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Emergency Management Services of King County

Photo: KidsAre you a teacher or parent? Concerned about effectively communicating preparedness needs to children? Children may have difficulty understanding what to do and where to turn in emergency situations, especially if they are without a parent or adult. Providing children with the necessary tools to stay safe in an emergency is an invaluable asset to our community, as having an agreed-upon disaster plan in place can help both kids and parents stay calm in an emergency. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of valuable kid-directed preparedness information links to utilize at home and in the classroom. These sites explain various emergency needs in easy-to-understand language and make learning about disasters fun!

Welcome back to school: Is your child prepared? 

Natural hazards, disasters, and emergencies can happen at all hours of the day. Providing children with the resource to stay safe on their own or in the classroom is an invaluable asset to our community. Parents should compile an "Emergency Comfort Kit" for their child and create a "Family Emergency Plan" to help both kids and parents stay calm when separated in an emergency. Learn how to prepare and create an emergency comfort kit for your child. 

School violence is of a growing concern throughout our nation and local communities. There are numerous resources available to help parents, teachers and students deal with this issue, including school threat assessments, school safety, strategies for dealing with harassment, intimation, and bullying, and resources for working with at-risk youth. 

Educational Facilities: When choosing a school for your child, it is important to find out if that school or district is prepared in case of emergency. Will your child be safe? Ask these potential questions of your prospective school to find out more:

  • Do you have an emergency plan?
  • When was it last updated?
  • May I review a copy of the plan?
  • When was the emergency plan last exercised?
  • Do you have evacuation procedures?
  • How are students with disabilities evacuated safely?
  • How are disaster kits handled for both students and staff?
  • How are family members notified in case of an emergency?
  • In case of emergency, how long are you prepared to take care of my child?
  • What are your release procedures?
  • Do you utilize “lockdowns”?
  • Are there on-site security personnel?
  • How long are they on school grounds?
  • Do you teach lessons on preparedness to students and staff? For example, are there staff members who have undergone Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) training?
  • What is the percentage of staff members who are trained in basic and advanced first aid?
  • Do you have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) clearly marked and readily available? What is the percentage of staff members who are trained to use it?
  • In case of power failure, do you have an emergency power source or back-up generator?

/ Links and Resources

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  Updated: April 21, 2008