February 7, 2023

Can you imagine boarding a plane where the flight attendants don’t give their safety spiel? Or attending a concert in a huge stadium with no EXIT signs? Pretty unlikely, right? Emergencies do happen, and it’s best to be prepared. Luckily, over time, humans have developed protocols in case of emergencies so we can enjoy our everyday lives safely. The same should apply to your out-of-school time program. If it’s been a while since you looked at your program’s emergency preparedness plan, this is your friendly reminder to revisit it! Y4Y’s Developing and Implementing a Safety Plan Click & Go illuminates the path to clear roles and expectations when responding to various emergencies. As Alexander Graham Bell once said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

Welcome Aboard “Flight Y4Y,” With Service to “Preparedness”

The Click & Go mentioned above can help you reflect on how well your current emergency preparedness plan prepares your staff and students for safety threats, whether they’re human-caused emergencies or natural disasters. Have you been effectively wandering around in the dark, trying to figure out where to begin? The U.S. government’s five mission areas for national preparedness “break it down” and make it simple:

• Prevention — Preventing a threat or incident from occurring in the first place
• Protection — Active actions to safeguard students, staff, families, and more from threats
  Tip: Use Y4Y’s Communication With Families About Safety to support your efforts.
• Mitigation — Increasing your program’s ability to lessen the impact of an emergency
  Tip: A great way to mitigate threats is by practicing what you’d do in the event of one. This may include tweaking your host organization’s lockdown drill to better fit your program. Use Y4Y’s Lockdown Drill Modification Example as a guide.
• Response — Stabilizing the situation once an emergency has already transpired, or will surely transpire, like establishing an evacuation plan
  Tip: Take inspiration from Y4Y’s Evacuation Steps tool.
• Recovery — Restoring the learning environment through human and physical support

Please Review the Safety Card in the Seat Pocket

As you consider how well your current emergency preparedness plan addresses each of the five mission areas, consider these key questions:

• Are you duplicating resources from your host organization?
• Should the host organization’s plan be adjusted to fit your program’s needs?
• Do you need help connecting with your host organization’s safety lead?
  Tip: Y4Y has a tool for that! Use the Safety Plan Meeting Request Letter/Email to get in touch with your organization’s safety lead.

Ready for Takeoff?

Remember, the pilot can’t have a successful journey without a flight crew, so it’s crucial to get your staff involved in the training and implementation process! From establishing a calendar that lets staff know what safety drills you’re doing (and when) to planning for training, drills, and practice, there are plenty of ways to include your staff in this ongoing process. It’s not only crucial, but it’s sustainable, too! The chance for emergencies will never be zero since you won’t have clear skies all the time. But if you follow the guidance in Y4Y’s Developing and Implementing a Safety Plan Click & Go, you’ll be set for safe travels no matter what lies ahead!