Emergency Preparedness

            Emergency planning is extremely important no matter where you live. Each area has different disasters that can occur at different times. Disasters are reality in all places; it is important to be prepared for them even on a just in case basis. While some disasters can be more immediately devastating others can develop into a devastating event when they get out of control. Two disasters that can affect the area I live in are wildfires and winter storms. While each event occurs differently it is important to know the main dangers for each event, be prepared and know the consequences of not, and develop a plan for each disaster.

            Wildfires are a reality for anyone that lives in wooded areas. When a wildfire starts due to lightening striking during a summer storm, and the ground is very dry due to drought conditions it can be devastating. The fire moves very quickly, because everything is dry and makes great fuel for it. The wind that comes with the storm causes the fire to move fast, therefore making it difficult to fight. The preschool is located in a town that is in the middle of this forestry area. The main dangers posed by this situation are when a fire can sweeps through an area destroying everything in its path. Everyone in the surrounding area can be in potential danger.

            Winter storms can be very dangerous when they come in, lasting for several days and are severe. Temperatures can drop very low making it very dangerous to be outside, while the blizzard like snow and/or ice can be dangerous to anyone that is out in it. A severe winter storm has developed quickly midmorning from what was forecast to be a mild snow. The wind came in and the snow starts coming down quickly and in large amounts. The early learning center is located centrally in one of the small towns in the area, and most of the children come to it from distances as far as twenty to thirty miles away. Most of the roads have some mountainous areas to them that lead into the town where the early learning center is located. The main dangers posed by severe winter storms in this area are that the roads become very dangerous and slippery to drive on when there are steep grades to go up and down, also the severe drop in temperature can be very dangerous, especially when combined with the possible power outages that can affect heating. Everyone can be affected by the severe low temperatures. Anyone who needs to be out driving can be affected by the weather.

            It is very important to be prepared for both situations. Both situations can suddenly turn very threatening and dangerous. A wildfire can change directions and head for an area that it was not originally headed for. One of the consequences of not being prepared is not having a place to go with the children if parents cannot get to them. A mild snow can quickly turn into a severe storm with pounding wind, snow, and ice which becomes very dangerous to maneuver around in and usually brings a severe drop in temperature. FEMA states this on their website, “one of the primary concerns is the winter weather's ability to knock out heat, power and communications services to your home or office, sometimes for days at a time” (¶ 2). This is why it is important to be prepared in case you need to keep kids until their parents can get through the weather or the storm subsides. Some of the risks are running out of water or food.

            In order to be prepared for the possibility of these disasters occurring it is important to have a plan in place. It is important to have all of the staff involved in the center as part of the planning process. It is important “to put together the information that has been gathered as to [the] risk for each hazard and then look to the early childhood education center ….. for possible consequences should that hazard occur” (Robertson, 2013, p.198). It would then be necessary to think of possible scenarios and the risks that are possible from those scenarios. The next thing would be to make a list of the things that would be needed in order to deal with this disaster, if it were to occur. Another thing that would be important is to plan how to practice being prepared with the children that are old enough to participate and for the educators, so they would be confident they knew what to do with the younger children as well. If the disaster were to occur it would be important to contact parents, and to follow the plans that were put into place. One other thing that is extremely important for people working with children is to remember to stay calm and work it through. This allows the children to do the same thing.

            Being prepared for disasters of any kind is important in early childhood environments. Natural disasters are important to be prepared for, because they can occur quickly without much notice sometimes. It is important to have a plan in advance for disasters, be aware of the main dangers and be prepared for the possible disasters in your area. Being prepared for the potential wildfire and severe winter storm is very important in this area. Remember to try to stay calm and execute your plan to the best of your ability during a natural disaster.

Resources

Goodway, J. D., & Robinson, L. E. (2006, March). SKIPing toward an active start: Promoting physical activity in preschoolers. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. Retrieved on October 7, 2012 from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf.

New York State Department of Health. (2006, April). Preventing childhood obesity: Tips for child care professionals. Retrieved on October 7, 2012 from http://www.health.state.ny.us/prevention/nutrition/resources/obchcare.htm.

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