FACILITY UPDATES
Dear Wave Members,
Due to the updated Governor restrictions in Montana we are increasing our safety protocols.
Effective Nov. 21, 2020, we will require all members to wear a face mask or face shield. Entry to the Wave will only be granted to those wearing a face mask or face shield. Children under the age of 5 are exempt.
The Wave has had a face mask policy in effect since reopening May 25th, however members who could not wear a mask due to a medical condition were exempt. This is no longer the case. If a member has a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, they must wear a face shield or other appropriate face covering.
This updated policy may seem inconvenient to some, however we believe the added safety is worth any inconvenience. Our goal is to continue to provide a safe environment for our members and to provide a safe work environment for our employees.
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Art Krueger, Director
The Wave
Dear Members;
The Wave plays an active role in the well-being of our community and supports the resolution passed by Whitefish City Council strongly encouraging face coverings in all public places. To that end, effective Friday, July 10th, The Wave is requiring that any person (age 3+) must wear a face covering while inside the facility as a proactive measure for preventing community spread of COVID-19.
Face coverings are required at all times for ages 3+ inside the facility except while exercising (cardio, weight machine, swimming, group class, etc.), receiving a personal service requiring temporary removal, and for certain children’s programs. If you are weight lifting you must put a face covering back on when moving from piece to piece or if you are idle for more than a moment to catch your breath.
We truly want to make our Members’ and Employees’ experience at The Wave as safe and enjoyable as possible. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please contact us via email at info@whitefishwave.com.
Sincerely,
Art Krueger, Director and The Wave Board of Directors
It has been great to see our members returning to The Wave. We appreciate your support and encouragement as we navigate our reopening.
The Wave will be entering our Phase 2 effective Monday June 1st. Most notable in these changes are locker room use, indoor group exercise, child visitation, and expanded hours of operation.
Although usage throughout most of the facility has been restored we are asking that each member follow social distancing and sanitization measures. We will be working hard to ensure you have the safest and most comfortable experience possible.
Please review our reference guide for details. We look forward to serving your fitness needs. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Art Krueger, Director
The focus over the past several weeks has been to prepare for a safe reopening with the health of our teams and members top of mind. As part of our planning, we’ve worked with an advisory group of medical and public health experts to establish safeguards and determine when it is best to reopen. With these necessary changes we have challenged ourselves to ensure your exercise experience is the best possible. Some of these measures will be temporary while others will be permanent.
Operations: To be cautious and continue to play our role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 we will be limiting hours to 7am-7pm daily. Only registered members who are 12 years or older may enter the facility. Non-members or guests are not permitted at this time.
Fees: Dues for children 11 and under will be adjusted accordingly. A credit will be placed on each account for the inconvenience of our voluntary closure.
Temporarily on Pause: During this initial phase of reopening the following will be closed: showers, locker areas, steam rooms, dry sauna, spa, childcare, activity pool/slide, and live group fitness classes.
Cleaning and Sanitization Protocols: As an addition to our already robust cleaning processes we will be adding strategic zone cleanings several times per day along with Health Guards who will be working with members throughout the day to keep touch points sanitized.
Products: The Wave employs EPA registered and Green Seal Certified commercial disinfectants in its daily sanitization of our facility. These products are effective against viruses including COVID-19 with a kill time of less than one minute. We also use a GenEon Mister which allows for more effective coverage of disinfectants than traditional applications.
Sanitization: Hand sanitizer stations and equipment wipes, exceeding CDC and EPA guidelines for effectiveness against viruses including COVID-19, will be available throughout the facility. All members will be required to wipe equipment down after use.
Health Declaration: Members will be required to read our declaration of health statements before each visit to confirm they are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, nor have they come into contact with someone who is experiencing symptoms.
Temperature Checks: Our team members will have body temperature taken prior to their shifts along with completing a declaration of health. Per CDC guidelines, individuals with a body temperature greater than 100.4° will not be permitted to enter the facility.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s): Our teams will be provided with face coverings that will be required to be worn. Members are highly encouraged to wear a face covering while in the facility except while vigorously exercising.
Physical Distancing: We will be limiting the occupancy to 300. Several steps will be taken to encourage 6’ of separation per CDC guidelines. Members and our teams will be asked to respect floor markings and any other visual cues that facilitate distancing.
Communication: In the event there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in our facility we will work with public health officials in their efforts to contact trace those who may have been exposed. Members are requested to contact The Wave’s Director, Art Krueger, if they test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of their last facility visit. We will alert membership as appropriate and take extra measures for cleaning and sanitizing.
Please read through our reference guide for more detailed information regarding Phase 1 of reopening. We would encourage you to reach out to info@whitefishwave.com with any questions or feedback. We look forward to seeing you soon!
In health,
Art Krueger, Director
The Wave
We will be updating this page when new information is available. If you have any questions not addressed here, please email us at info@whitefishwave.com. We do have staff who are available to help answer your questions.
How will this affect my billing?
As a result of our voluntary closure on March 17th, all member billing will be suspended until further notice and March dues will be prorated.
Credit adjustments for March will be posted to all member accounts and will be applied to future billing once the Wave reopens. Members that have paid for a year in advance will receive an extension on their membership.
We understand that you may want to cancel your membership. The Wave offers several ways for you to freeze your account rather than canceling. Please email us at info@whitefishwave.com with your questions, and a representative will follow up with you.
Program Refunds
We are refunding April swim lessons. We will contact each participant to process the refund. Please email us if you have any questions.
2020 MARCH 16th
To our Wave Aquatic and Fitness Community:
Based upon the ongoing spread of COVID-19 in Montana and our region, we’ve taken the advice of public officials who are strongly urging social distancing and made a decision to temporarily close effective March 17th through March 31st. Our plan is to reopen Wednesday, April 1st.
