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HCDC Emergency Preparedness Plan

The Hiersteiner Child Development Center Emergency Preparedness Plan and Procedures.

Date:   May 11, 2026

KDHE K.A.R. 28-4-128. Safety and Emergency Procedures requires a written emergency plan to provide for the safety of children and staff members in emergencies including fire, a weather-related event, a missing or runaway child, a chemical release, a utility failure, an intruder, an act of terrorism, a lockdown, and an unscheduled closing.

*Items in italics listed below are included in the JCCC Emergency Response plan on the JCCC website.

(A) Hiersteiner Child Development Center (HCDC) is located on the Johnson County Community College (JCCC) Overland Park Campus. Being a department of JCCC and located on JCCC’s main campus, HCDC is included and follows the JCCC Emergency Response Plan included in this packet. JCCC has policies for:

  • AEDs - First Aid
  • Reporting an Emergency
  • KOPS Watch-Reporting
  • Earthquake | Elevator Malfunction
  • Illnesses – Injuries – Accidents
  • Utility Emergencies
  • Fire – Smoke – Explosions (KDHE Required)
  • Weather Emergencies (KDHE Required)
  • Environmental Emergencies, including chemical spill or hazardous materials (KDHE Required)
  • Emergency Personnel
  • Bomb Threats, including Terrorism (KDHE Required)
  • College Emergency Notification System
  • Armed Intruder | Campus/Workplace Violence, including lockdown (KDHE Required)
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Important Phone Numbers

Additional Note: JCCC Campus Police have plans in place to respond to HCDC as a priority location in the event of any emergency situation at the center or on campus and assist with security and other needs as applicable.

(B) Procedure for a missing or runaway child:

  • Contact 911 or emergency response entity: 4111 (JCCC Police & Campus Emergency Services) or 913-469-2500 direct phone line.
  • How will parents be notified of the event: HCDC administration will call and explain the situation to the parents and keep real time updates with the parent as the situation unfolds either in person or via phone depending on how quickly parents arrive at the center.

(C) Procedure for an unscheduled closing:

  • If the children and staff are present at HCDC:
    • How will parents be notified of the event: After ensuring safety (and relocation if necessary), parents will be notified via the ‘Playground’ app of the situation with an alert, email, and text message, including the reunification location and next steps. In addition to the Playground App, phone calls may be made to ensure parents are made sure of the situation once time allows. As a secondary back up system, JCCC utilizes the RAVE communication system and in the event the ‘Playground’ app is down during an emergency situation, HCDC can communicate with families via RAVE.
  • How will children be reunified with parents: Depending on why the closure is occurring (possible examples could include water outage, utility failure, etc.) children will be either still at the center or relocated to the GYM or Horticulture Center (HSC) and remain there until parents/guardians arrive to pick them up. Standard procedures to check and verify ID will occur, and parents will sign then out from the center or reunification location, either via the Playground app or on paper if the app is unavailable.
  • If children and staff are not present (i.e. snow/ice overnight, etc.)
    • How will parents be notified of the event: Parents will be notified via the ‘Playground’ app of the closure with an alert, email, and text message, including the closure information and reopening date, if known. HCDC is also automatically closed if JCCC campus closes and JCCC then announces the closure for the campus via multiple avenues including email, website: jccc.edu, text alerts, television, and a recoding will be added to the JCCC main phone line at 913-469-8500. As a secondary back up system, JCCC utilizes the RAVE communication system and in the event the ‘Playground’ app is down during an emergency situation, HCDC can communicate with families via RAVE.

(D) For all scenarios and situations:

(1) HCDC Shelter-in-place areas:

  • For tornado warning: in the HCDC basement. The interior restrooms can also be utilized as a secondary shelter-in-place location for persons with limited mobility, etc.
  • For ordered lockdown and safety threats to the center, staff, and children: each classroom has a designated shelter location that is discussed upon hire, annual review, and drills.
  • For inclement weather: all staff and personnel will stay indoors with the children. This could include thunderstorms, lightning, sleet, extreme temperatures, etc.
  • For escalated campus threat: all staff and personnel will stay indoors with the children and lock doors, close windows, draw blinds, and be on alert to fully lockdown; JCCC campus police may also send an officer to be on site and assist with verifying any persons entering the center.

(2) HCDC Relocation Sites:

  • #1 Option: JCCC Gymnasium (GYM) (12345 College Blvd. Overland Park, KS, 66210)
    • The Gym is on a separate power feed/system and will be used when possible as a first choice for that reason.
  • #2 Option: JCCC Horticulture Building (HSC) (12345 College Blvd. Overland Park, KS, 66210)
    • The Horticulture Building is close to the center and is a backup location if the Gym is unavailable for whatever reason (i.e., also affected by the emergency/ possibly unsafe to walk the longer distance to the Gym with the children, for example, debris in the walkways, etc.)
  • Evacuation routes are posted with this emergency plan including a map of how to exit the building. Staff would then walk with the children to the nearest sidewalk and to the Gym/Horticulture Building.

(3) Procedures to meet the needs of individual children, including each child with special needs and chronic medical conditions:

  • Digital copies of the children’s paperwork are stored on the ‘Playground’ app allowing for access to the children’s plans and medical information. Staff also grab any emergency medication for their specific children in emergency situations to take with them and the first aid supply kits/backpack to the relocation site or shelter in place location that can also be transported to a reunification location with the child.
  • Each classroom has a backpack containing hard copies of child medical information and parent contact details, and an authorized pick-up list along with a first aid kit. The first aid kit contains the following items per KDHE K.A.R. 28-4-128(c)(1-11) and is updated and maintained as supplies are used and double checked monthly by the HCDC Office Assistant:
    • First Aid Manual
    • Single use gloves
    • Adhesive bandages, assorted sizes
    • Adhesive tape
    • Roll of sterile gauze
    • Sharp scissors
    • Sterile gauze, 4x4 inches minimum
    • Cleansing agent or liquid soap
    • Elastic bandage
    • Tweezers
    • Bottle of water for washing/cleansing
  • Additionally, JCCC has Building Emergency Liaisons (BELs) that clear the buildings in emergencies, and they will also carry their JCCC issued BEL bag which includes a flashlight and supplies.

