Trip Leaders may be added to this list according to the Access Policy.

TRIP LEADERS

13) Terry Sherman

14) Eddie Simmons

15) Carl Wagner 

16) Aaron White - 417-882 -5832

17) Mike (Julio) Wise - 417-886-1574

18) Jamie Zwicky - 417-239 - 5343

19) Dan Austin

20) Joe Sikorski

21) Terry DeFraties

22) Bill Gee

23) Dan Lamping

24) Andy Lerch

 Current Access Control Policies

for

Carroll Cave

Camden county Missouri

Introduction

Carroll Cave located in Camden County Missouri is a long dendritic cave system formed in the upper part of the Gasconade dolomite of Ordovician age. It is the longest and most complex system known to exist in Camden County and it also ranks as one of the most extensive cave systems in Missouri. Approximately 59.400 feet of cave has been mapped although many more miles are believed to exist. As of January 2000 it is still ranked as Missouri's 5th longest cave and is home to many very unique biological, and geological wonders. It is truly one of the world’s great caves. The Carroll Cave Conservancy has opened the cave and with that comes a great responsibility. Exploration will continue, as it should, yet preservation is the key ingredient for all policies set forth for access to the cave. The following is a detailed description of the access policies adopted for Carroll Cave. 

I. Access to Carroll Cave

A.  Guidelines

1. Restricted.  Access to Carroll Cave is restricted to CCC members on organized team trips.
2. Safety.  Personal safety and the protection and conservation of Carroll Cave are guiding concerns.
3. Trips.  Teams organized according to this Policy will be allowed access to Carroll Cave.
4. Waiver of liability.  Persons will have a signed waiver of liability on file before being allowed in Carroll Cave.

 B.  Individual Access

Access to Carroll Cave is restricted to CCC members on organized team trips. 

1. Calendar.  The Carroll Cave web page calendar lists scheduled trips and persons that CCC members can contact to get into Carroll Cave and participate in the work of the CCC.

2. First time.  Individuals that have not been in Carroll Cave will be sponsored and accompanied on their first trip by a current CCC Trip Leader. (Who may or may not be leading the trip.) CCC members who have worked in Carroll Cave are exempt from this requirement. A Trip Leader may lead up to seven individuals on an introductory trip.

3. Minors.

   1. A minor must be sponsored by a CCC member.  That member is not required to be the minor's parent or legal guardian. 

   2. The liability release for a member under 18 years of age must be signed by someone who is legally entitled to sign for the under age person, such as a parent or legal guardian.

   3. Members under the age of 18 years will only be allowed access to Carroll Cave if accompanied by the CCC member who sponsored them as a CCC member. 

4. Equipment.  To enter Carroll Cave each person must be equipped with:

   • UIAA approved helmet with mounted light source.

   • Secondary and third light source.

   • Clothing and personal equipment necessary for the scheduled work and length of trip.

   • Food and drinking water appropriate for length of trip.

   • Adequate containers to transport all personal support equipment in and out, including any waste, trash or garbage generated. 

C.  Trip Leader

Trip Leaders must abide by  Rescue Committee Policy additions a-e approved by the CCC board 5/19/04.

Trip Leaders must be CCC members appointed to organize and conduct teams into Carroll Cave.

1. Projects.  Suggested projects are posted on the CCC web site.  Trip Leaders can use these to develop and submit requests for a trip that they wish to lead into Carroll Cave.  The CCC web site may also include notice of ongoing work in identified parts of Carroll Cave that could further restrict access to those identified work areas for limited periods of time.

2. Requests. 

   1. Trip Leaders should submit requests to organize and conduct trips through the CCC web site online form.  Or they can e-mail requests to: carrollaccess@carrollcave.org.  If electronic means are not possible, requests may be submitted by mail or telephone. The Access Chairman’s information will be listed on bottom of this policy. 

   2. Requests may be submitted no more than 90 days in advance and no less than 5 days.  Requests will state the purpose of the trip, such as a suggested project from the CCC web site, areas of Carroll Cave to be visited/worked, estimated time of arrival and departure, names of team members, *stay-behind safety contact and their telephone number.

