Your emergency preparedness plan must include written procedures for:
  (1) Evacuation, relocation, and sheltering/lock-down of children including:
    (A) The first responsibility of staff in an emergency evacuation or relocation is to move the children to a designated safe area or alternate shelter known to all employees, caregivers, parents, and volunteers;
    (B) How children will be evacuated or relocated to the designated safe area or alternate shelter, including but not limited to specific procedures for evacuating and relocating children with limited mobility or who otherwise may need assistance in an emergency, such as children who have mental, visual, or hearing impairments;
    (C) An emergency evacuation and relocation diagram as outlined in §744.3561 of this title (relating to Must I have an emergency evacuation and relocation diagram?);
    (D) The staff responsibility in a sheltering/lock-down emergency for the orderly movement of children to a designated location within the operation where children should gather;
    (E) Name and address of the alternate shelter away from the operation you will use as needed; and
    (F) How children in attendance at the time of the emergency will be accounted for at the designated safe area or alternate shelter;
  (2) Communication, including:
    (A) The emergency telephone number that is on file with us; and
    (B) How you will communicate with local authorities (such as fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, health department), parents, and us; and
  (3) How your staff will evacuate and relocate with the essential documentation including:
    (A) Parent and emergency contact telephone numbers for each child in care;
    (B) Authorization for emergency care for each child in care; and
    (C) The child tracking system information for children in care;
  (4) How your staff will continue to care for children until each child has been released; and
  (5) How you will reunify the children with their parents as the evacuation, relocation, or sheltering/lock-down is lifted.

Source Note: The provisions of this §744.3553 adopted to be effective September 1, 2010, 35 TexReg 7469; amended to be effective June 1, 2014, 39 TexReg 3716; amended to be effective September 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 6225; transferred effective March 9, 2018, as published in the Texas Register February 16, 2018, 43 TexReg 909