Helping Kids Prepare and Respond in Emergencies
Preparing for emergencies shouldn't just be done by the adults in your family. Young children and teens alike need to be part of the process — for their own safety and sense of empowerment.
Some disasters strike without any warning, and family members may not all be in the same place.
How will you get in touch with each other?
Where will you meet?
How will you get out of your house in case of a fire?
What if your neighborhood is being evacuated?
BEFORE a disaster strikes Make A Plan
- Pick the same person for each family member to call or email. It might be easier to reach someone who's out of town.
- Text, don't talk, unless it's an emergency. It may be easier to send a text, if you have a phone, and you don't want to tie up phone lines for emergency workers.
- Create a fire escape plan that has two ways out of every room and practice it twice a year.
- Choose a meeting spot near your home, then practice getting there.
- Choose a spot outside of your neighborhood in case you can't get home. Practice getting there from school, your friends' house, and after school activities.
- Keep your family's contact info and meeting spot location in your backpack, wallet, or taped inside your school notebook. Put it in your cell phone if you have one.
It's important to make a plan now so that you will know what to do, how to find each other, and how to communicate in an emergency. 
- Work together to build an emergency supply kit.
- Sit down as a family to talk about your communications plan.
- Role-play what you would do during a disaster. Review and practice your evacuation routes if you live in a tsunami zone.
- Develop a home fire escape plan and hold fire drills in your house.
Responding to an emergency is one thing ... what's the best way to respond to your child during or after a disaster?
Disasters can leave children and teens feeling frightened, confused and insecure. It's important to not only recognize these reactions, but also help children cope with emotions.
You are their biggest influence. When you can manage your own feelings, you can make disasters less traumatic for your kids.
Emergency Supply Kit Checklists
Planning kit for Parents or Kids
Planning kit for Parents or Kids
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) Emergency Action Plan
Do not telephone the school. Telephone lines may be needed for emergency communication.
It is important to complete the sign-out process when picking up students at school. We would like to avoid the possibility of sending emergency responders into a dangerous situation looking for a missing student that simply left without checking out. We also want to maintain accurate information about students that have checked out in case another family member is looking for them. An emergency card is required to be filled out by parents at the beginning of every school year.
Impress upon your child the need for them to follow the directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency. Please familiarize yourself with the school Emergency Action Plan and discuss these matters with your immediate family. Planning ahead will help alleviate concern and allow us to maintain a calm and organized response in the event of emergency.
The decision to keep students at school will be based upon a variety of factors. If this occurs, radio stations will be notified. Turn your radio to KPEN 102.3 FM, KWAVE 104.9 AM, KSRM 920 AM, KBBI 890 AM or KDLL 91.9 FM for emergency announcements.
Since local telephone service may be disrupted, list an out-of-state contact on the emergency card since calls may still be made out of the area while incoming calls are affected.
In the event of a major emergency, your district schools will need the assistance of community members. Supplies will be needed to provide for the children and volunteers will be needed to assist with clean up and the care and shelter of the children until they are picked up by a designated family member or friend. We would encourage you to consider the possibility of serving as an emergency volunteer.
KPBSD School Safety Protocol website