's Policies, Standards and Procedures
• Teaching the girls safety awareness and self-governance
• Informing and involving parents with troop / group activities.
• Using required permission forms for regular meetings (one per year) and activities away from your regular meeting place, day and/or time.
• Obtaining required permission for overnight trips or money earning activities and horseback riding.

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First Aid:
A Girl Scout first-aider is an adult who has taken Girl Scout Council-approved First-Aid and CPR training. First-aiders are needed for physically demanding activities and other activities involving a potential for injury. Safety-Wise gives guidelines on when first-aiders are required. The standard level I First Aid/CPR course is required for troop/group camping and recommended for troop/group leadership (the leader does not have to be the first-aider). Participants must attend the entire course, demonstrate proficiency, and satisfy exam requirements. See Safety-Wise for further information (page 36-37). NOTE: Re-certification courses are available for those who have current certification.

The American Red Cross is the provider utilized by Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council. Designated first-aiders may choose to take the course directly from the Red Cross, or take the class through GSSGC.

GSSGC offers Basic First Aid/CPR (9 hours) at a cost of $32. Classes are offered throughout our council at regular intervals. First Aid certification is for three years, CPR certification is for one year. Recertification for each of these classes is $20 (CPR 4 hours, First Aid 5 hours). Training Schedule (the one that will just show first aid)
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Frequently asked questions about First Aid

Can participants take courses outside GSSGC (Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council)?
Yes. Participants may take courses at any location offering a course outlined in Safety-Wise (page 37). Local hospitals, firehouses and American Red Cross chapters offer such courses. The participant must contact these facilities and confirm that it is an approved course.

If my CPR expired, but my first aid is still good for two years, can I take an abbreviated version of the First Aid/CPR course?
Yes. Recertification is available at a cost of $20 for either CPR or First Aid training.

Do troops need a first-aider for every activity?
First-aiders are only needed for activities outlined in Safety-Wise as requiring a first-aider. A trained individual is needed for a camping trip, but one is not needed for regular troop meetings or cookie booth sales. Troop leaders should read fliers carefully, because sometimes event organizers help meet the requirement by providing a first-aider.
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Safety-Wise
When reading Safety-Wise for the first time, pay particular attention to to Chapters 1-4 and Chapter 6. Program Standards and Girl/Adult Ratios are very important. Chapters include:

Conflict Resolution	p. 17
Money-Earning Activities	p. 29
First Aid	p. 36
Progression of Trips	p. 46
Checklist for Travel Readiness	p. 49
Program Standard	p. 62
Girl/Adult Ratios	p. 69
Group Camping	p. 87
Index	p. 156

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Recruiting Parents/Guardians:
Leaders can involve parents/guardians by asking them to help with such things as the cookie program, field trip planning, service projects, and assisting with badge work, etc.  You may be most successful when you request help for a specific task and indicate what the time commitment will be.  Here are some ideas:

• Help with Troop projects such as putting on a play, cooking, planning an overnight trip, helping with badge work.
• Fill in for the Girl Scout Leader in case of illness or emergency in order to give the Leader assistance and maintain consistency.
• Phone parents and committee members to inform them about upcoming trips and details about Troop activities.  Give feedback to the Leader/s.
• Recruit adults with special skills for activities requiring skills the Girl Scout Leader may not have. Arrange for additional adult help on Troop camping trips. (See Safety-Wise.)
• Manage the Cookie Program by taking responsibility for the sale and collection of money.  Training is provided within the service unit.
• Make arrangements for the use of special facilities, field trips, transportation, and locations for service projects.
• Become the first-aider for the troop.

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Service Units:
Each Service Unit Team provides guidance and support to Girl Scout Leaders in their area.  If you have questions about what to do in a troop meeting or how to plan an overnight event, they can help you.  Don’t hesitate to call them; they are there to help you succeed!

One activity that will help you to succeed is attending Service Unit Meetings. Service Units meet once a month to plan, distribute information, support leaders, share program ideas, and get to know each other.  This only works when you or another adult from your troop/group attends.  You are responsible for having your troop/group represented at those meetings.  Staying informed is the best thing you can do to be a successful Girl Scout Leader.

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