Criterion HS205#

Educators are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry out each type of drill with all children present in the home (as appropriate) on an, at least, 4-monthly basis. 

Documentation required (written or digital)  #

A record of the emergency drills carried out and evidence of how evaluation of the drills has informed the annual review of the service's emergency plan. 

⚑ For services providing out-of-school care the record must include evidence of drills performed with enrolled children and out-of-school care children at the same time.

Guidance#

How to show you are complying#

Each educator in the service should understand the home’s emergency plan and what do in an emergency. 

The drills themselves must be run at least once every four months. The specific drills are based on the emergency plan for the home under HS204 – Emergency plan. 

Children should participate in all drills, except lockdown drills. Lockdown drills are excluded because they could cause distress, confusion or fear in young children. Instead, educators are expected to hold these drills without children present. 

It will be important for services in coastal areas to practise tsunami drills. Educators do not need to use vehicles during these drills, even if vehicle transport is required in the home’s plan. Instead, other aspects of the drill should be rehearsed. 

All drills should be recorded. The record should include:

• the time and date of each drill
• the specific drill carried out
• the duration of the drill
• who participated in the drill, including children
• any issues encountered
• positive and negative outcomes during and after the drill
• a determination about how effective the drill was, areas for improvement.

As there may be some overlap between different drills, you can count procedures from one drill as counting towards another in some situations. For example, if elements of multiple drills hold the same risks. If you count some procedures for multiple drills, then this should be clearly recorded.