Preparing Children for Emergencies

Emergency situations and natural disasters can be stressful for everyone and especially frightening for children. Preparing them for what to expect, supporting them and communicating openly can help children cope with disaster situations.

Visit www.ready.gov/kids/helping-children-cope for more resources on helping kids understand and cope with emergency situations.

Tips for Emergency Preparedness with Children

• Include the whole family in emergency planning: Make sure the whole family knows the details of the house- hold emergency plan including where the plan is kept, who will be contacted in case of emergency, what the evacuation plan is, where the emergency kit is located, and what are the safe places in the house to take shelter.
• Practice together: Hold regular household meetings to review and practice your emergency plan. Make sure everyone can locate a copy of the plan quickly.
• Build your emergency kit together: Review emergency supplies and why they are important. Make sure everyone knows where the emergency kit is stored and update or replace items regularly.
• Make sure to include all pediatrician contact information in your emergency plan and keep copies of all family members’ insurance information in your emergency kit.

When emergencies occur take special care to support children

• Encourage dialogue and questions: Listen to and validate children’s concerns.
• Avoid information overload: Disasters come with intense media coverage which can be overwhelming and scary for children and teens. If children see media coverage, be sure to be available to answer questions and talk to them. When children ask questions, give just the amount of information you feel your child needs.
• Make time for them and find support: Talking, playing and doing family activities will help kids understand they are safe. Build and utilize support networks of friends, family and community organizations to help both you and your children cope.
• Keep to a routine: A schedule and a sense of structure can help manage anxiety. When schools, childcare facilities, or other activities are open again, help children return to normal activities like classes, play groups and sports.

Teach Kids about 911

Children who know how to call 911 in an emergency can save lives. Kids as young as three can be taught how to use 911 to respond to emergencies. Here are some tips for teaching your children how and when to call 911.

• Make sure your child can say their first and last name and share their address or location. Teach kids how to identify and talk about buildings, signs and landmarks.
• Explain different emergency situations that might require the child to call 911.  Make sure they know that 911 should only be used for actual emergencies, not for jokes or practice or any other non-emer- gency reason. Talk to them about different scenarios that might occur and how they should respond.
  • Someone is hurt
  • Car accident
  • Someone is choking
  • Fire
     
• Practice unlocking and using a mobile phone. Make sure your child is familiar with the steps to unlock and use a mobile phone and familiar with how to make a call. Do not practice calling 911. Calling 911 should only be done in an actual emergency.
• Do not let your child play with old mobile phones. Even non-active phones are able to connect to 911. They should not be used as a toy.

If you or your child accidentally calls 911, STAY ON THE LINE until a call taker answers so you can tell them that you dialed by mistake. If you hang up before speaking with a call taker, an attempt will be made to call your telephone number back to make sure everything is ok and that there is no emergency. If no contact is made, and you have called from a land line phone (i.e. home telephone), an officer will be dispatched to the location of the 911 call.