Your school and

students are only

as prepared as you

equip them to be!

Consider including

emergency preparedness

curricula in your

classrooms today. Ensure your students areprepared for all types ofdisasters and emergencies,including:

HurricanesTornadoesFiresFloodsSchool ViolenceBomb ThreatsLockdownsEvacuations

Children’s DisasterPreparedness Program

Bureau of Preparedness and ResponseCommunity Resilience Unit

4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A23Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1711

www.floridahealth.gov/preparedness-and-response/prepare-yourself/childrens-preparedness/index.html

Printing of this brochure is funded by the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, Improving the Health of People withDisabilities through State Based Public Health ProgramGrant #1U59DD00092-02.

A preparedschool is a

safe school!

Emergency preparedness isimportant to all, especially thosewith special needs!

Children with special needs require advancedplanning and assistance. It is critical to considertheir needs when preparing your school andstudents. Make sure they are a part of youremergency plan and trainings. Establishingclear information ensures everyone is muchsafer and prepared to avoid injury and harm.

Tips to help childrenwith special needs:

All students with special needs in yourschool should be identified and their dailylocation and special requirements noted in aquick access document for ease of use in anemergency.

Students with special needs should alsohave the appropriate paperwork in theirrecord/file and a copy available to eachappropriate staff/faculty at all times. TheAmerican Academy of Pediatrics has createdan Emergency Information Form for Childrenwith Special Needs that can be downloadedfrom www.aap.org.

Staff/faculty should be assigned to eachstudent in advance to provide emergencyassistance. Also, designate a backup (or two)in the event of an absence.

Ensure staff/faculty fully understand theextent of assistance needed for the student towhich they are assigned and are able to handle

the duty in an emergency.

For students with mobilityissues, identify alternativeevacuation routes and the bestway to get the student to safety.

Preparedness curriculumfor faculty.

FEMA has produced grade-appropriate emergencypreparedness curriculum called Ready Kids to betaught in schools. These trainings were prepared foreducators to share directly with students to bolsterstudent safety and emergency and disasterpreparedness efforts.

Visit: www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/34411.

Emergency preparednesscurriculum will help you reach yourstudents with messages that maysave their lives!

FEMA provides this exciting and easy-to-followYouth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum forstudents directly from its website at: www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/34411.

This website includes emergency preparednesscurriculum for grades 1–12, and teaches kids what todo before, during and after an emergency whilefostering critical 21st-century skills such as problemsolving, teamwork, creativity, leadership andcommunication. Your students will benefit greatlyfrom this valuable information. There is alsoadditional information available for teachers,students, and parents/guardians atkidsgetaplan.com.

Are you ready?Did you know children make up about 26percent of Florida’s population? Approximately3,995,219 children live in Florida.

Emergency

preparedness

curricula

is available!At any moment, and usually with littlewarning, a major disaster can affect yourschool, your students and you.