Emergency management policy and procedure

The purpose of this policy is to provide clear direction for staff and supervisor to follow to manage emergency situations. The procedures set out steps for daycare staff to support the safety and well-being of everyone involved. This policy and following procedures will support all individuals including children who have individual plan, resulting in the safest outcomes possible.

  • All directions given by emergency services personnel will be followed under all circumstances, including directions to evacuate to locations different than those listed below.
  • For any emergency situations involving a child with an individualized plan in place, the procedures in the child’s individualized plan will be followed.
  • If any emergency situations happen that are not described in this document, We B Kidz Supervisor will provide direction to staff for the immediate response and next steps. Daycare staff will follow the direction given.
  • If any emergency situations result in a serious occurrence, the serious occurrence policy and procedures will also be followed.
  • All emergency situations will be documented in detail by We B Kidz Supervisor in the daily written record.

The following is our off-site meeting place in case of evacuation: For situations that require evacuation of the childcare centre, the meeting place to gather immediately will be located at: We B Kidz parking lot If it is deemed ‘unsafe to return’ to the childcare centre, the long term evacuation site to proceed to is located at:

Phase 1: Immediate Emergency Response

Phase 2: Next Steps During the Emergency

  1. Where emergency services personnel are not already aware of the situation, supervisor or designee must notify emergency services personnel (911) of the emergency as soon as possible.
  2. Supervisor/ designee must wait for further instructions from emergency services personnel. Once instructions are received, they must communicate the instructions to staff and ensure they are followed.
  3. Throughout the emergency, staff will:
    • help keep children calm;
    • take attendance to ensure that all children are accounted for;
    • conduct ongoing visual checks and head counts of children;
    • maintain constant supervision of the children; and
    • engage children in activities, where possible.
  4. In situations where injuries have been sustained, staff with first aid training will assist with administering first aid. Staff must inform emergency personnel of severe injuries requiring immediate attention and assistance.
  5. The individual who receives the ‘all-clear’ from an authority must inform all staff that the ‘all-clear’ has been given and that it is safe to return to the childcare centre. Supervisor will determine if operations will resume and communicate this decision to staff

Phase 3: Communication

As soon as possible, Supervisor/designee and educators must notify parents/guardians of the emergency. Educators can use We B Kidz phone line in the classrooms to contact parents. An up-to-date emergency contact list is available with numbers to all emergency personnel including police, fire and ambulance as well as the nearest poison control centre, taxi service in classrooms, staff room, office and kitchen. In the case of an emergency and evacuation of the center, staff are permitted to have on them their cell phones to aid in communication with parents to ensure that all parents of children on site have been contacted. In the case of phone lines being down, we will use emails as a means of communicating with parents or emergency personnel.

Phase 4: Recovery (After an Emergency Situation has Ended)

Procedures for resuming normal operations will happen after authority confirmation that a threat and/or disaster no longer pose a danger and it is deemed safe to return to the childcare premises and/or resume normal operations. Supervisor will contact staff and parents to inform them when the childcare centre will re-open after an emergency. Once normal operations at the childcare centre have resumed, Supervisor will inform all appropriate entities and the program advisor from Ministry of Education. Children and staff who are experiencing distress after the emergency has subsided will be assessed and supported on an individual basis. Assessment will be done by program staff or parents for children and by Supervisor for staff. Support may include additional explanation of emergency, quiet space/time, etc. Supervisor must debrief staff, children and parents/guardians after the emergency. If a staff and/or a parents requires more information than can be included in the communication sent through email or letter, supervisor will arrange meeting for those staff or parent.