PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE 2021 COMPLETION FORM
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TRAINING COURSES
WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR TRAINING IN ALL 50 STATES!
We are an IACET Approved Provider. Please click HERE for individual state approvals.
What Participants are Saying:
"I learned how to be prepared. Every childcare worker needs to take this course."
"My view of preparedness drastically changed after taking this course. The content was well prepared and it was concise."
Our Training Options
In-Person Training
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Live Online Trainings
On-Demand Training
ACTIVE SHOOTER
PREPAREDNESS TRAINING
Learning Goals and Objectives:
Participants gain a deeper understanding of active shooter situations:
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Describe the ways to increase security within your childcare program.
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Summarize at least two lessons learned from previous mass shooting incidents.
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Explain how to conduct effective active shooter drills.
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Describe at least one method of keeping children calm and quiet.
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Define common characteristics of mass shooters.
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Describe the 3 different response actions which can be used during a violent event.
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Identify at least two special considerations that need to be taken into account when working on active shooter drills with individuals with developmental disabilities.
Course Description
Active shooter preparedness training for early childhood professionals is a critical component to keeping child care programs safe and secure. Unfortunately, active shooter events are on the rise. There were 692 mass shootings in 2021, and child care professionals need to train for these events just as they would for a fire, tornado, flood, or earthquake.
We designed our training course to meet the specific needs of early childhood professionals. We provide lectures, discussion, and hands-on activities designed to make your staff more prepared and empowered. We work with teachers in the classroom to develop and test response strategies and techniques. A typical course runs 3 hours, but any training can be customized to fit your schedule. To keep groups manageable, we usually conduct the session to 50 participants at a time.
At our active shooter preparedness training and workshops, participants learn evidence-based techniques and strategies on how to prepare for and respond to an active shooter incident. Participants learn how to conduct drills, develop a customized plan, and work together to ensure staff, teachers, and children are best prepared. The course also features a hands-on portion, where the tools and techniques discussed in the class are put to use.
We are aware of other companies providing active shooter preparedness training with simulated violence and gunfire. We condemn these types of training, and we never simulate gunfire or perform unannounced drills during our active shooter preparedness training. Our training sessions are conducted in a calm, safe, and comfortable environment. Read a letter from our Executive Director, Andrew Roszak, about the dangers of simulated violence and unannounced drills.
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DE-ESCALATION
TECHNIQUES
Learning Goals and Objectives:
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Identify at least one prevention technique you can use to better to secure your family and childcare programs.
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List at least 2 ways to make your program safer.
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Define the term ‘crisis communication’
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Describe the key elements of a crisis communication plan
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Explain the key elements of effective messaging
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Define “verbal de-escalation”
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Discuss a scenario where a childcare professional may need to use verbal de-escalation
Course Description
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we operate our child care programs. It has also reinforced the importance of ensuring your program is prepared. This course was designed by the Institute for Childhood Preparedness specifically for childcare professionals and will cover basic concepts of site security, crisis communication and de-escalation techniques. The course teaches childcare professionals how to increase program safety and security. Childcare professionals will gain knowledge, and techniques to ensure the safety of the children in their care.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Learning Goals and Objectives:
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Describe what makes a person situationally aware.
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Identify how to process and respond to dangerous situations.
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Define the acronym JDLR.
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Identify the dangers of tailgaters, especially in a child care setting.
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Identify at least three instances where an individual may look out of place.
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Identify ways to make yourself, as an adult, more aware.
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Identify tools that will make your child care program safer and more secure.
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Describe techniques you can use to make children more aware.
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Describe common pitfalls that make people unaware.
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Discuss the types of information you can receive from your state’s sex offender registry.
Course Description
Situational awareness means being aware of your surroundings. The sooner you can identify things that are out of place, the more time you have to respond and react. This is especially important in a child care setting, as young children rely on providers to protect them and keep them safe. In our situational awareness online training, participants will learn and gain resources from a mix of slides, real-life videos, and graphics. Participants will learn how to create a culture of safety and awareness.
STAYING SAFE DURING HOME VISITS
Learning Goals and Objectives:
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Name the steps needed when planning your visit.
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Describe how to safely arrive at your visit.
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Identify what red flags you should look for while at the visit.
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Name three things that would indicate drug use in the home.
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Identify how you would safely leave the area and what would you do if you were followed.
