Do your local police know who you are?
Emergency
Management
Be prepared may be the motto of the Boy Scouts, but all child care centers and providers must be prepared with an action plan for any type of emergency. Severe weather, threat of violence, toxic spills, power failures, missing child…all require that child care providers respond and act in compliance to a written procedure that focuses on the children’s well-being.
Planning is vital to a successful,
effective plan. Training materials from Community Coordinated Child Care and
the Office of Emergency Management will help centers and child care providers
devise a comprehensive plan.
Emergency procedures should contain the following:
1. Location of the first aid kits and fire extinguishers; working fire alarms
and marked emergency exits.
2. Contact information for physician.
3. Evacuation plan, including considerations for infants, and medically- fragile
or special needs children.
4. Emergency location for evacuation.
5. Facility floor plans.
6. Procedure for securing emergency transportation in the event the building
needs to be evacuated.
7. Hospital destination.
8. Emergency phone numbers for local EMS, utilities, staff and families, poison
control and local hospital. Post emergency numbers, as well as the facility
name/address and hone number next to the phone.
9. Emergency treatment authorization, medications and health records for staff
and children.
10. Information plan for children's whereabouts.
11. Staff members trained in CPR and First Aid.
The list of emergency procedures
grow substantially if children in your care are infants or have medical or special
needs. Infants are best evacuated in "fire cribs" which are larger
and can transport up to five children. Infant and toddler rooms need to have
emergency baskets packed, containing diapers, wipes, bottles, formula and food
in case you cannot return to your location. Children requiring special healthcare
equipment, such as nebulizers or apnea monitors, must evacuate with the equipment.
Parents can be asked to supply an emergency bag that can be carried out of the
building.
Training of staff is a vital component of an effective plan. Each staff member
should know their responsibilities during an emergency. They should also understand
all documentation procedures, including keeping accurate attendance records.
The ideas they share and mistakes they make during a drill are vital to improving
the plan.
Once your plan is in place, review it with a member of your local Emergency
Management Office to see if they have any suggestions. Providers and EMS will
be working together during an emergency, so it is only logical that the proper
authorities know your plan.
Do your local police know who you are?
All child care centers and family child care providers should contact their local police department and/or Office of Emergency Management to make sure the proper authorities know about their program. Be sure to provide the following information in writing:
Name, phone number and location
Number and ages of children enrolled
Serious medical situations or special needs of children
Number of staff
Need for emergency transportation
Evacuation location
Lockdown plan
Plan for reuniting children and parents
Ask the local police how often they want the information updated, especially if the number of children in the program fluctuates greatly. Centers and providers should also share the program’s emergency plan with local authorities.
Each program should have a Go-Bag containing portable emergency supplies in the event of an evacuation. Your Go-Bag should contain the following
Flash light with spare batteries
Cell phone
Cash and credit card
Emergency Phone lists (parents, local hospital, poison control, police)
Toys
Emergency ID tags to identify children
Health records and medications of children
A sturdy knapsack is a good bag to store the emergency supplies in since can leave an adult’s hands free.
In the event of an emergency, providers are encouraged to use emergency ID tags
so children are identifiable to emergency responders. Tags are coded in colors,
indicating if the child has a known medical condition or allergy (red), if the
child has no medical condition (green) or if the information is not known (yellow).
Tags can be made with clear plastic bands and color-coded using permanent markers.
Tags should be kept in the Go-Bag with a reference card and when necessary,
placed on the child’s wrist or ankle.
To order color-coded ID tags, email emsc@doh.state.nj.us or call 609-633-7777. State the number of packs you need ( 10 of each color per pack), name and shipping address.
The most comprehensive plan can be worth little if staff cannot implement the procedures. Regular drills, using various scenarios, should be conducted, to ensure that the plan is complete and staff understands their responsibilities. Part of the practice routine should be speaking to the children about emergencies, so when a real emergency occurs, they are not as frightened.
