EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

The American Red Cross Emergency Planning Guide stated that most of the content was merely common sense approaches. I could not agree more. If a hurricane is coming, or a warning is announced, “common sense” would tell you not to go out. At our center we watch the news, listen to the weather report, and sometimes even contact the local weather anchor for further guidance. During the last tropical storm/ hurricane (I believe it was August of 2008), we decided to close the center for the entire day. The meteorologist stated the rain should arrive around 3 or 4 “tomorrow” afternoon, but we felt it was best to not open at all. Our main reasons were the safety of the children (parents would still try to get their children to school) and safety for the staff (how would we make it home in the middle of a storm?) especially being that this is a very rural area (plenty of clay dirt roads). The parents were “livid!” They could not understand why the center had to close down for the entire day because the weatherman said it wasn’t going to rain until sometime that next afternoon. Well, fast forward, the rain actually began around 2:00 o’clock in the morning, and flooded pretty much all the roads! So dealing with tropical storms, and hurricanes, I agree with the book, “use common sense.”

School Shooting....
We are a small center, and I’m sure (and prayerful) that this will never happen at our center. However, we did have a situation where a convict had escaped from the local prison. How we happened to find out about it was when a parent of an elementary school aged child called us to ask had we heard about the search. I immediately became enraged because not the Sheriff’s office or the local Police had the common courtesy to contact us of what was going on. I took the liberty of contacting both departments to find what their reasoning was for not notifying us. Not surprisingly they had no excuse or reason to offer. I informed them of how close we were to the prison and how if anyone should’ve been notified we should’ve been one of the first. Sometimes, centers and childcare homes, are the last (if ever) to be notified.
It is a Florida state requirement that the center door remain unlocked during operating hours. However, since our center has more than one door, we have decided to lock the “main” door which leads to the street, and keep the door in the kitchen unlocked. This way, if anyone ever tries to burst in, at least the children are not readily exposed. If someone were to bust into the center, all of us are disbursed throughout the center and equipped with telephones, so someone would immediately contact the local authorities.


In today’s time, everyone needs to always be aware. I am not originally from Florida, I was born and raised in New York, and the nonchalant attitude the southerners possess is beyond me. I am critical of everyone. I look at everyone with the crooked eye. The people here are so trusting, it’s unhealthy. They still leave their doors unlocked. What’s up with that???? For your safety and the safety of everyone around you, especially the children in your care, you must be alert, and prepared. How do you prepare? Being alert is the number one way to be alert. Be aware of what’s happening around you. Know what is predicted and when (related to the weather). Knowledge is power in more ways than one.
After that particular storm, that was very devastating here, we actually had a meeting with the parents, to explain that our number one concern was the safety of THEIR children, and we would expect for them to be onboard and in agreement when planning for these types of situations. For goodness sakes, this is Florida, so it’s not like a hurricane is out of the ordinary. We sent papers home with the children to help the parents better prepare for the next hurricane. Stock up on can foods and water. Don’t wait until you hear of a hurricane or tropical storm coming before you go out and buy these supplies. Each time you go to the grocery store, pick up a can or two and one gallon of water, store it in the closet along with a pack of candles and matches. Candles without matches are pretty useless. Planning is so important. During Fire Prevention Week, the local fire department comes by the center, and brings the truck (as I’m sure they do everywhere), and the children learn the basics about fire safety, which of course they take home and share with their parents. Aside from our first aid kit, the Director and Lead Teacher each have a folder with the names and emergency contact information of each child at the center. So, in the event it’s ever needed, all we have to do is grab one folder and it’s complete with everything pertaining to that child. I watch the news and weather a lot. I do not believe in taking chances with my life or the life of those entrusted to me, therefore, if I felt it were necessary to close the center for the day of the predicted storm, then we would do that. Safety is number one.