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Policy

Direct Service staff will ensure that classroom fire drills are conducted on a monthly basis.

Procedure

  1. Safe evacuation routes will be established, illustrated and posted on each exit in the classroom.
  2. Fire Drills will be documented on the Monthly Health and Safety Checklist and integrated into the weekly lesson plan as a safety topic.
  3. Information on fire safety, classroom evacuation routes and regularly scheduled drills will be made available to parents in both English and Spanish prior to the date of the child’s first drill.
  4. Volunteers and Practicum students will be informed about all aspects of fire drills prior to assisting in the implementation.
  5. Children will first learn about fire safety and practice how to follow teachers instructions during a drill.
  6. The children will learn.
    1. How to stop what they are doing, follow the teacher and walk quickly toward the safety evacuation exit.
    2. Where the safe meeting place is outside the classroom (teachers will need to establish this ahead of time).
    3. How to stop, drop and roll if their clothing, hair or skin catches on fire.
    4. How to crawl out of the classroom on their bellies when smoke enters the room and causes them to have difficulty breathing.
    5. How fire can start and what things to avoid touching and playing with that can cause fires or burn.
  7. The drill will begin when a teacher shouts “fire” (or where available a bell or alarm is set off). One teacher will instruct the children to come over to the safe gathering location and safely evacuate the building to the outside “safe meeting” place. The teacher in the rear of the line will do a head count of the children and yell out to make sure no persons are left in the room.
  8. Once outside, teachers will talk with the children about the drill and allow the children to share any feelings they have.
  9. A transition period to calm the children should be incorporated at the end of any drill. Singing a song, reading a pertinent story, etc

This policy complies with Head Start Performance Standard 45 CFR Section 1304.22.
It was approved by Policy Council on October 14, 1997.
Updated July 13, 2001

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