Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

A disaster whether it be natural, ecological or terrorist attack can happen anywhere.  When working with children providers need to be prepared for a disaster.  In the area I reside we are at risk for all three types of disasters.

Any facility that provides services to children need to have an emergency plan in place (Robertson, 2010). The plan should be reviewed yearly in order to insure that providers have knowledge of the plan and in order to make revisions to the plan if the need arises.  The plan should be made familiar to all employees and the local authorities as well as the parents. Providing the parent with the emergency plan provides them with where their children can be located if a disaster should occur. Fire drills, tornado drills, and other emergency procedures should be practiced on a regular basis.

The area I reside is surrounded by many acres of natural forests. During the dry season’s careless campers and the burning of household garbage, fires start. The facility should be equipped with a functioning fire extinguisher and a first aid kit.  Child care providers should make the local disaster team aware of their location so that they can contact the provider if they are at risk.  If there is not a disaster team in place, the provider should make the local police and fire departments aware of their location. If a fire should occur in the facility or surrounding area the provider should call 911, assess which direction the fire is heading, and follow the fire evacuation route that is in place (Robertson, 2010). As a provider you need to remain calm in order remove the children to a safer places.

The train tracks that run through the town can put a child care facility at risk for an ecological disaster (Robertson, 2010).  Train cars can carry potentially harmful chemicals that could harm children if the train should derail. The emergency plan for a chemical disaster has been provided to local schools and child care providers.  The facility should be equipped with a first aid kit and ample food and water. In the event that a chemical disaster the child care provider should remain in the facility, close all windows and doors, and wait for further instructions from the disaster team. Removing the children from the facility could potentially put them in harm of breathing in harmful chemicals or chemical burns on the skin.

With the aftermath of 9/11 a terrorist attack is a real threat in the United States.  Being located near a metropolitan area, nuclear facility, or a military base people need to have a terrorist attack plan in place. Camp Grayling, a military base is located fifteen miles away from the town I resided. Local schools and child care facilities need to have a lock down plan in affect if the need should ever arise.  This plan should be made readily available to all workers within the facility, but should not be publicly displayed within the facility.  The last thing you want is for the terrorist to know where the children are located. The plan should be practiced on a regular basis.

Disasters can strike anywhere at any time. Having a disaster plan in place, practiced, and available to the proper authorities can insure that as a provider you are insuring the safety of the children in your care.

Reference:

Robertson, C. (2010). A Holistic Environmental Approach to Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Quality Early Childhood Education Environments. In Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education (4th ed., ). Belmont, CA: .