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Identify the types of observations and concerns you should bring to your supervisors attention.
Course Description
Thousands of home visits are performed every year by Head Start and Early Head Start programs, teachers, family therapists, Child Protective Services, and many other government and licensing organizations. Most agencies enter the privacy of a family’s residence without any type of training on how to conduct a safe visit. The Institute for Childhood Preparedness has developed a course which addresses specific concepts that every family and childcare professional need to know to make visits as safe as possible. This course will cover basic concepts for pre-planning the visit, arriving safely, conducting the visit, departing the area, and after the visit activities, including checklists for staying safe.
This course teaches the warning signs of domestic abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, and aggressive behavior. The attendees will learn techniques to keep everyone safe during a home visit.
Resource Booklets available for separate purchase - the booklets include references, checklists, talking points, reminders, tips and resources.
EMERGENCY PLAN
DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW
Learning Goals and Objectives:
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Site assessment of your facility and review of your current emergency plan
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Send us your existing emergency plan and let us know of any rules or regulations that you must follow concerning coronavirus (if you have state regulations, please let us know)
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We will then review the existing emergency plan and identify any areas for improvement
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We will cross walk the plan with the coronavirus guidance from CDC and any applicable state regulations that you have identified
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We will develop written recommendations on how you can improve your plan, along with sample language
Course Description
Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, we are also including a prevention and cleaning component to our assessment. We will provide customized recommendations for keeping your program cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected, and we will also make recommendations for a potential second outbreak. Your emergency plan development and review can take place on-site at your child care program, or online via a Zoom session.
Our assessment will also cover the basics of contact tracing within your child care program and your community. Our Senior Safety Advisor, Ronald Roszak, is certified in Contact Tracing from Johns Hopkins University and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Ron is certified in:
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The Basics of COVID-19
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Basics of Contact Tracing for COVID-19
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Steps to Investigate Cases and Trace Their Contacts
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Ethics of Contact Tracing and Technological Tools
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Skills for Effective Communication
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
RESPONSE AND RECOVERY
Learning Goals and Objectives:
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Ensure early childhood professionals have the information they need to properly prepare for emergencies and disasters
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Discuss emergency preparedness planning, requirements, best practices and resources
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Participants are encouraged to bring their existing emergency preparedness plans to the course - so that the plans can be reviewed and updated
Course Description
Our goal is to help early childhood organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters and emergencies. We conduct multidisciplinary workshops to ensure that emergency management, public health, first responders, and early childhood organizations establish relationships before an emergency event.
This course features an overview of emergency preparedness procedures. We also review your existing plan and ensure it is compliant with the applicable guidelines for your licensing authority. Topics covered include severe weather, man-made hazards, chemicals and toxins, public health emergencies, evacuation and relocation, shelter in place, crisis communications, and family reunification. We help organizations create detailed emergency response and recovery plans, as well as teach providers how to implement and practice preparedness training and drills in an age-appropriate manner to staff, parents, and children.
CUSTOMIZED SITE SECURITY AND RISK ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT
Our Experts Help Make Your Place as Secure as Possible
Our team of trusted experts will conduct a comprehensive site security and risk analysis assessment of your facility. We will review your policies, procedures and operations for a top to bottom security assessment. Through direct observations and detailed conversations with key stakeholders, we will develop a comprehensive report, with actionable recommendations to help keep your facility and the children that you serve as safe as possible.
Our team has trained over 100,000 early childhood and educational professionals and we have seen thousands of locations. No one knows better than us that each location is unique and has different challenges. That is why our approach is customized to fit your needs.
Our site security and risk assessment includes, but is not limited to:
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a site review of the interior and exterior portions of the facility,
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thorough examination of all entrances and exits,
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a review of the neighborhood and surrounding area including recent trends in crime and violence,
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discussions with key staff members and stakeholders,
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a review of current procedures - such as procedures for pick up and drop off, transfer of care, transitions with the children,
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and much more!
Contact us today and let our experts help increase the safety and security of your facility!
FIRE SAFETY, PREVENTION, AND EXTINGUISHER USAGE
Learning Goals and Objectives:
Our training program provides early childhood professionals with the hands-on experience they need to become familiar with fire extinguisher operations:
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Learn the differences between types of fire extinguishers
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Maintenance requirements
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Use a fire extinguisher with the
P-A-S-S Method -
How to properly extinguish a fire
Course Description
Each year approximately 560 fires occur in early childhood programs. That equates to nearly 2 fires each day. Early childhood professionals need to know how to effectively use fire extinguishers before an emergency occurs.