We did not make this decision lightly, but given the circumstances we believe it is the most responsible way to control the COVID-19 outbreak in our community. Our overarching concern is the health of our Wave community.
What about our Staff?
Please be assured that The Wave is paying employees during the closure so that we can continue to provide them financial stability.
What about my Membership?
Our management team is working around the clock to provide value so that you can 1) stay active and 2) avoid cancelling your membership. This includes virtual offerings from Les Mills free to our members because of our relationship with this vendor. For the time that we are closed we plan to add credit to your member dues for that time after we reopen. Prepaid programs will be refunded accordingly.
Why should I not cancel my Membership?
We understand that online workouts are not what you signed up for – you are a Wave member because of the community! But we are a small non-profit business, a local business, and we are committing to paying our instructors, trainers, service desk, housekeeping, childcare, and aquatic staff with the risk of no additional revenue for two weeks. If you want to support the continued health of our business and service providers, one way to do that is to maintain your membership.
That’s great and all, but I still want to cancel my membership
We totally understand if this doesn’t work for you and you need to cancel your membership. Please visit the cancellation link. Questions can be emailed to info@whitefishwave.com.
As regular exercisers, you understand the value of staying active. We are excited about the opportunity to roll out virtual classes so that you can continue your quest for enhanced health. Look for more details soon!
We are making every effort to respond to many questions and requests as soon as we can. Email is the best way to contact us for questions. We will post an FAQ section and updates this weekend on our website. We will also continue to post on social media and email updates.
The Wave will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of city, state and federal health authorities, with the hope of reopening as soon as possible.
We just want to take a final moment to extend our sincerest feelings of gratitude for our clients and staff during these uncertain times. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Yours in Fitness,
THE TEAM AT THE WAVE
P: 406-862-2444
2020 MARCH 15th
Dear Wave Community;
As a responsible partner in our community, The Wave has decided it is in the best interest of our members and employees to err on the side of caution and take the following steps to minimize large groups of people in close contact. These actions are precautionary: to date, there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at our facility and our goal is to keep it that way. This will be in place for the next seven days. We are constantly reviewing the situation with other fitness facilities, local, state and federal agencies. We will update you, staying in close communication via email, Facebook, website and in-house postings as to when we can start these classes again.
Beginning Monday, March 16:
- Any visibly ill person will be asked to leave the facility. Please do not put us in the position to ask and stay home if you are not feeling well.
- All Group Exercise classes (Live and Scheduled In House On-Demand) will be canceled. Fitness On Demand in our studios may still be used. We ask that any group stays under 4 people and social distancing is maintained.
- We will be offering Les Mills Fitness on Demand Group Exercise Classes via an app that our members can utilize at home. We hope to have more information on this offering very soon.
- Cardio equipment may be limited - please make every effort to keep 4 to 6 feet between you and someone on another cardio piece.
- Effective March 15, 2020, the Wave may only be used by members. Single-day and 7-day guest passes will not be sold until further notice. Nonmembers enrolled in swim lessons or other programs will still be allowed entry.
- The Children's Depot Drop-In childcare will be limited to members/staff children only. This service will close if schools close.
- All Aboard Preschool will remain open with a modified itinerary limiting access to the main facility. We will follow any school closures.
- Parents Night Out and Spring Break Fitness Camp will be canceled.
- Swim team and swim lessons will continue as normal.
The Wave will maintain regular operating hours, seven days a week. The indoor pools, fitness center and drop-in childcare (members only) will remain open. All massage, individual and small-group training will proceed as normal. These hours and openings may change depending on circumstances as they unfold.
We appreciate your understanding during these difficult and uncertain times. The health and safety of our members and employees remain our highest priority.
As a reminder, here is what The Wave is doing to maintain a clean and safe environment:
- Using EPA-registered disinfectants and cleaning products that are effective against a wide variety of germs and viruses, including coronavirus.
- Conducting more frequent cleaning of regularly touched hard surfaces like door handles, countertops, handrails, children’s toys, fitness equipment, mats, etc. Our management team members are dedicating additional hours to help clean the club.
- Employing an overnight housekeeping crew to deep clean and disinfect the club from top to bottom each night while we are closed.
- Ordering a back stock of cleaning supplies to ensure no interruptions.
- Monitoring our pool chemicals ensuring optimum levels of disinfection.
- Placing hand sanitizer stations and equipment wipe stations throughout the club.
Here is what you can do:
- Any person who is feeling sick (sneezing, cough, fever) needs to refrain from visiting the Wave. This also applies to children; if your children are feeling sick please do not bring them to the facility.
- Group exercise equipment such as studio equipment, cycle bikes, TRX, yoga mats must be wiped down after each use by members/participants. We also encourage you to bring your own exercise mat if you wish. Using your own towel on top of a mat is also a good option.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer that has 60-95% alcohol. This is especially important after going to the bathroom, before eating, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing;
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth;
- Cover your mouth with a tissue or your elbow if you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash, and then wash your hands;
- Avoid shaking hands or hugging. Keep a distance of approximately 3-6 feet to anyone coughing or sneezing;
- Disinfecting wipes are available in several convenient locations around the facility. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces regularly;
- Monitor the CDC and WHO (World Health Organization) websites for advisories and follow their recommendations.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle by continuing to exercise, eating nutritiously, staying hydrated and getting adequate rest and sleep.
- Consider meditation or other forms of stress management.
At The Wave, our focus has always been to help our members live happier, healthier lifestyles – this is now more relevant and important than ever.
Sincerely,
Art Krueger, Director
2020 MARCH 14th
Dear Wave Community;