Effective communication is critical during emergency situations: Expert advice

Effective communication with parents is crucial in ensuring their confidence and trust in your early childhood education and care (ECEC) service’s  ability to handle emergencies. By incorporating clear and consistent communication strategies, you demonstrate your commitment to children’s safety and prepare parents for what to expect in case of a real emergency. 

 

Importance of Communication

 

We recently shared seven reasons why childcare centres should integrate parental communication into their regular emergency exercises. This practice not only underscores your dedication to the safety of their children but also ensures parents are informed and prepared for potential emergencies. In this article, we’ll provide specific examples of what to say to parents before, during, and after an emergency, starting with best practices for communication during emergency rehearsals. 

 

Effective communication demonstrates that you are a professional and well-experienced care provider, providing parents with the assurance that their children are in safe hands.

 

Communication For Emergency Exercises

 

As Element 2.2.2 of the National Quality Standard notes, being prepared for a variety of emergency situations through repetition and rehearsal is a vital aspect of being compliant. 

 

The Regulations specify that these emergency exercises need to be rehearsed and documented every three months. 

 

If the service has more than one emergency and evacuation procedure, all procedures must be rehearsed every three months. 

 

For example, if you have identified both a lockdown and evacuation response procedure in your risk assessments, and incorporated them in your emergency plan, you will need to rehearse both every three months. 

 

Before the Exercise

 

Notification a Week in Advance: Inform parents a week before the exercise. This initial communication serves as a detailed reminder of the key components of your emergency procedures that parents need to know. Include information on how you will make contact with the emergency contacts listed for each child, the timing of communication during the exercise, and any changes made to emergency procedures since the last exercise.

 

Guidance for Parents: Provide parents with guidance on how to discuss emergencies and evacuations with their children. This pre-exercise communication is best delivered via email or through the app where parents typically receive routine messages.

 

On the Day of the Exercise

 

Testing Communication Channels: Use the exercise to test the efficiency of your team in communicating with parents. This should be done through the communication channels you plan to use in an actual emergency, such as phone calls, text messages, or other alerts.

 

Exercise Notification: Send an exercise-only message to parents. Ensure the message clearly states that it is for an exercise. For example: 

“EXERCISE ONLY: The childcare centre has commenced a lockdown drill. No parents or visitors will be able to access the centre for the next 30 minutes.”

 

Confirmation of Contact Details: Prompt parents to confirm their contact information. Include a line like:

“You have received this message as you are listed as an emergency contact for [Child’s Name]. Reply ‘Yes’ to confirm you are an emergency contact.”

 

All Clear Notification: Once the exercise concludes, use the same contact method to send an all-clear message to parents.

 

After the Exercise

 

Follow-Up Communication: In the days following the exercise, communicate with parents about observations from the exercise, including any lessons learned. Solicit feedback from parents to help improve your processes.

 

Adopting this approach for your exercises will significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively during a real emergency. Involving parents in this way with your emergency rehearsal will also demonstrate how you are continually improving your emergency plans and procedures with critical reflection and feedback.

 

Communication During a Real Incident

 

In the event of a real emergency, it is vital to communicate the following key elements clearly and promptly to parents:

 

1. Nature of the Incident: Clearly describe what is happening, whether it’s a fire, storm, gas leak, or another type of emergency.

 

2. Actions Taken: Inform parents about the actions being taken, such as evacuation, lockdown, or closing the centre.

 

3. Location of the Children: Clearly state where the children are, whether they are inside the centre or at an assembly point, and specify the location.

 

4. Confirmation of Safety: Reassure parents that all children are safe.

 

5. Update Schedule: Inform parents when they can expect the next update.

 

6. Instructions for Parents: Provide any instructions for parents, such as preparing to pick up their children.

 

7. Contact Protocol: Clearly state how parents can contact you during the emergency, whether there is no contact available or if they should use a specific phone number or text line.

 

Example Emergency Message:  “URGENT: Due to a gas leak in the area, the childcare centre is currently in lockdown. All children are safe and remain inside the centre. We will provide an update within the next 30 minutes. Please refrain from calling the centre; instead, text inquiries to [phone number]. Thank you for your cooperation.”

 

We recommend that ECEC services have a pre-planned list of messages to ensure that the above critical information is always included, and to reduce the time taken to send these important updates during an emergency.

 

Exceeding National Quality Standards: Engaging Families in Emergency Preparedness

 

Adopting a comprehensive communication strategy not only ensures children’s safety but also aligns with the National Quality Standard, and meaningfully engages families. 

 

This guidance from ACECQA emphasises the importance of meaningful engagement with families in shaping practices. Regular communication about emergency procedures and involving parents in exercises builds trust and demonstrates transparency, reassuring families that their safety concerns are addressed. 

 

By soliciting feedback and incorporating parent input, childcare centres actively involve parents, ensuring they feel valued and heard. This engagement creates a partnership between the centre and families, fostering a community-centred approach to safety.

 

Conclusion

 

Effective communication before, during, and after an emergency is crucial for maintaining parents’ trust and ensuring the safety and well-being of children in your care. Implementing clear communication strategies and actively involving parents in emergency exercises fosters a sense of preparedness and reassurance. This approach strengthens your relationship with parents and enhances your centre’s overall emergency readiness. 

 

The emergency planning team from Emertrix are conducting research into the state of emergency preparedness of childcare centres in NSW. You can take part in this online survey here and help to identify best practices and areas for improvement in emergency communication strategies.

 

Bio: Sam Peake is a seasoned NSW emergency management professional with experience in the NSW Rural Fire Services, NSW State Emergency Service, NSW Police Force and the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

 

Along with CEO Ryan Clarkstone, Sam has co-founded Emertrix, a forward-thinking emergency planning service dedicated to simplifying and enhancing emergency preparedness. 

 

Emertrix is currently developing a comprehensive suite of service packages specifically designed to support childcare providers, equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to effectively manage emergencies. Sam and Ryan also provide a range of free advice on emergency planning through their website.