Emergency Preparedness Plan
Little Swans Child Care is located at 1242 Owens Street Klamath Falls, Oregon
Little Swans Child Care primary phone number is 541-892-3335.
Little Swans Child Care primary email address is littleswanschildcarekf@gmail.com
Disclaimer Statement – Emergency Preparedness Limitations
It is the policy of Little Swans Child Care that no guarantee is implied by this plan of a perfect incident management system. As personnel and resources may be overwhelmed in a true emergency. Little Swans Child Care can only endeavor to make every reasonable effort to manage the situation, with the resources and information available at the time.
In medical and other emergencies in which we require assistance, the contact number is 911. Our child care is in the city limits, the house is on the even side of street, second house after Enterprise Car Rental. Klamath County City Police and Klamath County Fire District 1 generally are first on the scene but may be backed up and/or replaced by Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and other Districts Fire/EMS.
Local Emergency Rooms:
Located in: Sky Lakes Medical Center
Address: 2865 Daggett Avenue, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601
Phone: (541)882-6311
In an emergency medical situation, your child would most likely be transported to the hospital by ambulance. If Vanessa Brown is unable to communicate with you, Anthony Brown or another adult would do so.
Every month we practice a fire drill and a second drill with the children. We will also text the parent who has indicated that they are the primary contact as well as send a HiMama message. It is important that families participate with us, so we are ALL ready if something ever does happen.
The Poison Control Number is 800-222-1222. All adults have this number on their phone on the home screen. Should an accidental poisoning occur, an adult would call poison control while another cares for the child. If warranted, 911 would be called at the same time. All adults have been trained in first aid including poisonings.
In the event of an emergency where cell phones were unusable and digital communications were down in Oregon, please plan to rendezvous at Little Swans Child Care as soon as possible. Should an evacuation be necessary, Little Swans Child Care will plan to meet at the following locations and will post the location on the outside of the front door before evacuation.
Evacuation Site (less than 5 miles)
Fred Meyer (Near Tesla Charge Station)
Address: 2655 Shasta Way
Note: These locations are excellent as they would have restrooms, supplies, water, snacks etc. and would be used if we only needed to evacuate outside of our neighborhood/beyond Owens Street. In the initial evacuation notice you will receive by text, PROVIDER will indicate which location we are proceeding to and it will also be posted on the front door. We keep our gas tanks full to ensure that we can go further if necessary.
Evacuation Site (5- 10 miles)
Wal-Mart Super Center
Address: 3600 South Sixth Street
Evacuation Site (greater than 20 miles)
Running Y Resort
Located in: Running Y
Address: 5500 Running Y Road
Note: Due to the location of highways and roads, the congestion at the time of the emergency and other factors, we may have to choose a different location. It is also possible that depending upon the emergency and conditions of the emergency, that we would need move beyond these locations. If so, again, we would post our rendezvous location on the front door of our program as well as send out texts and emails as soon as possible. We have “Go Bags” ready for any evacuation situation and are fully prepared to evacuate.
In the event of an evacuation where parents can’t reach the child care program and can’t receive texts or make calls as communications are down, we will leave messages at the closest Evacuation Site locations on our way to the Evacuation Site where you will reunite with your child/children.
We have taken the time to plan, prepare and practice so that during a true emergency, we can do our very best to keep your children safe until they can be reunited with you and their family. Make sure that you do the same for your family. Remember that you may have other family members that will not be here with us.
Parents: How will you coordinate reunification with all the family members you have?
At Little Swans Child Care we have taken steps to prepare for emergencies by prepping emergency supplies and resources as well as planning mitigation strategies to reduce the severity of the emergency and its impact on your child/children and our program. Our goal is to be able to serve throughout an emergency so long as we can follow licensing regulations and keep your child/children healthy, safe, and well.
Little Swans Child Care has 12 months of operating expenses in reserve. We should not experience long term closure unless we permanently lose the use of our home.
