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3. Lockdown/Shelter-in-Place Drill
During lockdown or shelter-in-place drills you will take immediate shelter and stay where you are. Some reasons for needing to lockdown or shelter-in-place include threats of violence, release of hazardous materials or extreme weather conditions. During these conditions seek protection in an interior room in your facility with no or few windows. The length of time you shelter may be brief or long. Drill for threats of violence using code words to alert staff of threats so that children will not be alarmed or panic.
4. Evacuation Drill
An evacuation occurs when children and staff need to leave the building because of a crisis situation. An evacuation may last a few minutes or a few days. You should have 2 evacuation sites; one close by and another outside of your neighborhood. Have easy access to a Ready-to-Go Kit that includes children’s and staff’s emergency contact information and any key documents. It is important that you have prior agreements with your evacuation sites. Use the Evacuation Site Agreement Form in the Appendix to develop a written agreement with your evacuation sites. These agreements should be updated and renewed on a yearly basis.
Drills should:
Include all children
Include all staff (as well as everyone in the home if you are a Family Child Care Home) Be documented
Be practiced regularly
Include the practice of supervising children
Practice roles and responsibilities of staff
See Emergency Preparedness Quick Guide for Child Care for more information to Prepare, Respond and Recover from fire, earthquake and other emergencies and disasters.
You will need to ensure that you have an Evacuation Drill Permission Form filled out and signed for each child. A good time for parents to complete this form and learn about your emergency preparedness plan is when they enroll their child in your program. An Evacuation Drill Permission Form can be found in the Appendix.
Use the Be Prepared Checklist to document your drills and preparedness activities. Complete the form each time an item is completed or reviewed. Use the tool to make notes for improving the activity next time it is conducted. Assign a person to be responsible for overseeing the calendar and the activities.
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