NERPSA Staff Resources
Emergency Preparedness and Drills
A clear process for preparing, practising, recording and improving each service’s emergency procedures.
What is required
The essentials
Practise every three months
Each emergency and evacuation procedure identified in the service risk assessment must be rehearsed and documented every three months while the service is operating.
Include the people present
Staff members, volunteers, children and the responsible person present participate. Everyone at the service must be accounted for.
Follow the service documents
The service EMP, risk assessment, procedures and floor plan determine the scenario, signal, roles, route, equipment and safe location.
Use individual plans
Current medical, risk-minimisation, communication, inclusion or individual emergency plans determine any personal assistance, medication, equipment or communication required.
Source: National Regulation 97 or Victorian Children’s Services Regulation 66, as applicable to the service; the current NERPSA policy; and the service-specific EMP, risk assessment and individual plans.
Staff quick guide
Before, during and after
- Check which service procedure is due.
- Select a safe scenario that tests that procedure.
- Confirm roles, attendance records, communication, equipment, route or safe area.
- Arrange support required by individual plans.
- Follow the service procedure.
- Maintain supervision and required ratios.
- Account for every child and adult present.
- Use calm, clear instructions and stop or change the rehearsal if it becomes unsafe.
- Confirm everyone is accounted for and announce the all-clear.
- Reassure children and listen to useful feedback.
- Record what worked and what needs improvement.
- Submit, print and securely store the drill record.
Make the situation safe and contact the Education Manager promptly if anyone cannot be accounted for, supervision or ratios are compromised, the procedure cannot be followed safely, required medication or records are unavailable, or another significant risk is identified.
For a real incident, follow the service EMP and the applicable incident and notification process. Submitting the drill record is not the escalation.
Drill record
Complete the record
Complete the form promptly after the rehearsal. Print the completed record and store it securely in the approved service location.
Practical resources
Open only what you need
The everyday process is above. These resources provide extra detail when it is useful.
Drill scheduleTrack each procedure and its next due date
Service emergency procedure rehearsal schedule
Service: ____________________ Year: ______ Responsible person: ____________________
Requirement: Track every procedure identified in the service risk assessment separately. Each must be rehearsed and documented every three months while the service is operating.
| Procedure identified for this service | Last rehearsed | Next due | Completed | Record stored | Actions closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Preparation checklistA short check before starting
Emergency drill preparation checklist
Service: ____________________ Date: __________ Procedure: ____________________
- ☐ The procedure is identified in the service risk assessment and is due.
- ☐ The scenario, signal, roles, route and safe location follow the service EMP and procedure.
- ☐ Current child, staff and visitor attendance records are available.
- ☐ Required phone, emergency contacts, first aid, medication and emergency equipment are ready.
- ☐ Primary and alternative routes or protective locations are safe and clear.
- ☐ Individual support and backup arrangements are in place.
- ☐ Supervision and required ratios can be maintained.
- ☐ Adults present understand their role and children will be prepared calmly.
Ready to proceed: ☐ Yes ☐ No Confirmed by: ____________________
Supporting children and individual needsCalm preparation, reassurance and personal support
Supporting children
Before: “Today we are practising what we do if we need to move to a safe place. The adults practise too, so we know how to help everyone. This is a practice and we will stay with you.”
After: Clearly say the practice is finished. Ask what helped children know what to do, what helped them feel safe and whether anything was too loud, confusing or difficult.
Listen to words, behaviour, play, emotions and body language. Do not use frightening stories, pretend danger, smoke effects, shame or pressure.
Individual support
Use the person’s current medical management, risk-minimisation, communication, inclusion or individual emergency plan. Confirm the required assistance, medication, equipment, communication, primary support person and backup.
Use the minimum identifying information needed. Store personal information securely and limit access to authorised people.
Family update templateOptional wording when family communication is useful
Emergency preparedness at [SERVICE]
This week, the children and educators rehearsed our [PROCEDURE] process. We talked about listening for instructions, staying with educators and moving calmly to our safe location.
Emergency rehearsals help children and educators become familiar with what to do and help us check that our procedures work safely in practice. Children were supported using calm, age-appropriate explanations and reminded that this was a practice.
You may like to talk with your child about trusted adults, your household meeting place and what your family would do in an emergency. Families can also test smoke alarms, keep emergency contacts current and review their household emergency plan.
If your child has an individual need that may affect their safety during an emergency, please speak privately with the service so arrangements can be reviewed together.
Kind regards,
[NAME AND ROLE]
[SERVICE]
Family communication is optional and should not identify a child or disclose confidential security information.
Requirements and recordkeepingLegal, policy and service-specific sources
Where directions come from
Law and regulations
- Service-specific emergency risk assessment and procedures.
- Annual and changed-circumstance review of the risk assessment.
- Three-month rehearsal and documentation of each identified procedure.
- Participation by the people specified in the applicable regulation.
- Displayed emergency and evacuation floor plan and instructions.
- Secure storage, confidentiality and applicable record retention.
NERPSA policy and process
- EMP review, central submission and service-level storage.
- Education Manager escalation and corrective-action monitoring.
- Regular checks of alarms, communications and emergency equipment.
Service EMP and risk assessment
These determine the exact scenario, signal, roles, route, safe location, equipment, alternatives and response at the service.
Individual plans
These determine personal medication, assistance, equipment, communication and support arrangements.
Records: Print and securely store the completed drill record in the approved service location so it can be produced when requested by NERPSA, the Education Manager, an authorised officer or the Regulatory Authority. Apply the relevant NERPSA retention requirements.