Questions Concerning EpiPens

Hello! My name is Charity, I've been a peds nurse for 3 years and am going to camp this summer for the first time. (Very excited!) I do have one concern - apparently our camp physician (whom I have not yet met, but will do so on the 30th) has decided it is more of a liability to have EpiPens on site than to NOT have them. So this year, we will be without EpiPens, unless the kids bring their own.

My question is this:
We are 8 minutes out from EMS, and if a kiddo were to have a reaction, there's not much I can do, and 8 minutes is an eternity if someone is having a true anaphylactic reaction. Do you think it's unreasonable that I question the doctor about his new thinking? People come into contact with things every day that they had no idea that they were allergic to. Apparently just last year they had a new reaction to peanuts with a girl and administered it to her.

Thoughts?

PS: If you're an RN, did you feel is necessary to also take a first aid class? (I currently work ortho and pulmonary, so I am adept at soft tissue and bone injuries, as well as asthmatics and nebs!)