Emergency action plan

Key contacts

Call 911 first in any life-threatening emergency. Poison control: 1-800-222-1222.

• Site address (give this to 911)
• Program director and cell phone
• Backup person in charge and cell phone
• Building or facility contact and phone
• Nearest hospital and address
• Licensing agency and phone
• Insurance company and policy number

Be ready

• Every staff member reads this plan, knows the meeting spots and knows where the emergency kit is.
• Each group keeps a current roster with emergency contacts, pickup lists and medical information, including on field trips.
• Practice fire drills [monthly] and other drills [as often as your licensing rules require]. Write down the date, how long it took and what to fix.
• Check the emergency kit, first aid kit and flashlights every [month].

Fire

• Anyone who sees fire or smoke pulls the alarm and calls 911.
• Staff lead their groups out the nearest safe exit and take the roster and emergency kit.
• Meet at [outdoor meeting spot]. Backup spot: [location].
• Take attendance right away and tell [person in charge] if anyone is missing.
• Don't go back inside until the fire department says it's safe.

Severe weather

• Watch for alerts from [local weather alert source].
• Thunder or lightning: bring everyone inside [and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out].
• Tornado warning: move to [shelter area, such as an inside room on the lowest floor away from windows]. Children crouch low and cover their heads.
• Extreme heat: [heat plan, such as moving activities indoors and adding water breaks].
• Other local risks: [flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes or wildfire smoke, and what to do].

Lockdown and shelter in place

• Lockdown (danger inside or near the building): lock or block doors, turn off lights, move children out of sight and stay quiet. Open the door only for [police or the person in charge].
• Shelter in place (danger outside, such as a chemical spill): bring everyone inside, close windows and doors and [turn off fans and air systems if told to].
• Take attendance as soon as it's safe and send the count to [person in charge].
• How staff alert each other: [radio call, group text or code words].

Missing child

• Tell the person in charge and all staff right away. Keep the other children together and supervised.
• Search right away, starting with water, exits and the parking lot, then [bathrooms, hiding spots and other areas].
• If the child isn't found within [10] minutes, call 911, then the parent or guardian. If the child may be near water or with an unauthorized adult, call 911 right away.
• Give police a photo and description of the child, what they're wearing and where they were last seen.
• Fill out an incident report and tell [licensing agency], if required.

Medical emergency

• Call 911 for any serious injury or illness, such as trouble breathing, a seizure, severe bleeding, a severe allergic reaction or a child who won't wake up.
• Give first aid if you're trained, and use the child's emergency medicine as their action plan says.
• Send someone to meet the ambulance at [entrance].
• Give paramedics the child's medical form. A staff member goes with the child if no parent is there.
• Call the parent or guardian, then the director.
• First aid kit: [location]. AED: [location, if you have one].

Reunification

If you have to leave the site, families pick up their children at the reunification site.

• Reunification site: [building and address]. Route: [how you'll get there].
• Backup site: [building and address].
• Tell families where to go by [text, email or phone tree]. Don't post the location publicly.
• Release children only to parents, guardians and authorized pickup adults, after checking photo ID.
• Sign out each child with the time and the adult's name.
• Staff stay until every child is picked up.

Emergency kit

• Rosters with emergency contacts and pickup lists
• Medical and allergy forms and children's emergency medicines
• First aid kit and gloves
• Charged phone and backup battery
• Flashlight and batteries
• Water and snacks
• Whistle
• Sign-out sheet and pens
• Copy of this plan

Plan review

• Last reviewed (date and by whom)
• Staff trained (dates)
• Drills practiced (type and date)