Answer: With the sheer number of children and adults in the building, we have to be prepared for any emergency. Some of them are hard to think about, but we want our children and teachers to be prepared for anything. So, we have four emergency plans at UCDC. One plan is for cases when children need to be kept away from a certain area (e.g., a hazardous spill that needs to be cleaned, an accident, etc.), one for emergencies that require a lockdown/containment away from windows (e.g. outside threat), one for evacuation (e.g., in case of a fire) and one for an intruder situation. We have also updated our security system at the center allowing for security at the front door as well as classroom door locks that can be engaged with a fob in order to allow classrooms to be secured.

We hope to never have to use any of these, but we practice them on a regular basis in order for the staff and children to be comfortable with the routine which will allow them to remain calm in the case of a real emergency.