Section 2: Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

Section 2: Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

Megan Swenson

Educ 1005

September 15, 2013

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Section 2: Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

Crisis situations can take many forms and occur at any time. A disaster, whether human-generated or natural, may threaten a facility where young children are present. Depending on where the facility is located, natural disasters range from fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, to floods. Unfortunately, these are not the only kinds of emergencies adults who work with young children must plan for. The terrorist attack of 9/11 and news of various school shootings have underscored the critical importance of emergency preparedness of all kinds. Although years may go by without a crisis, when a critical situation presents itself, adults must be able to respond quickly and effectively. Advance planning is essential.

Early childhood professionals should prepare for large-scale dangers, such as ecological disasters or terrorist attacks, the same way they prepare for emergencies involving individuals: by first identifying the kind of crisis that may occur, analyzing the risks it poses, and determining steps to prevent and cope with the dangerous situation. This week, you will continue to work on your course project by creating Section 2, "Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters." You will select and investigate a crisis situation caused by two different disasters and draft a plan for dealing with each one.

·         Think of two specific dangers or disaster scenarios that could threaten an early childhood environment in the area where you live. Review and/or familiarize yourself with relevant information and guidelines using the following resources:

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o    Read through relevant sections of the American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/) and FEMA (http://www.fema.gov/) Web sites.

o    Consult the "Day Care Facilities Emergency Planning Guide."

o    Refer to the "Reality Check" sections on pages 199–201 ("Creating an Emergency Natural Disaster Plan for Your Early Childhood Education Environment") and pages 203–204 ("Human-Generated Disasters") of your course text, and identify the appropriate planning steps for the disasters you selected.

For this section of your course project, complete the following:

·         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?

·         Explain why you and your colleagues should be prepared. What are the consequences of not being prepared?

·         Summarize the appropriate steps you would take to develop a plan in advance for this disaster and how you would deal with it if it occurs.

Be sure to:

·         Explain how you would assess the risks.

·         Identify potential complications created by this disaster besides the main disaster/danger itself.

·         Describe any other steps you and/or your early childhood program should take to be prepared to handle this kind of crisis. What kinds of materials or documentation (e.g., first aid supplies, family emergency contact information, and so on) would be necessary and/or helpful?

·         Explain how you might involve the families of the children in your care.

This week, you will submit the second section of your course project for your Instructor to review.

Submit this assignment by Day 7 of this week.

In the area that I live in we typically always have a tornado warning or it has touched down nearby. I would have to say that one of the top things that I do to assess it is which way is it going and is it headed right for me. This is something that is a given because back in the day we were in a bowl and tornados literally skips over us and hits the other side. Everyone who is in the path of this storm is whom is at risk. The main complication that arises with this one is the fact that objects fly and the debris and the fact that buildings get torn apart and mangled. I would have to say that as a early childhood program should have a basement with water bottles and snacks as well as flashlights and a first aid kit. This is the way in which you would be prepared and when it actually happens you would go to that safe place and stay there until they give the all clear. The only way in which you can involve the families is having them provide the supplies and when the all clear is given then you can take the children to their parents or whoever cares from them. If you are not prepared for the tornado then you could have to go days without water because the tornado does so much damage.

The next disaster that we have in this area is fires that burn uncontrolled. The main danger of a fire like this is that grass and buildings catch fire. I know for a fact that anyone in the path of this fire is at risk then there is a huge risk that if you are not prepared for it then there is a risk of injury and death. I would assess the risks by how fast is the fire going and what are the chances it will hit me and what do I take to keep myself safe and my belongings safe. There are complications that the disaster gives to itself and that is becoming so large that the firefighters can not get it put out. I would have to say that as a child care giver I should be alert of what is going on around me. The only material I think you can have is an extinguisher. I think that families of the children in my care can make sure that when they are burning  that they have checked with the city and that the weather conditions are okay to burn as well as making sure that they are safe when they burn their brush or whatever else that they may need to burn.

These two disasters are very hard to prepare for because there is so much that can happen when it comes to the storm and tornados develop out of nowhere. Joplin, Missouri is about an hour south of here and I asked someone there what it was like to be there when the storm came through and they responded and said that there was no time to do anything. They said the storm went from just a thunderstorm to a tornado is a short amount of time. Fires are pretty unpredictable as well because you never know when someone is going to set a fire and it be too windy for it or when someone is going to do the wrong thing. Just make sure that you have fire detectors in your house and have a tornado prepared basement to go to with bottled water and blankets because people can get trapped for days in the building they are in or basement they are in. Just be aware of what is going on and keep yourself and family safe.