Safety at the Boys & Girls Club

Safety is one of the most important goals at the Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Plains. Our Building and Safety Committee includes a unique group of past and current advisory council members.  Several of the committee members have been associated with the Club since its inception; they have served several years on the Advisory Committee and though they may have completed their service on the Advisory Council, they continue to give of their time and talent to make the Club a safer place for our kids.

The past year has been filled with numerous projects, the largest of which included a brand-new playground for our Early Childhood Elementary Unit at our Brookings, South Dakota location, which replaced the original playground that had existed for over ten years. This committee was responsible for resource development and planning of the new playground, as well as overseeing the installation process. The funding for this project exceeded $100,000 and was accomplished with a large grant from 3M, donations from the Brookings Advisory Council members, and the generous help of a major donor. The kids are so grateful for their new playground!

In addition to the playground project, the committee had oversight on the new Emergency Preparedness Plan for the entire organization. Improvements included a new security system, updated locks, an updated camera system and intense training for all staff. Training continues each month on a different section of the Emergency Preparedness Manual.  This manual provides instruction regarding emergency procedures, including such things as bomb threats, fire drills and intruder drills. We work tirelessly to keep the staff updated and provide the necessary resources to keep our kids safe each day.  We are constantly reevaluating our procedures to ensure that we provide the safest environment possible.

Annual walkthroughs are another important responsibility of the Building and Safety Committee.   The committee inspects each facility, beginning with the main campus, which includes Early Childhood Education, the first through fifth grade area, and the corporate offices; the Teen Center, and the Moody County Club in Flandreau, South Dakota. This process provides guidance to our facility team throughout the year regarding safety, maintenance and preventative care.

The new ECE playground was met with such outstanding enthusiasm that it has become evident that an additional playground is needed to serve the first through fifth grade club members. A preliminary design and location of the new playground have been chosen and the committee is beginning to consider funding options.

As the Club continues to grow, the Building and Safety Committee will remain devoted to maintaining and improving our facilities to allow for many more years of enjoyment by our children and our community.

Curt Osmanski

Chairperson, Brookings Building & Safety Committee