PDFWAC 110-300-0470
Emergency preparedness plan.
(1) An early learning provider must have and follow a written emergency preparedness plan. The plan must be reviewed and approved by the department prior to when changes are made. Emergency preparedness plans must:
(a) Be designed to respond to fire, natural disasters, and other emergencies that might affect the early learning program;
(b) Be specific to the early learning program and able to be implemented during hours of operation;
(c) Address what the provider would do if the provider has an emergency and children may be left unsupervised;
(d) Address what the early learning program must do if parents are not able to get to their children for up to three days;
(e) Must follow requirements in chapter 212-12 WAC, Fire marshal standards, as now or hereafter amended and the state fire marshal's office requirements if a center early learning program;
(f) Be reviewed at program orientation, annually with all early learning program staff with documented signatures, and when the plan is updated; and
(g) Be reviewed with parents or guardians when a child is enrolled and when the plan is updated.
(2) The written emergency preparedness plan must cover at a minimum:
(a) Disaster plans, including fires that may require evacuation:
(i) An evacuation floor plan that identifies room numbers or names of rooms, emergency exit pathways, emergency exit doors, and emergency exit windows for family-home based programs as described in WAC 51-51-0326;
(ii) Methods to be used for sounding an alarm and calling 911;
(iii) Actions to be taken by a person discovering an emergency;
(iv) How the early learning provider will evacuate children, especially those who cannot walk independently. This may include infant evacuation cribs (for center early learning programs), children with disabilities, functional needs requirements, or other special needs;
(v) Where the alternate evacuation location is;
(vi) What to take when evacuating children, including:
(A) First-aid kit(s);
(B) Copies of emergency contact information;
(C) Child medication records; and
(D) Individual children's medication, if applicable.
(vii) How the provider will maintain the required staff-to-child ratio and account for all children;
(viii) How parents or guardians will be able to contact the early learning program; and
(ix) How children will be reunited with their parents or guardians after the event.
(b) Earthquake procedures including:
(i) What a provider will do during an earthquake;
(ii) How a provider will account for all children; and
(iii) How a provider will coordinate with local or state officials to determine if the licensed space is safe for children after an earthquake.
(c) Public safety related lockdown scenarios where an individual at or near an early learning program is harming or attempting to harm others with or without a weapon. This plan must include lockdown of the early learning program or shelter-in-place steps including:
(i) How doors and windows will be secured to prevent access, if needed; and
(ii) Where children will safely stay inside the early learning program.
(d) How parents or guardians will be contacted after the emergency ends.
(3) An early learning provider must keep on the premises a three day supply of food, water, and life-sustaining medication for the licensed capacity of children and current staff for use in case of an emergency.
(4) An early learning provider must practice and record emergency drills with staff and children as follows:
(a) Fire and evacuation drill once each calendar month;
(b) Earthquake, lockdown, or shelter-in-place drill once every three calendar months;
(c) Emergency drills must be conducted with a variety of staff and at different times of the day, including in the evening and during overnight hours for early learning programs that care for children during those hours; and
(d) Drills must be recorded on a department form and include:
(i) The date and time of the drill;
(ii) The number of children and staff who participated;
(iii) The length of the drill; and
(iv) Notes about how the drill went and how it may be improved.
(5) In areas where local emergency plans are already in place, such as school districts, an early learning program may adopt or amend such procedures when developing their own plan.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.216.055, 43.216.065, 43.216.250 and chapter 43.216 RCW. WSR 19-22-103, § 110-300-0470, filed 11/6/19, effective 12/7/19. WSR 18-15-001, recodified as § 110-300-0470, filed 7/5/18, effective 7/5/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.215.070, 43.215.201 and chapter 42.56 RCW. WSR 18-14-079, § 170-300-0470, filed 6/30/18, effective 8/1/19.]