Emergency Predaredness

Running Head: Week 2 Application                                                                                      1

Week 2 Application

Section 2: Emergency Procedures

Andrea Tubbs-Lampkin

December 14, 2014

Walden University EDUC 1005

Instructor Roberta Marshall

Week 2 Application                                                                                                                2

·         Describe each of the disaster scenarios you have chosen (such as a hurricane that has quickly developed in your area) and a real or hypothetical early childhood setting (such as a Head Start program housed on a university campus near the coast). What are the main dangers posed by these situations? Who is at risk?

In this blog, I plan to give guidelines and information for disasters in a preschool environment. Disasters can happen in just a matter of seconds and there is no way anyone can be totally prepared for one. In the state of Georgia we experience many severe weather disasters. Some cities in Georgia may experience the disaster a little worse than others. My first scenario is tornados in a preschool environment. It is important for caregivers/educators to know and understand the correct emergency procedure for seeking shelter or either evacuating the premises. Because tornado’s can occur in matter of seconds it is important for all preschools to have an emergency plan posted in specific areas of the centers.  Caregivers/professionals should be prepared to keep children safe and protect them during this time of disaster.

Preschools should have monthly tornado drills with children, by doing this when a tornado occur the children are aware of what is going on.  The main dangers that could occur during a tornado are debris from houses, strong winds, lighting strikes, fallen utility poles and flying glass.

Week 2 Application                                                                                                          3

          My next scenario is power outage, again in every preschool environment there should be an emergency plan outlined and posted near every classroom or stairway. Preschools classrooms should have flashlights, batteries, emergency bag and a backup generator. The main danger of power outage is someone could be serious injured or death,

Children, caregivers, parents, families, professional, EMTS, first responders and law enforcers are all at risk in a disaster situation.

          All caregivers and educators should be prepared in any emergency situation.  There should CPR/first training held once a year or regularly. Emergency procedures should be made available to caregivers and parents. According to Safety, Nutrition and Health states, “lack of adequate preparation for disaster could cause the need to replace equipment or repair buildings, requiring a program to be shut down for a time and worse yet; it could also mean injury or loss of life to children or teachers (Robertson, 2013 p.197). The steps I would take is, to make sure all of my teachers have the proper training, I would have emergency procedure plan outlined and contact numbers of The American Red Cross and FEMA and displayed in my center for both teacher and parent access.

References

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.