A monthly fire drill is a good place to start and an activity to which most people and children are accustomed. Alternate emergency drills may include a “missing child” when returning indoors after outside play, a power failure, or stranger on premises. While the children do not need to be informed about the emergency, staff can practice their responsibilities.
Checks of emergency supplies and the Go-Bag, in addition to parental verification of contact information, should be completed monthly.
Click here to view a sample plan from a local child care center.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and various corporations have recalled
or issued warnings for the following products. This is not a complete list.
For a complete listing or additional information, visit the CPSC website at
www.cpsc.gov.
Lands’ End Infant and Toddler Squall Parkas, Sport Squalls, Squall Snow Suits and Squall Bibs
Stuffed Yarn Bunnies by Ocean Desert Sales Inc
Farm Teether Rattles by New England Sterling of Attleboro, Mass., for Tiffany and Company of New York, N.Y
“Toy Tunes” Electronic Musical Toys sold at Dollar Tree Stores
Playtex Hip Hammocks by Playtex Products
Electric scooters by GSI Commerce Solutions, doing business as Spartan Sports
Reef Rocker infant toys by Wal-Mart
Baby walkers by Big Save International Corp
Winnie the Pooh Plate Sets with plastic forks and spoons by Giftco, Inc
Flashing Pacifiers with Whistle Necklace and Flashing Pacifier Shock Baby Necklaces by Todo Dollar Wholesale
Similac Advance with Iron, lot # 20307RB by the Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories
Long’s Central-Vite Multivitamins
Trampolines and “FunRing” enclosures by Jumpking Inc.® of Mesquite, Texas
Fun Years Music Big Drum musical sets by Kids Station Inc., of Miami, Fla., for
Toys “R” Us
GE Oval and Double Dish Slow Cookers sold in Wal-Mart
Amber model crib by Orbelle Trade Inc., of Brooklyn, N.Y
Toddler swings by The Step 2 Company of Streetsboro, Ohio
Girls’ Cardigan Sweaters with Faux Fur Trim by H & M
April 16 FCC Conference, 9 am – 1 pm, CCCC offices. Call 973-923-1433, ext 116 to register.
April 20 Recognizing Psychological Illnesses in Young Children, 9:30 am – 1pm, Rahway Public Library, Call 973-923-1433, ext. 129 to register or visit www.ccccunion.org/news
April 30 The Magic of Music/Showboat Casino Bus Trip 9 am – 10:45 am workshop at CCCC; bus leaves 11:00 am for Showboat Casino and will leave Atlantic City 8:00pm. $28.00 per person. Call 973-923-1433, ext. 116
A. Emergency outside of building:
stay put
1. 911 activated
2. Director notifies staff of emergency using code word. Takes cell phone
3. Assemble all children in fellowship room
i. Classroom teacher takes class list, emergency cards, any medication
ii. Assistants gather children
4. Emergency supplies are stocked in fellowship room: i.e.
i. Diapers
ii. Bottles, formula, food, water
iii. First aid kit
iv. Emergency id tags
v. Medication
vi. Garbage bags
vii. Rest mats
viii. Games, books for children
ix. Radio w/batteries
x. Flashlight
5. Designated staff person begins notifying families.
6. When officials declare all clear: parents notified for pick-up
7. Re-check and re-supply emergency materials
8. Staff meeting to debrief: discuss concerns and what worked
B Emergency Evacuation
1. 911 initiated
2. Director announces code word/ alarm activated; takes cell phone.
3. Children and staff follow fire drill procedure
Teachers take attendance cards and emergency records, medication, Go Bag etc.
Assistants gather children
4. School community meets in pre-determined spot outside of center
5. Decision to move to predetermined evacuation site: i.e., library, local elementary
school, municipal building, made by director and emergency personnel
6. Staff begins parent notification; emergency pick-up plan activated
7. Remain away from site until cleared by emergency officials