   3. Approved trips are posted to the CCC web site calendar.  Approved trips should be posted to the calendar within (7) days of a Team Leader submitting a request.  If there is a problem the Trip Leader submitting the request will be notified directly.

   4. Trip request involving overnight stays in the cave must be specific work approved by the Project Manager, and be only for work not typically achievable on a day trip. These requests will be handled on an individual basis, and will be reviewed by the Access Committee before approval.

3. Sign In/Out.  For safety and accountability a “Sign In/Out Box” has been installed on the property. Trip Leaders will ensure that this paperwork is completed for every trip. 

4. Reports.  Trip Leaders will submit reports of completed trips within ten days.  This can be done through the CCC web site, e-mail address or by other means if necessary.  

5. Aborted trips.  A Trip Leader will be the only one expected to abort a scheduled trip.  An example might be if the Trip Leader cannot conduct the trip or rostered team members drop out and CCC member replacements are not available.  The Trip Leader does not “own” the trip and cannot trade or make that time available to others.  An aborted trip will be reported to the Access Committee.

6. Appointment.  Appointment, qualifications and other details of Trip Leader status are listed in Part II. Access Committee, Sec H. Trip Leaders.

D. Conduct of trips

1. Access Committee members may monitor trips into Carroll Cave to assure that all procedures are in compliance.

2. Maximum.  A maximum of twenty-four persons will be allowed in Carroll Cave in any one-day period.

3. Teams.  A team’s request must have a minimum of four persons and will be allowed a maximum of eight persons.  Teams must be led by an approved Trip Leader, (see Sec  I. C.)

4. Some work projects, to achieve a balance of impact and efficiency, may have multiple, coordinated teams at Carroll Cave at the same time. To qualify under this rule the following additional conditions apply:

   1. The individual teams that are part of the multi-team work project will be allowed to have as few as three persons.

   2. Three person teams will not be allowed to include CCC members on an initial, sponsored orientation trip.

   3. There must be at least two teams, i.e. a minimum of six persons total, working on the multi-team work project at the same time.

   4. Each team involved in the multi-team work project must be led by a qualified Trip Leader.

   5. The overall Team will still have a filed trip request(s) and comply with roster and sign in/out procedures.

   6. The multi-team work project must have a Project Manager or their appointed coordinator on site to supervise such a multi-team work project.

   7. A consolidated stay behind safety contact to be called upon the multiple teams safely clearing Carroll Cave may be allowed.

   8. Consolidated trip reports for the multi-team work project will NOT be allowed.

5. Time. 

   1. Weekday trips, Monday through Thursday, are expected to cross local property to the Carroll Cave entrance no earlier than 7:00 a.m. entering and no later than 10:00 p.m. exiting.   This is intended to promote good relations with landowners. 

   2. Weekend trips will be open from 7am Friday through 7am Monday. No restrictions on in or out times, but a maximum of twenty-four people per 24 hour period is mandatory.

6. Sign In/Out.  For safety and accountability teams will sign in and out at the specified box located on the property. 

7. Safety Contact.  Every team will have a designated person staying behind to facilitate safe exit from Carroll Cave. The Trip Leader will ensure this person will have names and telephone numbers to call and initiate rescue and recovery operations if the team fails to exit by the agreed time. 

II.  Access Committee

A.   Director

This Access Policy is the responsibility of the Access Director.  The Board appoints the Access Director, the Board will review status every two years, and the Director may serve consecutive terms.

1.      The Access Director is responsible for receiving, copying and filing all incoming documents.

2.      The Access Director will provide a report at the CCC Business meetings.

B.  Committee

An Access Committee will manage this Access Policy.  The Access Committee will consist of a minimum of three members.  Committee members will be appointed by the Board to two-year terms.  The Access Committee will be chaired by the Access Director. 

C.  Exceptions

Requests for exceptions to this Access Policy must be submitted to the Board of Directors of the CCC.  Requests for exceptions must for unique opportunities to further the Purposes of the CCC stated in Article III of the Constitution. 

