A children’s day care center is supposed to be fun, educational, and most of all, safe. A fire is the last thing any parent or daycare facility owner wants; therefore, for the safety of each child it is important to have a plan in case a fire should occur. State Systems Inc., a leading fire protection company that services Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, has outlined a basic fire safety prevention guide that will maximize safety at your child care center.
Create a Fire Evacuation Plan
The first step in taking proper safety precautions against a fire in a child care facility is to create a fire evacuation plan. Plans should be comprehensive and thorough for all staff and care givers to not only understand, but be able to explain it to children and parents. For quality assurance, call your local or state fire marshal to come to your child care center and review your plan.
Practice with Fire Drills
Whether your day care facility has 10 or 100 children, it is important to practice your fire evacuation plan with regularly planned drills. Note that the number of required drills vary by state; however, Tennessee day cares, Mississippi child care facilities as well as Arkansas child care centers all require one drill per month. In Tennessee, all drill information must be stored for a minimum of one year. Practice evacuation routes and fire drills from different areas of the building, especially if children and staff are located in different rooms throughout the day. From an art room to an indoor gym or cafeteria no matter where someone is when an emergency strikes, they should be prepared to calmly and efficiently exit the building with the children.
Safety Tips for Child Care Facilities
Even after a thorough fire evacuation plan and regular drills, there are still several precautions you can take to keep children safe in your child care facility, including:
- Make sure all parent/guardians’ contact information is up to date and accurate
- Always ask parents for several emergency contact numbers
- Keep a copy of parents’ contact information in a place accessible from outside of the building
Keep a paper and electronic version of this information to ensure access no matter where a fire might break out.
Fire Safety Standards in a Child Care Center
As with any building, you should ensure that your fire protection systems are in working order and inspected regularly. This includes your:
- Fire alarm system
- Fire sprinkler system
- Fire extinguishers placed throughout your center
You should schedule professional inspection of your systems as set by local codes and the NFPA.
If your day care center has a kitchen, you also need to be mindful of proper commercial kitchen fire protection. This includes properly installed and inspected fire suppression systems over cooking equipment, vent hoods, and other appliances as well as Class K fire extinguishers.
More Information on Fire Prevention Plans for Child Care Centers
If you would like more information on safety regulations for child care facilities, contact your local or state fire marshal or contact State Systems.