This course runs approximately 2 hours and provides participants with classroom and hands-on training. The classroom portion covers fire safety, fire basics/chemistry, the elements of a fire inspection, fire extinguishment techniques, and response options for fires. We then move outside and allow participants to extinguish a live or simulated fire with a fire extinguisher.
CYBERSECURITY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFFESSIONALS
Learning Goals and Objectives:
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Define the term Cyber Security
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Identify Cyber Threats and Your Risk
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Learn How to Protect Personal Information
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Describe leading practices on how to Stay Safe on Social Media
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Discuss the importance of Mobile Device Security
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Identify leading practices to increase safety and security while browsing the internet
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Discuss how you can promote good digital citizenship for parents, children, and colleagues
Course Description
Cyber attacks are at all time highs and early childhood programs are not immune. The three most attacked industries in 2022 included education, government and research. In fact, a recent study out of the United Kingdom found that one out of every four child care programs experienced a cyber attack in the past year. Given this new threat, early childhood programs are encouraged to revisit their digital footprint, policies and procedures. The presentation on "Cybersecurity for Early Childhood Professionals" offers a comprehensive look at the current digital landscape and the potential impact on your early childhood program. Recognizing the increasing integration of technology into all facets of early education – from enrollment to classroom management, the course highlights potential risks and threats that early childhood programs may encounter in cyber space and provides leading practices to help increase the cyber security of your organization.
STOP THE BLEED TRAINING
Learning Goals and Objectives:
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How to save lives by controlling bleeding through the use of direct pressure or tourniquets
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How to determine where on the body each action would be appropriate
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Items needed for a basic first aid kit
Course Description
Andrew and Ron are certified Stop the Bleed instructors. This training teaches participants how to recognize life-threatening bleeding and provide immediate help. Our goal is to prepare as many people as possible to learn stop the bleed techniques, so participants are better prepared to save lives during a severe bleeding event.
SAFETY SUMMIT
Learning Goals and Objectives:
Your Safety Summit can Include:
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Active Shooter Preparedness Training
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Emergency Plan Development
and Review
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Fire Safety, Prevention, and Extinguisher Usage
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Site security, Crisis Communication, and De-escalation Techniques for Childcare Professionals in the Era of Covid 19
Course Description
An all-day event designed to provide child care providers with the latest preparedness information, tools, and resources. Our instructors have real-world emergency preparedness experience and expertise, and our trainings are designed and developed specifically for the early childhood community.
KEYNOTE SPEECHES
Course Description:
Our award-winning experts are available to provide keynote speeches, webinars, consensus-building exercises, and guest speaking engagements. We cover a wide variety of topics from pandemic preparedness, public and environmental health, emergency preparedness, disaster response and recovery, law policy and regulation, early childhood education, law enforcement, and security. Your event is sure to be a success -- we work to keep the audience engaged, enthusiastic, and ready to learn more!
ACTIVE SHOOTER PREPAREDNESS FOR HOUSES OF WORSHIP
Learning Goals and Objectives:
Houses of Worship provide an open and welcoming environment, and that can, unfortunately, make them a target for violent individuals. We have created training specifically for Houses of Worship, taking into account their unique settings. During our training, participants will learn to:
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Discuss the various types of attacks that take place in religious institutions
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Study attacker profiles
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Define situational awareness
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Discuss how to implement Houses of Worship safety teams
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Actionable security tips for religious organizations
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Review historical events
Course Description
Attackers have long targeted Houses of Worship with varied agendas. We have designed an Active Shooter Preparedness training that provides lectures, discussion, and hands-on activities. We work with church leaders, greeters, ushers, and church security personnel. A typical course runs 3 hours, but the training can be customized to fit your schedule and time availability.
We will review and learn from past incidents to develop safety plans and response options. We are aware of other companies providing active shooter preparedness training with simulated violence and gunfire. We condemn these training types, and we never simulate gunfire or perform unannounced drills during our active shooter preparedness training. Our training sessions are conducted in a calm, safe, and comfortable environment.
Our training is approved to meet your professional development requirements in the following states:
