Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

     

            The two disaster scenarios that could threaten an early childhood center are a hurricane or flood.   A childcare center is the second home for many young children.  If a major disaster comes, serious precautions are needed to be already in place before anything happening.  In my area flooding and hurricanes come natural and to be expected.  So, being a childcare professional you must have communication, by staying current by providing phone numbers for you and your parent’s emergency contacts.  Making sure that plans for evacuation is known, and whether the adults responsible for the child have cell phones where they can be reached.   

     

Parents can't get to daycare, right away during an emergency, so all contact numbers should be ready, and to know who is designated to pick the child up. In a disaster everyone is at risk on being hurt and as a childcare professional you have to make sure that the children get to a safe place.  The appropriate steps in a planning in advance for disaster, I would provide them with detailed plans for specific emergencies.  Thinking ahead, by being prepared in the event of any emergency daycare parents should already know what you are going to do, and where you are going to go with their children.

          Develop a plan to meet each potential disaster and reflect the role of every child care staff in recovery and discuss what each person will do and in what order immediately after a disaster.  Pick places for everyone to meet outside the structure if there is a problem with the building.  A second place in the area that can be used if you need to move farther away from the facility making sure all of the parents know where the alternate site is located and the telephone number to use to reach you there.   Provide parents and staff family members an out-of-area phone contact number to make sure that everyone is safe.

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CPR and Choking Emergencies

            At snack time at Kennedy Elementary, I notice one of my 4 year olds having trouble breathing.   As, I approached the child she was conscious but could not cough, talk, or breathe, and beginning to turn blue.  I kneel behind her by providing support by placing one arm diagonally across her chest and lean her forward and firmly hit her child between the shoulder blades with the heel of my other hand giving five back blows. Then wrap my arms around her waist put my hands in a fist with one hand and place the thumb side against abdomen, just above the navel.   Each back blow and abdominal thrust was separate and distinct.  I continue alternating five back blows and five abdominal thrusts until the object is out and the child can breathe or cough forcefully.

                At center time a three year old little boy begin to make unusual noises while opening his mouth and his skin beginning to turned blue.  Suddenly he was unable to cry, cough, or speak; something was blocking his airway, and needed help to get it out.  Thinking fast I grab the child and begin to stick my finger to remove the object and clear the air passage.  I encourage him to cough to dislodge a blockage and clear his airway of the object, then ask someone to call 911 or the local emergency number.

                 Advance planning is very important for formal safety plan or crisis-response plan, to understand the basic elements of emergency management.  A clear understanding of each phase will help everyone to prevent emergency situation.  Action taken place in advance will develop operational togetherness and facilitate an effective response when a serious emergency occurs.  These steps include creating emergency warning systems keeping revising and updating current emergency-operations plans for better use. I will provide training and information for students, staff, and parents about the importance of the emergency policies and procedures of their roles in the plan.  Actions taken before, during or after an emergency to save sure that lives or saved. Lots of training and response drills that will allow warning systems to know the proper medical assistance. As well reviewing evacuation plans for the students and staff for sheltering in place that will provide reception and care for the students at emergency operations center.

                To ensure development in a family communication plan so that the parents and child are aware during a disaster plan. Inform them of developments in the disaster situation by telephone, cell phone, computer, radio, television, or newspaper identifies a meeting place away from home.  Maintain a large supply of personal, health, and home supplies, enough ready-to-eat food and water to last days.  A first-aid supplies kit should always have candles and flashlights or matches, a container that is waterproof for essential documents, and items needed.