Emergencies: A Mid-Year Check

Make certain that all staff members in your program are prepared to take the steps necessary to care for children in emergency situations. Here are some important safety measures to help you take a mid-year check of your emergency plans:

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Take preventive measures. Talk with children regularly about safety rules, including how to use indoor and outdoor equipment, safe and respectful ways to interact with peers, and how to use classroom materials.

Be sure the adults in your program know where the first aid kit is located. Check the kit regularly to make sure that it is stocked. A first aid kit should include: quick reference manual, first aid chart, bandages, scissors, tweezers, thermometer, measuring device for medications, rubber gloves, ipecac syrup, isopropyl alcohol, sterile dressings, adhesive tape, and cotton balls.

Teachers should be knowledgeable about basic first aid procedures including how to control bleeding and how to administer CPR.

Check smoke detectors and other alarms regularly to be sure they are in proper working order.

Arrange cots so that walkways are always clear in case a quick evacuation is necessary.

Post laminated, updated emergency telephone numbers for children by the telephone, as well as police, fire, poison control centers, and hospital emergency room numbers.

Check to see that emergency escape routes are clearly marked in all classrooms and hallways.

Keep stairs and hallways free of clutter, allowing quick, efficient escapes.

Share the safety measures you take at school with families so that they can reinforce these practices with children at home.

This article originally appeared in the February, 2001 issue of Early Childhood Today.

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