Rules for Tornado Drills in Daycares

Emergency evacuations of child care facilities during twisters can be traumatic for youngsters. Advanced planning becomes especially critical to the wellbeing of frightened children. Rules for tornado drills in day cares require detailed plans that are tested before a funnel cloud is ever spotted. These mock tornado evacuations go a long way in keeping little ones calm and focused. Safety exercises are often mandated by state, county or municipal authorities as part of licensing requirements or emergency management planning.

Awareness

• Day care leaders develop their readiness plans and post them on facility walls before conducting drills. These detailed instructions typically outline step-by-step actions to move children to an emergency shelter. For instance, Bright Horizons --- a worldwide system of child care facilities ---publishes an online plan that requires teachers to move infants and non-ambulatory children first. Staff members also must cover children and adults with protective blankets to safeguard against shattering glass. In Minnesota, the Washington County disaster guidelines for day cares calls upon employees to move quickly and avoid stopping to look for funnel clouds. Teachers also know from reading their schools' plans that they are expected to keep battery-operated radios in their classrooms that they can carry to the emergency shelter.

Training

• The next step in implementing a tornado preparedness plan at a day care is a trial run. Staff and children typically walk through every step, from announcements of a tornado spotting to the final all-clear signal. Day cares benefit from frequent tornado drills during storm seasons because youngsters are less anxious during a real emergency, according to the Washington County plan. More than one mock evaluation should be held during naptimes, according to Bright Horizons. Centers that operate for more than 12 hours a day should conduct several of their drills during off-peak hours, such as early in the morning or late in the evening. Local emergency management officials can assist during drills to ensure that teachers are not mistakenly herding children into a restroom where glass windows might shatter.

Panic

• Day care children need emotional reassurance as much as they need physical protection. Unusual events scare toddlers, so extra sensitivity must be built into rules for tornado drills. In Washington County, Minn., emergency planners suggest day care employees use some humor during simulated emergencies by having children make noises like thunder and wind. Washington County leaders recommend laughter again when all the lights are turned out to imitate darkness. A teacher can put kids at ease in the darkness by jokingly saying, "Who is that giggling?" During practices, day care employees should observe children's behaviors to see who might need extra reassurance during a real disaster.