MAKE YOUR PLAN.

Don't Wait. Communicate.

“Disasters can happen anywhere at any time, plan today how to reconnect with your family in the event of a disaster”. ReadyNH.gov

Emergency Planning is a way to stay safe while being informed of what is happening near or around you.

Emergency Planning
Emergency Planning

Emergency Planning

What You Need to Know:

Phase One - Prevention

Prevention is the actions taken to avoid, prevent or stop all-hazard types of incidents before they occur. Stated on Page 15 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”.   

For Families 

  • Create an Emergency Preparedness Plan 
  • Here are some helpful tips to create an emergency preparedness plan from Sesame Street: Let’s Get Ready-Planning Together.
  • EOP Brochure

For Providers 

Phase Two – Preparedness/Protection

Preparedness/Protection is the pre-emergency activities that attempt to prepare organizations to effectively respond to disasters or emergencies. This phase involves training, exercising, planning, and resource identification and acquisition. Stated on Page 15 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”.   

National Resources 

New Hampshire Resources 

Phase Three – Mitigation

Mitigation is the actions that are taken before an emergency to eliminate or reduce the risk to human life and property from natural, human-made, or technological hazards. Stated on Page 15 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”.   

 For Families & For Providers

  • Check with your insurance agent for questions on what happens after a disaster.  Please see the list below for some possible questions to ask or keep in mind:
    • What is currently covered under this policy? (Examples: Food, clothes, structural damages, item replacements, relocation, etc.) 
    • What are my deductibles and where can I find them within this policy?  
    • Where can I go for items not covered under this policy? (Examples: Federal agencies, State agencies, Local supports, etc.) 
    • What supports are offered under this policy to expedite my recovery after the disaster? 
  • Risk Assessment Worksheet
    • As stated on Page 80 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”. 
  • Mitigation Assessment Checklist:  Actions taken to reduce the loss of life and damage to property from all hazards.
    • As stated on Page 81 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”.  
  • New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template

Phase Four – Response

Response is the actual provision of emergency services during a crisis. These activities help to reduce casualties and damage and speed up recovery. Stated on Page 15 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”.   

  • Drop, Cover & Hold: This response action may be used in the event of an earthquake or possibly tornado.
  • Secure Campus: This response action may be used in the event of a threat from outside the building such as a police chase near the CCC/FCC/SAP or other potential violence in the surrounding community.  
  • Shelter-In-Place: This response action may be used in the event of outside of the building airborne hazardous materials, severe weather, smoke, radiological or nuclear material, etc.  
  • Lockdown: This response action may be used in the event of a situation within the building such as active shooter, hostage incident, trespasser, intruder, or disturbance that would require securing staff and children in their classrooms or other areas that are able to be locked.  
  • Evacuation: This response action may be used when it is necessary for staff, children, and visitors to exit the building when the fire alarm activates or an incident in the building poses an unsafe environment. In some cases it may be necessary to evacuate a building one room at a time, see Room by Room Evacuation section below. Two situations where this may be necessary: an internal hazardous material spill or a hostage situation.  
  • Reverse Evacuation: This response action may be used when it is necessary for staff, children, and visitors to enter the building quickly in order to avoid a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation outside the building such as a wild animal, smoke, severe weather, hazardous material, etc. 
  • Bomb Threat (SCAN): This response action is activated when it is necessary for staff to look around their area for any item which doesn’t belong there. Any bomb threat should be taken seriously and treated as a real situation until proven otherwise. Scan will be activated primarily in the case of a Bomb Threat, but could be utilized for any situation that required the staff to look for an item which may cause harm.  

*For more detailed information on these response drills please see pages 110-112 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”.   

Child Reunification Procedures: In order to protect the children in their care, CCCs/FCCs/SAPs should have procedures in place to identify how they will reunify children with family/guardian. Ideally, if there is advanced warning about the event, attempts should be made to reunite children with their families/guardians before the event occurs. It is recommended that the following actions be taken by the program before, during, and after a disaster to address reunification needs of children in the program. Stated on Page 69 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”.

How do I know which response drill to use? 

  • Look to these Alert Apps to find out what is happening in your area.

Phase Five – Recovery

Recovery is both a short-term and long-term process. Short-term operations seek to restore essential services to the program and provide for the basic needs of children and staff. Long-term recovery focuses on restoring the program to its normal pre-disaster or an improved, state of affairs. The recovery period is also an opportune time to institute future mitigation measures, particularly those related to the recent emergency. Stated on Page 15 of the “New Hampshire – Child Care Center, Family Child Care & School Age Program Emergency Operations Plan Template”.   

 For Families & For Providers: Short Term & Long Term Resources

Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) page