(E) Procedures for responding to and preventing allergic reactions of individual children:

  • Prevention
    • Upon initial enrollment, all parents complete a medical information form, including medical or food allergies and restrictions. The parents then meet with the Assistant Director and Kitchen Supervisor to ensure comprehension of the medical/food allergy, including the allergy, severity of reaction, reaction symptoms, and parents written plan for response steps to be taken by the center. After this meeting, the allergy is then added to the classroom and kitchen “Allergy List” that is posted publicly for all staff to see and in a prominent location. The kitchen staff will send substitute food/alternatives for the child. The staff verify that the right child is receiving the right food at mealtimes and snacks or medication when providing medication. Parents are also required to provide emergency response medication to be kept on site (i.e. EpiPen, Benadryl, etc.) along with a KDHE medication administration form to log the incident if it were to occur.
  • Responding
    • If the child is provided the wrong food:
      • Follow the child’s parent provided written emergency action plan and/or the following:
        • Call 911 or JCCC Police at 4111 and alert HCDC Administration.
        • Administer emergency rescue medication.
          • One staff must stay with the child AT ALL TIMES, observing for the possibility of needing to administer first aid/CPR in addition to rescue medication.
        • HCDC admin will CALL the Parents and explain situation.
        • Proceed with medical advice of the EMTs once they arrive.
      • If the child is provided the wrong medication:
        • Call 911 and Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (these numbers are posted in the classroom by the classroom phone)
        • Administer emergency rescue medication if there is one.
          • One staff must stay with the child AT ALL TIMES, observing for the possibility of needing to administer first aid/CPR in addition to rescue medication.
        • HCDC admin will CALL the Parents and explain situation.
        • Proceed with medical advice of the EMTs once they arrive.

(F) Procedures for notifying each parent or adult responsible for a child of any off-premises relocation:

  • After the children have been moved to the off-premises relocation site, parents will be notified via the ‘Playground’ app of the situation with an alert, email, and text message, including the reunification location and next steps. Phone calls may also be made to ensure parents are made sure of the situation once time allows and the weather event has passed. As a secondary back up system, JCCC utilizes the RAVE communication system and in the event the ‘Playground’ app is down during an emergency situation, HCDC can communicate with families via RAVE.

(G) Procedures for reuniting each child with each parent or adult responsible for the child:

  • Depending on the severity of the situation and building impacts, children will be either still at the center or relocated to a reunification location and remain there until parents/ guardians arrive to pick them up. Standard procedures to check and verify ID will occur and parents will sign the child out from the center or reunification location. All staff already working and the JCCC Police may also assist with supervision and care until parents arrive and the verifying of ID for persons picking up.

(H) Procedures for continuity of operations, including backing up or retrieving health and other required records:

  • Continuity of Operations
    • As a JCCC department, JCCC requires HCDC to do a “JCCC Departmental Business Impact Analysis” regularly. That is included in this packet separately and details both short- and long-term continuity plans for the center.
  • Backing up or retrieving health and other required records
    • Digital copies of the children and staff paperwork is stored on the ‘Playground’ app allowing for access to the children’s plans and medical information and staff required KDHE paperwork. This can be accessed and printed once the emergency has cleared. Business and center operations are stored on the JCCC server and can be backed up and restored by JCCC Information Services.

(I) Procedures designating the tasks to be followed by each staff member in an emergency, including the following:

  • (1) As appropriate, contacting 911 or other emergency response entities.
    • HCDC admin or witness to the event is responsible for calling 911 or JCCC Police at 4111 when the emergency or situation arises.
  • (2) assisting the children, including children with special needs, to move to a designated shelter-in-place area and to a designated off- premises relocation site; and
    • All staff working at the time of the emergency will be responsible for helping assist the children to the shelter-in-place area and to a designated off- premises relocation site. Kitchen staff are designated to help with the toddler classrooms. The JCCC designated Building Emergency Liaison (BEL) will check classrooms and ensure all staff and children are accounted for.
  • (3) ensuring that emergency supplies are readily available
    • Depending on the situation, all the supplies needed are on site, so if we stay at the center we are prepared. There are additional supplies in the basement, consisting of water, prepackaged food, diaper supplies, and games for each age group along with landline phone. Admin will also take the JCCC walkie-talkie to the basement. If there is a situation where staff need to immediately evacuate, HCDC admin will coordinate with JCCC Police and the JCCC Crisis Management Team to find additional emergency supplies as needed and applicable.

(J) Each emergency plan shall be kept on file on the premises. Each applicant with a temporary permit and each licensee shall ensure that the plan is reviewed with parents or legal guardians of children enrolled:

  • This plan is kept on site in the KDHE binder and posted on the HCDC website for parents to review.

(K) Each staff member shall be informed of and shall follow the emergency plan:

  • During orientation, staff go over the plan and are able to ask questions/review.
  • Annually at a full staff meeting.

(L) Each licensee shall review the emergency plan at least annually and update it as needed:

Initial creation on 10/4/24 and updated on 5/11/2026 by Courtney Hultgren, HCDC Program Director

Annual Updates:

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