Emergencies, man made and natural can happen anywhere and at any time. They can cause even the calm and prepared to panic. However, a well executed evacuation or “shelter in place” plan could well mean the difference between life and death. Safety is a very important issue at The Rocking Horse and the children practice both a natural and a man made disaster evacuation procedure once/twice a month respectively. Although you are informed of such evacuations the children are not. Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with our emergency policies so that you may be informed as to how your child is being taken care of during such situations.

Fire Evacuation
Meeting place for a fire evacuation is by the back gate. In the event of a fire your child may be collected by parking in Huggins parking area. The school is equipped with a fire/security alarm approved by Fort Bend Marshall’s office and The State Fire Marshall’s office. The children are familiar with obstructed and unobstructed evacuation routes and know which primary and secondary routes we may use. You will be called in the event of such an emergency to collect your child as soon as possible.

Chemical Emergency
In the event of a chemical release the children will be gathered in a central location. The air conditioner or heater will be turned off. Doors will be jammed with wet towels and windows sealed if necessary. Your child may be given a damp towel to cover their mouth and nose. We will remain in place until emergency personnel advise us that it is safe to resume normal activities. As a safety precaution and incompliance with licensing, all cleaning agents are placed out of reach. In the event of an accident poison control will be called.

Natural Emergencies Usually Weather Related
The school is equipped with a weather radio, which alarms us of severe weather in the area. The radio has a battery back up. If a dangerous tropical disturbance is threatening our area after you have dropped off your child, you will be notified and asked to collect your child as soon as possible.

Sheltering In Place
In the event that an emergency should cause you to be separated from your child and possibly your home, as in the case of flooding, your child will be sheltered in place here at the school until you can collectyour child. Should our property be damaged and children need to be transported to an emergency shelter the location will be posted at the school.

Terrorist attack
Since the events of September 11th, 2001, it has become necessary to prepare the children and staff for emergency situations resulting from either onset of war or a terrorist attack. Depending upon the situation, every effort will be made to contact you and to protect your children. In the event of biological warfare being used in this area, strategies such as those adopted for chemical releases will be used.

Escaped Prisoner
In the event that a prisoner escapes from prison and is at large in the community, all doors will remain locked until we receive notification that it is safe to unlock the doors again. We will require you to knock loudly and identify yourself prior to being allowed in the building.

Angry or Intoxicated Parent
Unless a court order signed by a Judge is presented to the contrary we cannot prevent a parent collecting their child.If a parent arrives intoxicated, staff are mandated by law to call law enforcement once that parent leaves our property. Elevated heat index/pollen count/ozone level According to my research/inquiries, heat index,/ozone levels do not pose a dangerous threat until mid afternoon. Typically we closely monitor climatic conditions via our warning system on our radio. Both staff and children are protected by regulating outdoor activities.

Sexual Predators
The Rocking Horse regularly checks information regarding release of and residential status of sexual predators in the area. We keep a constant watch on all vehicles and persons in the area.

Recovery
In order to return to normal after an emergency situation the following service may be required

• Emergency and or law enforcement services
• Local health officials
• Professional child crisis therapists
• Red Cross employees
• Construction workers
• Insurance agency employees

We encourage you to prepare for similar emergencies at home to protect your loved ones.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our emergency information, please do
not hesitate to contact us. Thank you.