Policy:

Wee Care Daycare has established practices that prevent accidental injuries, protect children from harm and remove children from danger in the event of a fire or another emergency.

Procedure:

1. Wee Care Daycare has a written procedure for fire drills approved by the local fire department. Each employee shall be trained in fire emergency procedures. Each classroom has specific instructions for moving children safely out of the building, following the evacuation diagram posted outside each room.

2. In case of an emergency that makes the center’s premises unsafe, the children will be evacuated from the building. Wee Care Daycare has arrangements with the Sutton Group to bring the children to their location until the premises are safe for our return or until the children can be picked up by their families. The Sutton Group is located across the parking lot from Wee Care Daycare.

3. Emergency evacuation/fire drills are practiced monthly to familiarize the employees and children with the procedure.

4. Families are notified when emergency evacuation/fire drills occur.

5. The keys for the fire alarm panel are hanging on the left-hand side at the top of the fire panel, and the key chain in the office is readily available to the management employees. There is a fire department key box outside the building on unit 108.

6. Our fire alarm system is verified once a year by Magnum Electric. All fire extinguishers are inspected annually. Our Fire Safety and Emergency Evacuation plan will be reviewed and updated annually.

Fire Safety Plan

The emergency procedures to be used in case of fire include:

1. Sounding the alarm - in case of a fire drill, management will call the fire department and the monitoring company before sounding the alarm on the fire panel. Management will have the monthly fire drill checklist and time the employees while ensuring the evacuation procedure is followed. Management will provide the monthly fire drill checklist is filled out accurately and notify the fire department once the fire drill is complete.

2. Fire drills are done once a month. Wee Care Daycare aims to evacuate all children and employees in under two minutes. If this does not happen, management will schedule more frequent fire drills.

3. A list of emergency phone numbers is posted in the office. A portable emergency card is accessible for management when evacuating the building.

This list will include the following:

· Emergency Medical Services

· 911

· Ambulance Service

· Fire Department

· Police Service

· Poison Control Center

· Grande Prairie Regional Hospital

· Child Abuse Hotline

4. Wee Care Daycare uses Hi Mama for attendance in each room. The educators will take their space iPads when evacuating; therefore, they have the children’s attendance records. The program contains the children’s emergency information.

5. Each childcare room has an emergency backpack, including a first aid kit and emergency medications. Anytime the educators leave the room with the children, the bag must go with them.

6. The children and employees must always wear shoes in case of evacuation.

7. Employees will ensure that not more than 20% of wall space is covered and will set rooms up to ensure all exits are always clear. Nothing will be hung near light fixtures or wall plugs.

8. Wee Care Daycare will post on the center's front door the telephone number of the center’s license holder for after-hour emergency contact.

Evacuation Procedure for Educators

1. In case of emergency when children are evacuated from the premises, the educators must follow the Evacuation Diagram posted outside their room. Each educator is required to bring the following during an evacuation.

· All the children in their care (the cook and the director will help evacuate the baby room, and the coordinator and all other available employees will help the toddler room evacuate)

· The emergency backpack from each room

· iPad with Hi Mama access

2. Once out of the building, employees will do a head count to ensure all children in their care are out of the building and safely cross the parking lot to the Sutton Group building. If a child is missing, educators will immediately let management know.

3. Once safely at the Sutton Group building, educators will do attendance again. If there is any discrepancy, they will let management know immediately.

4. Employees will follow all instructions from emergency personnel and management. Employees will stay with children and in the proper ratios until it is safe to return to the building or children are picked up.

Evacuation Procedure for Management

1. In case of a fire alarm, the director will take a phone and check the fire panel while calling 911 to tell them what the fire panel says. The director will help evacuate the baby room while on the phone.

2. The coordinator would grab the emergency binder and help the toddler room evacuate.

3. Once the director has helped evacuate the baby room, they will go back inside, if it is safe to do so, to do a final sweep of the entire daycare. The director will join the other employees and children at the Sutton Group building.

4. The coordinator will ensure all rooms have done a head count. If a child is missing and it is safe to do so, the coordinator will go back into the building to find the missing child. (If not safe to return to the building, the coordinator will wait for emergency personnel.)

5. Management will follow directions from emergency personnel and ensure that ratios are always being met. Management will contact the children’s families to pick them up if needed. Management will stay until the last child has been pickup.

6. The Director and license holder will ensure that all employees, children, and families have access to the help and support they may need to deal with the aftermath of an emergency.