As early childhood professionals, you’re entrusted with providing a safe and nurturing environment for young children. Being prepared for the unexpected—from fires and lockdowns to natural disasters and evacuations—is an essential part of your role.
Andy Roszak, JD, MPA, EMT-P, a former firefighter and paramedic and author of the Preparing for the Unexpected book series, has built a career in educating early childhood professionals on emergency preparedness.
He understands that being prepared is more than just creating a plan. It’s a continuous commitment to testing and reevaluating the plan so that your staff is confident and capable of acting quickly and keeping every child safe in an emergency.
So, how can you equip your staff to be ready to act in a crisis? Drawing on insights from Roszak, this article highlights practical strategies for preparing for emergencies. You’ll walk away with clear, actionable steps to build and sustain a culture of safety in your early childhood program.
5 emergency preparedness tips for early childhood professionals
Emergency preparedness doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right practices in place, you can create a learning environment that keeps children safe at all times. Here are key steps for preparing for emergencies in your early childhood program, inspired by Roszak’s guidance and expertise:
1. Create a simple emergency plan
Early childhood programs are required by law to create an emergency plan. A clear strategy that outlines specific protocols and procedures helps keep both children and staff safe during critical moments. Here are a few things to consider when creating your plan, according to Roszak’s book, Preschool Preparedness for an Emergency:
- Learn the requirements of your jurisdiction. Be clear about the information you’re expected to provide, or look for a sample plan or template to use.
- Create an “all hazards” plan. Make sure it’s general and flexible enough to cover 90-95% of emergencies and disasters.
- Assign tasks based on position, not the individual. Avoid specifying individuals by name to ensure the information remains relevant and usable, even with staff turnover.
- Reach out for support. Local resources, like emergency management agencies, can help develop, execute, and review your plan.
You can also find sample emergency plans in Chapter 7 of Preschool Preparedness for an Emergency. These templates can be customized based on your local rules, regulations, and requirements.
2. Conduct ongoing training for all program staff
On average, nearly half of early childhood staff (45%) leave their programs each year. With turnover this high, it’s almost certain you’ll have new team members who need training on how to respond in an emergency.
The best approach is to provide emergency preparedness training as soon as new staff join your program, and to give existing staff annual refreshers. Walk them through the emergency plan and different scenarios so they know exactly what to do in real situations. Regular training keeps everyone up-to-date on the emergency plan and ensures your team stays confident and ready to act.
But remember: training shouldn’t be reserved for directors and lead teachers. Every staff member, including floating teachers, kitchen workers, and custodial staff, should have the ability and authority to act during an emergency. Recognize their role in keeping children safe, include them in practice and drills, and empower them with the information and tools to respond quickly and effectively.
3. Practice emergency drills regularly
In the words of Roszak, “Practice makes prepared.” Practicing drills allows you to test your plan under real-world conditions, identify areas of improvement, and revise it to match reality.
During his recent webinar, Building a Culture of Safety: Practical Emergency Preparedness for Early Childhood Programs, Roszak emphasized the importance of drill practice in early childhood programs. Transitions are challenging for young children. Their executive function skills are still developing, and their brains aren’t yet equipped to manage them smoothly. In the event of an emergency, these children rely heavily on adults to lead them to safety.
No surprise, staff may panic and forget safety protocols and procedures during a time of crisis. That’s why consistent practice is essential. It ensures staff can lead with authority, projecting calm and confidence as they guide children through an emergency.
Here are a few tips for conducting emergency drills and exercises:
- Plan ahead. Develop a clear, realistic emergency plan
- Practice regularly. Follow safety guidelines for each drill type
- Stay consistent. Maintain a comprehensive drill schedule
- Mix it up. Practice multiple escape routes
- Make it memorable: Use social stories to reinforce procedures
- Take it seriously. Treat every drill as the real thing
The goal is to make sure your emergency plan works effectively in real-world conditions and keeps everyone safe.
4. Keep communication clear and consistent
Your crisis communication strategy defines how you share information about an emergency with various stakeholders, including families, emergency services (such as 911 operators), and other relevant parties. Yet, in his book, Preschool Preparedness for an Emergency, Roszak noted that communication is the single biggest point of failure in emergencies or disasters.
Put simply, communication is essential. Any breakdown can prevent timely action and put children and staff at greater risk. Here are a few tips from the book to ensure effective crisis communication during an emergency:
- Use plain language when appropriate. Code words like “Code Red” can be confusing and have downsides in an actual emergency.
- Keep backup communication devices. Have alternative communication methods on hand, such as an airhorn, landline, or walkie-talkies, in case you lose service or internet.
- Empower every staff member to call 911 in the event of an emergency. Keep emergency numbers visible and ensure all staff can recite your address from memory.
- Sign up for emergency alerts. Enroll in community alert services like the Emergency Alert System (EAS) or CodeRED for local, real-time emergency alerts.
- Test your communication systems. Train staff on how to use each system and device, and make sure they work as intended.
Having a standardized crisis communication plan helps you respond quickly, keep everyone informed, and handle the crisis in an organized fashion.
5. Strengthen your situational awareness
In the first book of his Prepare for the Unexpected series, Preschool Preparedness for an Active Shooter, Roszak refers to situational awareness as the ability to be aware of one's surroundings and the things happening around them.
Program staff are often intently focused on a child’s needs or engaged in an in-depth conversation with a parent, pulling their attention away from their surroundings. But according to Roszak, becoming more situationally aware gives you more time to take action to protect yourself and the children in your care.
Here are some of the strategies he shares in his book to strengthen your situational awareness and overall security:
- Use multiple rings of security to slow or stop an intruder. From the parking lot (outer ring) to the entrance (middle ring) and inside your front door (inner ring), put clear policies and practices in place to protect children and staff. Examples include:
- Installing adequate outdoor lighting
- Restricting access to the facility
- Preventing tailgating or piggybacking at entrances
- Keeping all doors closed during operating hours
- Actively monitoring what’s happening in real time
- Recognize when things look out of place. Pay attention to the details, such as the people, cars, smells, sights, and sounds you see every day. When something unusual occurs, such as a person loitering in the parking lot or peeking into classrooms, you’ll be ready to respond quickly to mitigate danger.
- Be aware of threats and how to minimize them. Assess your environment regularly. In the outer ring, that might mean improving lighting, clearing sight lines, or trimming overgrown landscaping that could provide cover for someone looking to cause harm.
Putting emergency preparedness into action
An emergency or disaster can strike at a moment’s notice. Andy Roszak’s Preparing for the Unexpected book series offers practical strategies for creating a culture of safety in your early childhood program. With an ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness, you can rest assured that your staff are empowered to act quickly and keep children as safe as possible.
If a disaster or an unexpected issue has impacted your program, we can help! Our representatives are here to support you as you reopen your facility so children have care and parents can return to work as quickly as possible. Contact a local Kaplan representative today to learn how we can help you recover and get your program back up and running.
