Emergency preparedness does not have to be scary, nor does it have to wait until elementary school. Explore concepts of safety and empower your tots to feel in control, rather than scared. Discuss things that are beyond your control like the rain, and storms, and how too much of a good thing can cause trouble sometimes, like power outages, or flooding. Talk about things that are in your control like fire and what action steps too take if an alarm goes off and there is a fire in your home, like how to crawl low, under smoke to escape; feel a door before opening it; practice “stop-drop and roll” if fire gets on them. Practice your home escape plan multiple times a year.
Then create and share your Family Disaster Plan with your entire family and give everyone a role. Decide where to meet, whom to call, what to do in case of fire, natural disasters, or other emergencies that may arise. Have your little one help you put together a disaster kit and discuss what each item is and why it would be good to have, like a flashlight, water, a first aid kit, tools, a blanket, etc.
Meet with local response teams such as the police, fire departments or a doctor to help your child understand that these people work together to help and protect you. Give them reinforcements at every opportunity, when you hear or see an ambulance, for example, say, “that ambulance is going to help someone because someone had an emergency.”
Teach them how to dial 911 and make sure they know what to say. Teach your child his or her phone number, address and any description that may help someone reach you should you not be able to assist your child.
Useful links-
• http://www.911forkids.com/images/stories/educators/For%20Educators%20and%20Parents.pdf
• http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/color.pdf
• http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/docview.asp?docid=12512&locid=18
• http://www.listo.gov/america/_downloads/inschool_book.pdf