Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

“Disasters come in many forms and may be natural or manmade” (Robertson, 2012, p.201). This is why being prepared with an emergency plan is essential when it comes to a childcare environment. Two types of disasters that can occur are wildfires and flooding. I will be describing two scenarios, one involving a wildfire and one involving a type of a flood. I will be explaining why a childcare environment needs to be prepared, what the steps of being prepared are and what can happen if you are not prepared.

Living in mountainous areas there is always a potential for a wildfire to go sweeping through towns. Wildfires can shift paths fast, and they burn extremely hot. Wildfires create their own weather, as they build in strength and in acreage. The first scenario is the mountains of the Rockies in a small town that has two wildfires burning near the town. The town is on alert but officials do not believe it will come near the town, so no evacuations have been ordered. The fires have been burning for a week with no success of containment. On the eighth night the wind shifts and the fire goes into a canyon about 200 miles from the town; officials believe that it will stay in the canyon, and not head for the town. Noon on that same day the fire jumps the ridge and heads for the town. Fire crews immediately head for the town to evacuate. Sheriff Deputies knock on the door of the childcare environment, and request immediate evacuation.  This can be one type of disaster that can happen when living and operating a childcare environment in mountainous area. Flooding can cause as much damage as a wildfire can.

Flooding can occur from large bodies of water down to small fast flowing bodies of water. When the snow melts in the mountains, depending on the snow pack level it can cause bodies of water to flow over the banks. The second scenario is when the dam above a small mountainous town is fast flowing over the top. The town has been put on alert from officials, because the town is right in the flood zone. All water bodies below the dam have been allowed to flow to keep the town safe. The dam has been over flowing for three weeks and no change in amount of flow. One morning a worker at the dam noticed a crack in the dam and alerted his boss. The water was increasing on the over flow and concern was warranted. The dam broke at 4:00 p.m. that same day; there was an hour before the water reaches the town at best guess. Evacuations were already underway in the town, but now it was critical.

Both of these scenarios are extreme types of disasters, yet are highly likely of happening. They can destroy an entire town and all the residents will be without homes and belongings.  An emergency evacuation plan can help a childcare provider keep the children safe and calm. “Arming people with knowledge can prevent panic in emergency situations” (Robertson, 2012, p.202). All important documents can be destroyed pictures, books, clothes, toys, and anything of value to families. Being prepared can help families and children be reunited when separated, and helps parents know their children are safe if something does happen.  There are certain steps to be taken when preparing for a disaster. “Teachers should provide written information to parents that details evacuation procedures, safe place to meet, and how the early childhood education environment will respond to emergencies” (Robertson, 2012, p.202). It can be a good idea to run drills with parents and children to ensure when the real thing happens everyone understands what is going to happen. The fire department can also come in and explain to children the dangers of fire. Preparation can go a long way in helping families and children be able to recover after a disaster. Emergency personal are recommending that an individual keeps a ready 72 hour emergency preparedness kit on hand. An emergency kit for a educator would include information on each child, snacks for the children, water, and something to keep the children busy until parents arrive at the meeting place.

Without an emergency plan children can become stressed; the educator may not remain calm and things can be lost. If an educator is prepared then there is no chance of leaving a child or not getting out in time. These are a few complications that can happen beside the main disaster. In these types of scenarios having an adequate type of transportation to carry all children and adults is a must. When chaos occurs in an emergency situation there is a chance for children or adults to get hurt or become confused and not knows what to do. These are reasons why an early childhood environment needs to be prepared and educate the families, staff, and children. In order to keep the children safe during these scenarios one would monitor the news and talk to the authorities to understand when is the right time to evacuate.  After the disaster has occurred an educator needs to be prepared to help the children work through their feelings about the disaster, which can start before the disaster ever happens.

In conclusion, if a wildfire or a dam breaks near or at a childhood environment it should have an emergency plan to handle the situation. In these situations an educator may not have a lot of time to prepare the children to leave, thus, drills can help an evacuation run as smooth as possible.  By informing families and children of the evacuation plan parents and children know they will be reunited at a safe place. The educator can stay calm and keep order during the evacuation. The safety and security of the children needs to be top priority, so that is why an emergency plan is the key.

Reference

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont,

CA:Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.