D.  Calendar

1. The Access Committee will maintain a calendar of approved Carroll Cave trips.  This calendar will be posted on the CCC web site.  Trip requests will be submitted by Trip Leaders to the Access Committee.  Access Director will ensure the trips posted to the calendar are officially approved.  Priority for weekends will be given to project work.

2. Those weekends currently used are as follows:

   • First full weekend each month, Survey.

   • Second weekend, Science.

   • Third weekend, Restoration

   • Fourth, fifth and split (last day of preceding month on Saturday and first day of following month on Sunday) weekends will be general purpose.

   • Weekdays, Monday through Thursday, will be general purpose.

E.  Cancellation

Cancellation of an approved trip should be rare and clearly understood and supported by everyone involved.  Cancellation would be action by Access Committee members or Project Managers or Board of Director members and is distinct from a trip being aborted by a Trip Leader.  Cancellation may be appropriate when safety is an issue.  Examples may be severe weather conditions that could affect entry/exit and operations in Carroll Cave or a rescue operation in Carroll Cave or elsewhere to which personnel and resources are diverted.

 

F.  Meeting Agenda

The Access committee will meet quarterly with Project Managers.  The agenda for these meetings will include:

1. Develop CCC member participation.

2. Develop Trip Leader skills.

3. Review trip reports. 

4. Develop work projects and post work opportunities on the CCC web site that Trip Leaders can draw from.

5. For Project Managers to obtain weekend permits for the up coming quarter.

6. Review Access Policy for revisions and other issues, provide the Board of Directors with recommendations on such matters.

G.  Meeting Conduct

The quarterly meetings will be open meetings.  The Access Director will be responsible for receiving, copying and filing all incoming documents.

H.  Trip Leaders

1. Appointment.  Trip Leaders will be appointed by the Access Committee.  The list of Trip Leaders will be posted on the CCC web site. 

2. Qualifications.  Trip Leaders will be persons of recognized caving experience that set an example of safety, conservation, teamwork and willingness to accomplish the Purposes of the CCC stated in the Constitution.

   1. Prospective Trip Leaders must have completed 5 trips into Carroll Cave.

   2. Prospective Trip Leaders can self-nominate or be nominated by a current CCC Trip Leader.

   3. Trip Leaders must be know the CCC rules and procedures from the Constitution, By-Laws and published policies.

3. Grandfathered.  Persons listed as Trip Leaders as of January 1, 2003 will be considered exempt from the nomination process as long as they maintain their status.

4. Maintain Status.  The requirements to maintain Trip Leader status are:

   1. Active annual membership in CCC.

   2. Perform as Trip Leader at least once each calendar year.

5. Relieved.  Persons will lose Trip Leader status if:

   1. They request to be deleted from the Trip Leader list.

   2. They are no longer an active member of CCC.

   3. Review by the Access Committee discloses disregard for safe practices.

   4. Review by the Access Committee discloses disregard of the Purposes of CCC as stated in the Constitution.

   5. Trip Leaders who lose their status, can request reconsideration by the Board of Directors.  Such reconsideration will be a closed administrative proceeding.  Persons making a reconsideration request will be notified of the time and place, can attend or submit information, and can request others to provide information on their behalf.

Access Chairman Information

Eddie Simmons

1122 Huckleberry

Strafford, Mo

(417)-736-3195

[Suggested format. This is a guide, not a required form]

Nomination to be appointed as CCC Trip Leader.

Nominee’s Personal Information.   

            Name:

            Address:

            Telephone Numbers:  home _______  mobile ______  other _____

            Email:

Brief statement of caving experience.

If self-nominating, attach copies of one or more CCC Trip Report(s) that describe your participation.  If self-nominating you may attach other brief statements that you feel will support your request to be a CCC Trip Leader. 

If you are a current CCC Trip Leader nominating someone else, provide a brief statement explaining why the nominee would make a successful CCC Trip Leader.

Signed _________