Little Swans Child Care currently has on-site in the household:
· PROVIDER: Vanessa M. Brown
· STAFF/ HOUSEHOLD ADULT: Anthony L. Brown
· STAFF (Assistant 2 and Substitute Provider)
· STAFF (Assistant 1)
· CHILDREN: Niklaus Brown 9-25-2015
Deakon Brown 6-26-2017
Blaiklee Brown 2-2-2019
Little Swans Child Care has the following pets that would evacuate with us (if necessary):
· DOGS – Monster
· CATS – Gator, Camo and Kole
(IF TIME ALLOWS)
· RABBIT – Bruce Wayne (inside) and Herbivore (outside)
· FISH – 55 Gallon Fish Tank
· FROG – Bullfrog
· CHICKENS – 12, 3 Black, 3 Red, 3 Black and White, 2 Yellow and 1 Golden
Mitigation steps that Little Swans Child Care regularly maintains include:
ü This plan will be reviewed annually or as needed.
ü Adults and staff will run table exercises periodically on those drills not practiced by the children. These drills will be run on weekends when children are not present.
ü Updates of this plan will be shared with parents in paper form.
ü Fire Extinguishers are properly charged and checked every other month (odd months)
ü Fire Extinguishers are located on each floor of the home within easy reach and all adults know how to use them.
ü We keep exits clear of obstructions.
ü We keep tall furniture away from pathways so that furniture cannot fall and block evacuation.
ü We do not store heavy or sharp objects on open shelves.
ü Cribs are kept away from the tops of stairs. Cribs are not on wheels so there is no danger of them rolling. Cribs are placed so that heavy objects like furniture cannot fall onto or into them.
ü We do not use room dividers or other tall objects to divide the rooms in which children are cared for or in which they sleep.
ü Our large windows are made of shatter-resistant glass in the child care space. No cribs are used under the window in the nap room.
ü Our house number is clearly posted and visible from the road.
ü Exits are easy to see and reach. There are flashlights stored in every room and easily accessible to adults near the room entry.
ü We have a sign in and out procedure for all visitors as well as a visitor policy to protect children from that outside of the program. Only those with a CBR, a regulatory capacity, or State or Local Government Official badge enter the program while children are in care.
ü We keep the doors to the outside locked to prevent young children from being able to open the doors to escape.
ü The water shut off is in the crawl space in the closet at the end of the downstairs hall and electrical shut off is in the laundry room. Both are easily accessible and known by adults in the program.
ü Our shelter-in-place area is in the stairway closet or our walk-in closet upstairs, whichever is safest. It is clearly shown on our floor plan diagram as well as pathways to the outside.
ü Smoke detector batteries are checked monthly, and they are air-cleaned once a year.
Little Swans Child Care would evacuate children in the Ford Expedition and, in the Chevy Suburban -- with Vanessa Brown and Anthony Brown likely driving.
In a TRUE emergency, we may have to transport for a Level 3 Go Now evacuation without car seats. We do have infant seats that can be used with infants, but it is possible that toddlers would need to use a seatbelt only. Please understand that this would be a serious licensing violation; however, in a true emergency, getting out safe and alive is the priority and we will deal with the rest once we survive.
We are licensed for 16 children. We have seat belts for 14 children. It is possible that some parents could pick up prior to evacuation and may be willing to assist with transport. We would only double up on seatbelts if it was a true matter of life or death.
If the evacuation looks as though it could be extended for a few days, the Brown family would shelter at a hotel near the reunification sites listed earlier in this plan. Should a parent be unable to reunify immediately with their child and was unable to use their emergency contacts to pick up their child, we would, of course, shelter with their child. We would use text and phone as much as possible to update a parent in this situation.
What if?
What if Little Swans Child Care loses water supply – we have enough water back up for 3 days for our household which would work out to a one-day supply for the child care program. If we lose water for more than 1 business day, we will likely have to close until water service was restored.
What if Little Swans Child Care loses electricity – we have a medium sized generators that are located outside the building that can be used to run hot water and heat. Short term power outages of less than 1 day would not affect the child care. Power outages longer than 1 day, would require Little Swans Child Care to close temporarily until power was restored.
What if Little Swans Child Care loses their air conditioning or their furnace – we have fans that can be used to circulate air. We would not need to close for either of these situations.
What if there is severe weather and schools are closed for the day – at Little Swans Child Care, we encourage parents to not travel with their children in severe weather, but we also understand that sometimes it is necessary for a parent to get to work. It is our standard practice to be closed during severe weather; however, if a parent needs us to take their child, we will do so as long as it can be done safely. IF weather becomes more severe and your child has to shelter in place DURING THE SEVERE WEATHER, it is the PARENT’S RESPONSIBILITY to pay for ALL the extra hours of care used by the parent for their child.
What if there is a disaster that forces us to shelter-in-place? During a serious shelter-in-place situation, please do not bring your child to Little Swans Child Care. During a disaster if you need somewhere to shelter, please know that we will help you. Communicate with Vanessa Brown in these situations.
If your child is already in care and there is a TRUE shelter-in-place serious emergency, do NOT try to pick your child up. Wait until the emergency is over. Communicate with Vanessa Brown via text.
ü Shelter-in-place room would depend upon the situation. Most likely, we would shelter in place in the lowest level of the home.
ü We strive to have shelter-in-place supplies on hand. Let us know if you need a list for your own shelter-in-place kit.
Parents: Do you have a designated shelter-in-place room? Do you need more information about planning for a shelter-in-place emergency scenario?
Little Swans Child Care has a checklist it uses to assemble supplies for a SIP situation. Any parent needing/wanting a copy of the checklist can text Vanessa Brown for a copy that can be sent by email or text and can be provided prior to the close of the next business day in printed form.
We stockpile shelf-stable basic foods such as whole grain rice, beans, and whole grain noodles as well as canned goods, dried fruits, high energy foods and packaged products that can be prepared with only hot water (which we can heat on camp stove if needed). We stockpile water. We have a large hot water heater that we can also draw water from if necessary. We make sure to replace our stored water every six months or less. We store our water in tightly sealed blue drinking water 5 gallon containers made for this purpose. The containers are kept in the garage. We use a calendar to track replacement dates.
Shelter-In-Place Procedures Our Program (aka SIP)
Step 1: Shelter in Place Activated
¾ Go inside the home or the nearest building if returning to the home/child care isn’t possible. Returning from an outside location to the child care home is known as a REVERSE EVACUATION.
¾ Bring pets inside if outside.
¾ Shut and seal off doors, windows, vents, fireplaces – anything to the outside.
Step 2: Actively Wait for Instructions and More Information
¾ Listen to the emergency radio (located in the bathroom and the school age classroom window near the door to outside)
¾ Monitor Klamath County Emergency Management texts and alerts
Step 3: Communications
¾ We will text parents. Do not use calling during this time unless there is a life-threatening situation and Emergency Services is needed to save a life.
¾ Do not open or unlock doors or windows.
Parents: We keep our emergency numbers stored in our phones – do you?
We teach (during practice drills) older children (generally 4 years and up) how to dial 9-1-1. This is also a great skill to practice at home (and to discuss that we only do this in REAL emergencies when our parent or provider can’t do it).
We teach (during practice drills) Duck. Cover. Hold. We also teach and practice Stop, Drop and Roll.
We maintain an electronic copy of the roster for all children in care using the HiMama. Even during a communications failure, the HiMama roster will populate; however, we would not be able to update the roster.
Parents: Have you made a video recording using your cell phone of your home? It’s a quick and easy way to conveniently inventory your home. Don’t store the video on (only) your phone though – use a free YouTube or a Cloud or Drive account to store your video on so you can access it from anywhere. You might also consider uploading it to a large enough flash drive or card and keeping it with your valuable papers in your “Go Bag.”
Assessing a Bomb or Other Threat to Child Care Facility/Persons
A bomb is considered a form of terrorism (so is any threat to the facility and/or its occupants). This type of threat is usually transmitted for one of the following reasons:
· A person has a grudge against the facility or an individual and wants revenge (physical or psychological).
· A person intends to disrupt the daily function of the facility.
· A person intends to act against the facility or individuals during the active evacuation.
· A person is aware of an explosive device or other threat of harm and want the building evacuated in an effort to save lives.
A bomb or other threat can be received by phone, mail, email, electronically through social media sites or text/messaging means or it could even be delivered in person. Regardless of how it is delivered, we will assess the level of threat and take action to evacuate or shelter in place.
Procedure for a bomb threat delivered by phone:
1. While the person is on the phone, another adult will use another phone to dial 911. If possible, record the call.
2. After the person hangs up, wait for a dial tone, and if caller id does not disclose the phone number, use *57 to trace. Stay on the line to wait for success of the trace.
