Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

A healthy and safe early childhood environment consists of many very important factors. One of these factors includes emergency preparedness. Emergency preparedness and the safety of the children and staff members is taken into consideration when evaluating the effectiveness of an early childhood environment. In order for a facility to be prepared in case of emergencies, planning is the key factor. I will discuss two different scenarios that could threaten early childhood environments, and devise a plan on how to deal with each of the scenarios.

Tornadoes/Tornado Warnings

Scenario
Tornado warnings are typical in my area. In fact, we just experienced a warning about a month ago. This scenario includes a tornado warning being issued around 2:15 p.m. The warning comes from the National Weather Service through a weather radio in the front office. The preschool children have already loaded the buses and are in transit to go home. The infants, toddlers, and the extended care children are still in the center, along with the preschool teachers and management. The assistant director sounds the warning for tornadoes. The preschool teachers disperse throughout the building to assist the infant, toddler, and extended care teachers with their children. The main dangers posed by this situation include harm to staff and children from flying debris and destruction to the center. Teachers, children, and other staff are at risk.

Preparedness
Everyone should be prepared in case of any type of emergency that is typical for their area. Being prepared can prevent the loss of lives or harm to anyone; it helps save lives. Being prepared also means being calm. If the teachers and staff aren’t calm, the children won’t be calm. Children act and react based on the adults in their environment. The teachers and other staff remaining calm can also give the children comfort in knowing that they are safe, as long as the adults are calm and prepared. Being prepared means being able to survive through an emergency. The consequences of not being prepared can result in a loss of a life or harm to children and staff. Not being prepared can also result in panic among the children and staff alike, causing a panic-stricken center.

Plan
In order to develop a plan for tornadoes/tornado warnings, I would first assess the weather patterns and history of tornadoes for the area in which I live. I have experienced a tornado within the last ten years; therefore, I would plan for tornadoes as a seasonal disaster. Going through the steps in planning for tornadoes from Robertson's Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education, our center receives notification of tornadoes and warnings through a weather radio and the local radio and news stations. The management then communicates the warning to the rest of the center via blowing a horn.

Teacher’s responsibility
Each classroom not only has a list of emergency personnel phone numbers, but also has a list of the phone numbers for each of the children in their classroom. Each classroom should also have their own first aid kit and supplies in case of injury during the warning or in the event of an actual tornado. Designated shelter is assigned, which in this case is the hallway, with all doors closed. Evacuation is not recommended during a tornado warning. The responsibilities of the teachers is to keep the children safe by following the procedure for tornado disasters, and notifying the children's parents if necessary. The management is responsible for notifying emergency personnel when necessary. Throughout the year, the center practices various drills, including tornado drills. The teachers also incorporate tornado awareness in the curriculum.

Adjustments to existing plan
There are a few adjustments I would suggest in the existing plan. During this tornado warning, we had children and staff members in transit on the school buses. Those buses should not have been loaded; the center should have delayed loading the buses until the threat of a potential tornado warning had passed. If a tornado warning is issued while the children are in transit, the bus driver should take the children to a sturdy building or home. Tornadoes can form very quickly, with little or no warning (Tornado, 2007). The other adjustment I would make includes putting the center in lockdown until the tornado warning had expired. No one should enter or exit the building during the warning. I am basing these two suggestions on the plan of the county public school system plan. During the warning, all schools were under lockdown, and none of the buses were loaded until the warning had expired.

Stranger/Intruder Alert

Scenario
Stranger safety is incorporated into our curriculum through “Keeping Kids Safe”. It is very important that children learn about strangers and how they can pose a danger to the children. Sometimes, however, intruders are not strangers to our children. The second scenario involves a parent who has been denied access to his child by the state. He arrives to the center, very angry but unarmed. The main dangers posed by this situation is the potential to cause harm to management, other staff members, even the children, and a potential hostage situation. The children, staff, and management are at risk.

Preparedness
Everyone in the center should be prepared in this situation. Being prepared can save lives, and prevent a very bad situation from getting worse. Being prepared also means being calm and controlled. If the teachers are calm, then the children are calm. The consequences of not being prepared in this situation could mean harm to a child's or staff member's life. Not being prepared can cause panic among the children and other staff members.

Plan
In order to develop a plan for an intruder alert, I would begin by stating that this situation occurs with no warning at all, especially for staff who work in the front office. The only warning available to the classrooms is a specific statement announced over the intercom. The management calls emergency personnel for help. They also attempt to calm the irate parent, while at the same time detain him in the front office area away from the children.

Teacher’s responsibility
Upon hearing the announcement, teachers in each classroom turns off the light, locks the classroom doors, and takes the children to the designated area. The designated area should already be equipped with first aid supplies, bottled water, and blankets, depending on the amount of time anticipated during this scenario. Family emergency contact information should also be available. If a class is outside at the time of the announcement, the teachers will escort the children away from the building to a safe, designated area. As with the tornado awareness, teachers incorporate intruder awareness into the curriculum and practice the intruder drill occasionally.

Family Involvement
In order to involve the families in these emergencies, or in any emergency, awareness should be the beginning point. Inform parents of the possibility of scenarios and the policies involved in them. This is not to scare the parents but to let them know that the worst can happen anywhere. Reassure them that there are policies and procedures that are practiced and followed, with the safety of the children being the main goal. Give them opportunities to discuss the scenarios with their children at home. I involve the families of the children in my care by giving them at-home projects to do with their children. During fire safety week, the family is to devise an evacuation plan for the household. At some point during the school year, the family is to devise a plan in case of a tornado. They also discuss with their child the importance of fire, tornado, and intruder drills.

References

Prepare your school and students. (2009). American Red Cross. Retrieved March 12, 2009 from http://www.redcross.org/

Robertson, C. (2007). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education. (3rd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.

Tornado. (2007, September 4). Federal Emergency Management Agency. Retrieved March 12, 2009 from http://www.fema.gov/hazard/tornado/index.shtm