Sending Kids Back to School More Prepared

Along with pencils, paper and 3-ring binders, classroom survival kits will be on the back-to-school shopping lists of many parents this year. The destructive hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados and other emergencies that have recently been in the headlines have caused many people to have a greater appreciation for the importance of emergency preparedness in the home, at work and at school.

Every parent should be aware of the emergency preparedness plans and resources at their children's schools. Most school districts require that classrooms have basic first aid supplies. Some also require lockdown kits to better help children cope in the event of an emergency requiring them to remain in the classroom. Some also provide basic survival kits for each student. California schools, for example, are required to have a disaster plan, hold periodic drop, cover and hold drills and train staff on what to do during an emergency.

The rules, however, are hardly uniform, and compliance varies. There are no standards for what goes into a survival kit. Often there are no rules for how often emergency supplies should be replenished or replaced. That is why it is important for parents to work with educators to ensure their children are protected and their classrooms are prepared to respond when emergencies arise.

What types of emergency supplies should a More Prepared classroom have?

At a minimum, every classroom should be maintain a stock of non-perishable food, water, emergency blankets, first aid supplies, flashlights and an emergency radio. It is also advisable for classrooms to be equipped with a lockdown kit including an emergency toilet and toilet supplies, a tarp (for creating a privacy curtain), duct tape and plastic gloves.

It's prudent to provide all students, especially pre-school and elementary school children, with a personal survival kit. Personal survival kits not only ensure that each individual student's needs are met, they can also help children to feel more secure in an emergency situation. Kits should include such things as high-calorie, non-perishable food bars, water pouches, a thermal black, a light stick, first aid supplies and an emergency contact card. It's also a good idea to include crayons and activity sheets to keep small children occupied.

Parents, teachers and school administrators all share the same goal: keeping kids safe. As children get ready to return to the classroom, now is a good time to make sure that emergency plans and supplies are in place to meet that goal.