3. Follow the directions of 911 while assessing the threat.
4. Document details of the threat including screenshots of the call and details of what was said.
Procedure for a bomb or other threat delivered in person or in writing:
1. Assess the threat. Contact either the FCC Carrier or non-emergency dispatch or 9-1-1.
2. Save the threat to your device either by downloading or taking a screenshot or multiple screenshots.
Generally, we assess a threat using these standards:
Level
Characteristics
Possible Actions
Level 1
Vague in content
Non-descriptive
None to few details
No noticeable voice affects
Inform police (non-emergency)
Scan the facility in and out
Possible evacuation
Document the threat
Level 2
Specific in content
Detailed information
Directed (for a reason)
Specific time/location
Tone of voice
Knowledge of prior circumstances or a “reason to believe”
Inform police and fire -- 911
Scan if possible
Temporary/Immediate evacuation
Document
Level 3
Suspicious in nature (use intuition, find during search)
Observe something out of place or doesn’t belong
Questionable item, object or person
Call 911
Do NOT touch or move or approach the item
Do NOT use cell phones
Activate fire alarm and evacuate the facility – move away at least 500 feet (walking down to STREET corner)
Document
We practice a combination of drills. A fire drill is practiced monthly. We try to practice at different times and during different activities (avoiding nap times – the adults do that practice with dolls on weekends). We also monthly practice the following drills varying the drill practiced each month:
· Drop drills (fire or earthquake)
· Shelter in Place
· Reverse Evacuation
· Evacuation
· Lock Down (Vanesa Brown top floor, Anthony Brown lower floor)
· Lock Out – Secure Facility (same as above)
· Scan (bomb or other physical threat of harm) – only Anthony Brown completes this outside
Parents: Make sure you download and back up photos of your child and save reports that you want to keep from the MEANS. Even though this information is protected on the cloud storage that MEANS provides, if you are no longer enrolled in our program, you will lose access to them.
Procedure for Fire Evacuation
1. Evacuate building using nearest exit (Vanessa and Anthony Brown will take a head count of the children and adults as they exit the program) and meeting in the lower driveway near the street but not in it OR across the street in the neighbor’s driveway. Vanessa Brown takes attendance using the HiMama while Anthony Brown sweeps building for any “lost” children as needed.
2. Call 911 Vanessa Brown while taking attendance using HiMama.
3. Activate Emergency Response Plan (Vanessa Brown will text parents and proceed in charge)
4. Assess weather conditions and observe wind direction, move children as needed upwind of any smoke.
5. Assess whether to relocate to an Offsite Evacuation location.
6. Reunification process continues until complete.
7. Notify licensing with initial email.
8. Prepare communications – local responders, media, parents, licensing, food program
Procedure for Hazardous Materials (External)
1. Activate Emergency Response Plan (PROVIDER will text parents and proceed in charge).
2. Initiate Shelter-in-Place protocols (if evacuation is not immediately indicated).
3. Secure hallway off bathroom and bathroom area – check doors, windows, vents etc.
4. Prepare for Off-Site Evacuation once interior is safe and secured (PROVIDER/STAFF).
5. Monitor home conditions.
6. Monitor emergency radio. Text parents updates.
7. Stay responsible for: individuals’ medical needs, care of the children, reunification
8. When given the “All-clear” open windows to air out the facility and evacuate if it is safe to do so.
9. Begin Reunification process. Text parents the all-clear.
10. Reunification process continues until complete.
Procedure for Earthquake, Wildfire (Levels 1 and 2), Volcanic Eruption
1. Activate Emergency Response Plan (Vanessa Brown will text parents and proceed in charge).
2. Initiate Shelter-in-Place protocols (if evacuation is not immediately indicated).
3. Duck. Cover. Hold. Under tables and other furnishings or in doorframes.
4. Prepare for Off-Site Evacuation (Level 3 “Go Now”) once interior is safe and secured.
5. Monitor home conditions.
6. Monitor emergency radio.
7. Text parents updates.
8. Stay responsible for: individuals’ medical needs, care of the children, reunification
9. When given the “All-clear” evacuate if it is safe to do so (for earthquakes, wait for aftershocks to pass).
10. Begin Reunification process. Text parents the all-clear.
11. Reunification process continues until complete.
Procedure for Reverse Evacuation
1. Evacuate location using most direct route back to the child care or to the first available safe structure if it isn’t safe to go all the way back to the child care.
2. Activate Emergency Response Plan (Vanessa Brown will text parents and proceed in charge).
3. Seek shelter. Text parents that the group is now sheltered (include the location and reunification information).
4. Prepare for Off-Site Evacuation if needed.
5. Monitor home conditions.
6. Activate Shelter In Place protocols if necessary.
7. Monitor emergency radio. Text parents updates.
8. Stay responsible for: individuals’ medical needs, care of the children, reunification
9. When given the “All-clear” open windows to air out the facility and evacuate if it is safe to do so.
10. Begin Reunification process. Text parents the all-clear.
11. Reunification process continues until complete.
Procedure for Lock Down/ Lock Out
1. Activate Emergency Response Plan (Vanessa Brown will text parents and proceed in charge).
2. Call 911 (Vanessa or Anthony Brown)
3. Initiate Shelter-in-Place protocols.
4. Move children into lower kitchen area while securing the home from top to bottom (Anthony Brown secures home, Vanessa Brown secures children) – lock doors and windows.
5. Turn off lights as children move downstairs.
6. Prepare for Off-Site Evacuation once interior is safe and secured (Anthony Brown).
7. Monitor home conditions. Monitor threats from outside.
8. Monitor emergency radio. Communicate with emergency responders.
9. Text parents updates.
10. Stay responsible for: individuals’ medical needs, care of the children, reunification
11. When given the “All-clear” evacuate if it is safe to do so and communicate with emergency responders on the scene.
12. Begin Reunification process. Text parents the all-clear.
13. Reunification process continues until complete.
14. Cooperate with law enforcement.
Procedure for Intruder – Lock Down
1. We keep doors locked during the day to prevent outsiders from entering the program. Unless we are expecting a parent drop off or pick up, we will use the kitchen window to view who is outside.
2. Activate Emergency Response Plan (Anthony Brown will run interference if needed while Vanessa Brown and other adults/household members will text parents and proceed in charge).
3. Call 911 (Vanessa Brown) Initiate Shelter-in-Place protocols.
4. Move children into SIP while securing the home from bottom to top (Anthony Brown secures home, other adults secure children) – lock doors and windows.
5. Prepare to move children out to evacuate.
6. Prepare for Off-Site Evacuation once interior is safe and secured (Vanessa Brown).
7. Monitor home conditions. Monitor threats from above and outside.
8. Vanessa Brown will station themselves at the top of the stairs in case the intruder gets past Anthony Brown.
9. Communicate with emergency responders.
10. Stay responsible for: individuals’ medical needs, care of the children, reunification
11. When given the “All-clear” evacuate if it is safe to do so and communicate with emergency responders on the scene.
12. Begin Reunification process. Text parents the all-clear.
13. Reunification process continues until complete.
14. Cooperate with law enforcement.
Procedure for Tornado or Severe/High Winds
1. If a weather warning is received, direct children and adults to the area by the stairs in the lower level unless there isn’t time, then locate everyone in bathroom and hallway in the upper level avoiding areas with windows, tall free-standing walls and flat roofs.
2. Activate Emergency Response Plan (Vanessa Brown will text parents and proceed in charge).
3. Initiate Shelter-in-Place protocols (if evacuation is not immediately indicated).
4. Duck. Cover. Hold. Use a thickly folded bath towel or blanket to cover the back of the neck and head.
5. Prepare for Off-Site Evacuation once interior is safe and secured.
6. Monitor home conditions and conditions outside the home
7. Monitor emergency radio and emergency weather bands.
8. Assess damage to structure and surrounding areas.
9. Stay responsible for: individuals’ medical needs, care of the children, reunification
10. When given the “All-clear” evacuate or shelter-in-place as needed.
11. Begin Reunification process. Text parents the all-clear.
12. Document any damage
13. Reunification process continues until complete.
There are additional disasters/emergencies that can and could happen in the Region that could affect our child care program. There are also additional situations that could arise from within our child care program. We have attempted to lay out the basic steps that would fit an emergency/disaster and should, staying calm and using our heads, be able to adapt these procedures for other situations.
Generally, Vanessa Brown will serve as the adult in charge of the Emergency Plan. However, should Vanessa Brown become unable to do so or become incapacitated, Anthony Brown would assume that responsibility.
Our primary concern during and after ANY disaster or emergency is YOUR child! We strive to be able to provide for not only children’s basic needs (food, water, shelter, safety) during and after an emergency but also equally important is being able to comfort children and see to their mental health (reduce stress, keep children calm, mitigate the impact of the situation on the children) and then after by assisting with recovery in the program and helping parents seek recovery services afterwards.
We have taken extra steps in planning, preparation and mitigation to address the needs of any special needs children enrolled in Little Swans Child Care. Each and every time that we enroll a new child who is either under 3 years of age or who has special needs (diagnosed or undiagnosed) we evaluate our emergency plan within the context of the individual child paying close attention to specific actions, planning or prep that we need to do for that child.
Vanessa Brown has specialized training. Included in her training and experience is knowledge and practical skills in Post-Traumatic Stress in young children (under age 6 and 6 and older). Little Swans Child Care even teaches a course on the effects on children from experiencing Natural Disasters and/or emergencies/disasters. Special considerations for infants and non-mobile children will need to be made and will be practiced at Little Swans Child Care.
Little Swans Child Care adults (including household members) practice what are known as “Table Top Exercises” for all drills once per year when children are not present as part of a comprehensive review and analysis of our current safety plan (this was just completed on 10/29/21) as well as completing “Simulations” for extended evacuations or more intense drills such as lock down. When we do drills, the children and adults are given only a few minutes notice (that a drill is occurring and that everyone is and will be safe). Children and adults evacuate or shelter-in-place following the directions of adults. Vanessa Brown oversees initiating and documenting all drills. Individual adults are responsible for carrying out their role in the specific drill. We simulate calling 911 as part of each drill. Once the drill is complete, children are given additional information pertaining to the drill. This information is given based upon developmentally appropriate practices based upon knowledge of the individual children’s development. We take roll before a drill, during a drill and immediately following a drill to ensure that all children and adults are accounted for. We do time our evacuation drills. Anthony Brown is always responsible for the All-Clear during drills. Vanessa Brown is also always responsible for texting parents during drills.
Parents: Please check out additional, basic information in our Little Swans Child Care Program Polices and Operating Procedures.
Parents: Do you have a reunification plan for your family and child/children while they are in child care? Are you prepared at home for an emergency? Some tips for creating one:
· Where will everyone in your family be?
· Who will be responsible for whom? Picking up and transporting, etc.
· Choose a code word to use with children in case you must send someone else to pick them up. Be sure to quiz them frequently.
· Develop a fire escape plan for your home and practice it monthly.
· Learn how to shut off utilities – who will be responsible for what?
· Conduct a Home Hazard Hunt.
· Ensure your vehicle’s gas tank stays full or nearly so in case you need to evacuate.
· Have a “Go Bag” that you store in your trunk or car. Store water in metal containers for drinking water – not plastic. Replace items like food/snacks and water every 6 months.
· Use checklists (Our Program can help with those) to prep Shelter-In-Place kits and your “Go Bag.”
· Keep a copy of this plan in an easily accessible place while your child is in care.
Recovery – What happens AFTER a disaster or emergency?
Step 1: Document the damage.
Step 2: Assess the damage.
Step 3: File an insurance claim if needed.
Step 4: Update email within 24 hours to ELD, Food Program Sponsor and ODHS as applicable.
Step 5: Repairs and clean up as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure normal operations may resume.
Step 6: Update ELD/ODHS and Food Program Sponsor when repairs are complete.
Step 7: Communicate with parents about reopening (be sure to communicate progress through the steps with parents as well).
After the safety and status of adults and children have been assured, and emergency conditions have abated following an incident, staff well assemble to support the restoration of services. Defining Our Mission-critical operations and staffing will be a standing point for the recovery process. Collecting and sharing information will facilitate the recovery process.
PROVIDER will:
· Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the physical and operational recovery needs.
· Assess physical security, data access, and all other critical services (for example; plumbing)
· Document damaged facilities (report to licensing), lost equipment and resources and special personnel expenses
· Educate adults and children on available crisis counseling services.
Concept of Operations – Policy and Procedural Considerations Our Program
This plan is based upon the concept that the incident management functions that must be performed by the site, generally parallel some of their routine day-to-day functions. To the extent possible, the same personnel and material resources used for day-to-day activities will be utilized during emergencies/disasters. Since personnel and equipment resources as well as storage for those resources, are limited, some routine functions that do not contribute directly to the incident may be suspended. The personnel, equipment, and supplies that would typically be required for those routine functions will be redirected to accomplish assigned incident management tasks.
Incident Command
Our Program recognizes that adults and children present in the child care program at the time of the emergency will be first responders. In a major emergency or disaster, Our Program may be damaged or need to be evacuated, people may be injured, and/or other incident management activity may need to be initiated. Our families may need support and/or resources as they may also be affected in these ways. These activities must be organized and coordinated to ensure efficient incident management. We will follow the basic principles of incident command (with Vanessa Brown in the lead position unless otherwise noted herein) and assume command until emergency responders arrive.
Initial Response to an Incident
Adults on-site will most likely be the first on the scene. Vanessa Brown (or designee) is expected to take charge and manage the incident until it is resolved, or command is transferred to someone more qualified (such as emergency response agency with legal authority to assume responsibility). Our Program adults will seek guidance and direction from local officials and seek technical assistance where appropriate.
Vanessa Brown is not able to manage all the aspects associated with an incident without assistance. Vanessa Brown relies on other adults (Anthony Brown). Each of the adults at Little Swans Child Care must be familiar with his or her role and responsibilities before an incident occurs.
Responsibilities of Our Program include:
ü Supervise children under their charge.
ü Take steps to ensure the safety of children and adults in the implementation of the response to the incident.
ü Direct children in our charge to inside or outside safe areas, in accordance with signals, warnings, written notifications by text or other means according to established emergency plans.
ü Give appropriate action commands during and incident.
ü Take attendance throughout the incident but especially when the group relocates to an outside or inside assembly area or when entering and exiting vehicles and when reaching another location during an evacuation.
ü Report missing children to Vanessa Brown who will notify ELD and emergency responders.
ü Execute assignments as directed by the plan and/or Vanessa Brown.
ü Provide or obtain first aid services for injuries for any child or adult.
ü Render first aid as necessary according to their mandatory first aid and CPR biannual training.
ü Survey and report building damage.
ü Control main shut offs for utilities and service to the building.
ü Assist in the conservation, use and disbursement of supplies and equipment.
ü Repair and maintenance as needed or contract to get larger projects done in a timely manner.
ü Report building damage and give updates to licensing regarding building use.
ü Answer phones and assist in receiving and providing consistent information to callers.
ü Provide for the safety of essential records and documents.
ü Monitor radio and weather emergency broadcasts.
ü Assist with health incidents.
ü Use, prepare and serve food and water (possibly on a rationed basis) whenever the feeding of children and adults becomes necessary.
Responsibilities of the children in care include:
ü Cooperate during emergency drills and exercises, and during an incident.
ü Learn to be responsible for themselves and others in an incident at a developmentally appropriate level.
ü Understand the importance of not being a bystander by reporting conditions of concern.
ü Develop an awareness of “normal” conditions and hazards with the associated prevention, protection preparedness and mitigation measures as developmentally appropriate
ü Take an active part in incident response and recovery activities in developmentally appropriate ways.
Responsibilities of Parents/Guardians:
ü Encourage and support safety and incident preparedness programs.
ü Participate in volunteer service projects promoting preparedness.
ü Provide requested information concerning the incident, closings, and other related release information.
ü Practice incident management preparedness in the home to reinforce safety and incident-related learning and understanding.
ü Have a family emergency plan.
ü Communicate with program.
ü Ensure that Our Program has a primary contact that can communicate timely at all times when children are in care.
ü Participate in our drills using text communications.
ü Please use this sheet to communicate with Little Swans Child Care about your family’s Emergency Plan.
Child’s Name _______________________________________________________________________
Child’s DOB ____________________________ Child’s Nicknames _________________________
Parents’ Names ______________________________________________________________________
Primary Emergency Contact Name: _______________________________________________________
(the person who can respond to a text or call within 15 minutes, arrive within 30 minutes)
Primary Emergency Contact BEST Number for call/text: _________________________________
How can Our Program BEST reach you if your cell phone isn’t working?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
What is your preferred hospital for emergency medical treatment?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
In a family emergency, how would you prefer to communicate with Little Swans Child Care?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Who is your secondary contact (in case you cannot communicate with us during a family emergency?
Who else might contact us on your behalf and is authorized to do so?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Who is your Out of State contact that we can call for reunification purposes (only) in case local lines are jammed up?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
In an emergency, if your child is at a school when disaster strikes, what school does your child go to and how will they
communicate with Our Program in case their drop off after school will be delayed?
___________________________________________________________________________________________