Keeping our tamariki and team safe is Living & Learning’s top priority. Under certain circumstances, our most effective way to do this is to put our centres into lockdown. The purpose of a lockdown is to incorporate a shelter-in-place strategy to keep a potential threat out of the centre or keep tamariki and the team as far as possible away from a threat from inside the centre. Lockdown drills empower our team with confidence, knowledge, and possible action steps to take based on when, how, and what to do in a real lockdown situation.
A lockdown is described as a security measure taken during an emergency or threat of danger to prevent people from entering or leaving the building.
The aim of this procedure is to assist our team in preparing to quickly and calmly implement a shelter-in-place by moving tamariki to safety avoiding heightened alarm; thinking about potential threats in your local community; how the proximity of the threat to your own centre might influence planning; how different lengths of time in lockdown i.e. duration, impact planning; whether the threat is internal or external to the centre; what practical measures (food, water, nappy changes, bottles, medication, toilet facilities) are in place to ensure tamariki are kept safe, settled, calm and well cared for during the lockdown period; and ensure the team are safe, with access to food, water and bathroom facilities.
Secondly, this procedure is about ensuring each centre develops their own individual shelter-in-place plan and procedure for lockdown, identifies safe areas in advance, knows how to alert others in the team, and is clear about what external communication is needed and to whom i.e. parents and whānau, Area Manager/Manager, Support Office etc.
Because Lockdown drills are an essential part of preparing for an actual lockdown event, to comply with licensing criteria, these shelter-in-place drills are required to be done a minimum of 3 times a year. Living & Learning’s expectation is that (where possible), these are conducted every 3 months (4 times a year). Drills must cover a variety of possible lockdown scenarios, including internal and external threats to the centre.
Centres may face a threat posed by an intruder or other emergency, outside the centre, that prevents the evacuation of tamariki and our team from the centre. In these situations, centres must be prepared to respond quickly and competently to implement a shelter-in-place by removing our tamariki and team from a threat/area of high risk to an area of low risk, placing the centre in lockdown. While sheltering in place, our tamariki and team must not move from a low risk/safe area back to an area of high risk/threat.
A centre lockdown/shelter-in-place can serve several purposes during an emergency, including the following:
Once placed in lockdown, tamariki and our team will quickly move inside the centre (if outside), and into a designated safe place, to await further instructions.
During shelter-in-place, tamariki will be responded to calmly and gently. Our team will maintain a settled environment, engaging tamariki quietly in activities. They will have access to kai, water and toilets.
Parents and whānau will receive communication via text messages and Kebudel, as and when the team are able to provide updates.
While in lockdown, no one will be permitted to enter or leave the centre. This is to protect tamariki and our team. Parents and whānau are advised not to come to the centre, not to knock or wait at any entrance areas, and not to call the centre as the team may not be able to talk, and it is essential that the landline is open for emergency communication and updates.
While reasons for a lockdown may vary, it is only once ERO, NZ Police or Living & Learning’s crisis management team have given the “All Clear” that the centre lockdown will be lifted.
Parents and whānau will receive a text message and Kebudel update that the centre is no longer in lockdown. At this point, the centre will be open to parents and whānau again.
“Safe Areas” in the centre are those safe spaces which also ensure tamariki and our team have enough ventilation and are a suitable size for the number of tamariki and the team, for a reasonable period of time, including lockdown periods that may extend into several hours.
Centres may face a threat posed by a person inside the centre that could potentially put our tamariki and team in danger. In these situations, centres must be prepared to take steps to implement shelter-in-place by quickly and calmly moving tamariki and our team away to isolate them from danger.
A potential threat from inside the centre could be a stranger, or someone known to the centre, under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or an angry/upset parent/employee or member of an employee or parents’/whānau, or a visitor to the centre.
Based on the threat/nature of the emergency, the centre may need to be evacuated. The order to evacuate may come from NZ Police, Armed Offender Squad, Kindercare Support Office, or if the threat is immediate, the centre leadership team has autonomy to make the call to evacuate when acting in the safety of tamariki. In this instance, the centre will call 111, then the Auckland Support Office to notify them that the centre is evacuating. The centre will then follow Living & Learning’s Emergency Evacuation Procedure.