Preparing For the Unexpected
Emergencies don’t check your budget size, number of volunteers, or how many kids you have on your roster. A fire alarm, a severe storm, a medical emergency, or an unwanted visitor can happen at any time. The good news is that preparation doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It just needs to be intentional.
The Emergency Action Plan
An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is the foundation of your safety strategy. It’s a written, practiced set of procedures that tells every volunteer and staff member exactly what to do when something goes wrong, so no one has to think on the fly during a crisis. Without one, even the most well-meaning volunteers can freeze, disagree on next steps, or waste minutes figuring out where to go.
A good EAP isn’t just a binder that sits on a shelf. It’s a living document that answers practical questions:
- Who is responsible for headcounts during an evacuation?
- Where do classes go for a fire versus a severe weather event?
- How and where do you reunite children with parents afterward?
- Who calls 911 and notifies leadership?
When everyone knows their role ahead of time, chaos turns into calm, coordinated action.
Easy Tips
- Map Exits and Shelter Spots
Walk through your space and identify at least two evacuation routes from every room, plus a designated outdoor meeting point. For severe weather, identify the safest interior room away from windows. Post the maps at classroom doors or include them in your Emergency Instructions Flip Book where volunteers can see them.
- Use a Check-In / Check-Out System
Knowing exactly which children are in your care and which classroom they are in at any given moment is critical during an emergency. If you are not using an electronic check-in system, even a basic sign-in sheet can help make headcounts fast and accurate.
- Train Volunteers on the Basics
A ten-minute briefing before each session on “here’s what we do if the alarm sounds” helps people remember over time. Repetition, not complexity, is what makes your plan effective and remembered.
- Keep Emergency Contact Info Accessible
Store parent and guardian numbers, allergy information, and medical requirements (for evacuation of those with special needs) in a format that’s easily accessible. The goal is to be able to access this information from a mobile device because sometimes it is not possible to stay and look up information on a computer. The KidCheck Admin Console app provides real time attendance data with a ‘live list’ of checked-in children, along with key information about each, for easy reference even outside the facility in case of emergency evacuation or fire drill.
- Prioritize Practice Drills
Try to run drills for fire and a shelter-in-place at least twice a year. Keeping them low-key and non-stressful yet reassuring helps the kids understand what they will have to do in an emergency. Compliment staff and volunteers who follow the steps well, and use each drill as a chance to fine-tune your plan.
- Designate Roles Clearly
Assign one person to lead evacuations, one to handle headcounts, and one to communicate (via broadcast messaging, broadcast email, or an emergency alert system) with emergency services, leadership, families, and the security team. For smaller organizations, you can double up on roles, but it’s important that everyone knows their job during an emergency.
- Review and Update Your Plan Regularly
Revisit your plan every year, as well as after any real incident, no matter how minor. Facilities change, staff turns over, volunteers drop off, and lessons are learned. These changes are a great way to identify gaps in process, knowledge, and safety.
Small Steps Big Impact
Emergency preparedness isn’t a single project but an ongoing commitment. You don’t need to have it all figured out today. The goal is to build quiet confidence one safety tip at a time and not instill fear among your team or the families you serve. When families know their children’s organization has a safety plan, and staff and volunteers are trained on what to do and where to go, everyone has peace of mind, which helps things run smoothly in the event of an emergency.
Join Us Today!
If you are looking for ways to increase safety, prepare for emergencies, and connect more easily with families, we can help! Join us for a demo and learn about the benefits of secure children’s and youth check-in, mobile Express Check-in, Check-in Station Pro, and our live support, available six days a week, including Sunday morning.
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