2026 Cookie Booth Playbook

Booth Safety and Incident Procedures

Keeping our members safe is our highest priority. With cookie booth season underway, now is a good time to revisit safety and security procedures so troop volunteers feel confident and prepared.

Please review the Cookie Booth Essentials for tips on creating a positive booth experience, engaging with customers, and maintaining safety. We also encourage reviewing the Safety Activity Checkpoints , which emphasize the importance of having an Emergency Action Plan for Girl Scout activities. Taking time to identify exits, discuss regrouping plans, and check comfort levels before and during booth shifts helps families and volunteers feel equipped to handle a range of situations. Please also remember to have girls’ health history and permission forms readily available during all cookie activities. If you encounter a concern at your cookie booth, please take the following steps: 1. If you feel the environment or cookie activity setting (i.e. heightened emotions, misinformation, or presence of activity that feels outside of the scope) is unsafe for the girls, please use your best judgment about whether to stay or not. 2. If someone approaches the booth for reasons other than purchasing cookies and becomes confrontational, politely ask them to disengage and leave the area. If they do not comply, send a second adult to notify the store manager or assistant manager, and ensure all Girl Scouts are moved away from the situation. 3. If a situation feels uncomfortable or unsafe at any point, end the booth activity and leave immediately without further engagement. 4. If there is an immediate safety concern, contact local law enforcement or call 911. When possible and safe to do so, please also notify the business where the booth is located and Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri by contacting Kelly Daleen at 314.592.2397.

Thank you for your participation in the Girl Scout Cookie Program and for the meaningful experiences made possible through cookie proceeds. If you have questions or need support, please reach out to us at answercenter@girlscoutsem.org .

If There Is An Accident Although you hope the worst never happens, you must observe Council procedures for handling accidents and fatalities. At the scene of an accident, first provide all possible care for the injured person. Follow established Council procedures for obtaining medical assistance and immediately reporting the emergency. To do this, you must always have on hand the names and telephone numbers of Council staff, parents/caregivers and emergency services such as the police, fire department or hospital.

When an accident occurs:

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Remain calm

• Do not approach if doing so places you at risk

• Give priority attention to providing all possible care for injured persons. If there is a possibility of a head, neck or back injury, do not move the injured person unless she/he is in immediate physical danger

• Contact emergency medical personnel and law enforcement officials as appropriate

• If medical treatment is required or the accident results in a fatality, first call 911 and a responsible volunteer must remain at the scene

• Then report the incident to Council by calling the 24-hour emergency contact number: 314.592.2300, 314.388.6373 or 1.800.727.4475

22 Cookie Booth Playbook