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Incident Leader

The incident leader oversees all preparedness, response, and recovery activities. They make sure that all emergency roles are assigned and that the people in these positions are trained to fulfill their responsibilities. 

The incident leader may be the program director, the head of the emergency preparedness task force, or another person the program director chooses. A large program with more than one facility should consider assigning a leader for each site, such as a site supervisor.

Preparedness Actions

  • Considers program characteristics when assigning emergency roles and responsibilities to staff, such as:
    • Number of sites
    • Types of care and program options
    • Facility layouts
    • Workforce
    • Needs of the children
  • Gives the disaster preparedness plan to new employees and explains emergency procedures during orientation and onboarding
  • Schedules emergency preparedness training and tabletop exercises during staff meetings, evaluates how well the program’s procedures work, and improves them when needed
  • Sets up a yearly schedule of emergency drills according to the program’s disaster preparedness plan, which includes how often to practice them and whether they are announced or unannounced
  • Obtains a letter of agreement or MOU with the relocation sites

Response Actions

  • Declares the emergency within the program
  • Decides which emergency procedure to activate — evacuation or relocation, shelter-in-place, lockdown and stay safe, or infectious disease — and directs the response activities
  • Oversees and coordinates the emergency response actions
  • Reports cases of notifiable diseases to the public health department in the program’s jurisdiction
  • With the attendance and reunification lead, confirms that all children and staff are safe and accounted for
  • Confirms that the emergency is over and tells the communication lead to announce an “all clear” message

Recovery Actions

  • Reports the emergency as appropriate to the licensor, regional Head Start office, and other parties listed in the disaster preparedness plan
  • Identifies what is needed to reopen the program
  • Works with the facilities safety lead, program administrators, and local officials to make sure the facility is safe for return
  • Helps the program apply for disaster relief funding if needed
  • With the program’s disaster preparedness task force, assesses how well the program responded to the emergency and updates the written plan as needed

Read more:

,  Safety Practices