There is a routine to a child care facility that has a distinctive rhythm that often lulls staff members into complacency. The morning arrivals, the morning snack, the outside playtime, the group time, lunch time, naptime, afternoon snack, and departure times. Each time has a definite beginning, middle, and end as well as a definite feeling and purpose. It is this routine, this self imposed structure, that makes going to school enjoyable and predictable for young children.

But, because we work with people, these routines can be abruptly ruptured and situations can require immediate emergency action. One such event occurred during rest time at the center. All the infants were sleeping. The center was quiet except for the soft naptime music being played.

I have often heard the staff remark that naptime was the staff's downtime. This is an issue we repeatedly address in staff development. We all agreed that supervising napping children was significantly different from supervising children on the playground. But, what could possibly go wrong during naptime and did it really require teachers to be vigilant? What was so wrong with teachers plugged into their iPods, talking on cell phones, or even engaged in personal conversation with a co-worker?

What could go wrong? One day we found out. On the day in question all things appeared normal. No one was sick, everyone ate as expected and everyone went to sleep just as we expected and just like always.

Shortly into naptime a blood curdling scream pierced filled the center. The infant room teacher was screaming for help. Working with infants SIDS and respritory distress were always on our minds.

Previously we had practiced team emergency drills. A co-worker rushed to tell me to call 911. She gave me the name of the child involved which meant I knew the age of the child and said the child was having a seizure in his sleep and he was vomiting. I called 911 to get immediate help.

In the meantime, another co-worker helped ease the child off his cot and turn his head so that he wouldn?t choke on his vomitus. The teacher stayed with the ailing child to observe everything. Her co-teacher began timing the length of the seizures so she would be able to tell the EMTs. I phoned the parents of the child to alert them to the situation and tell them where the child was being taken for treatment. I phone our risk management department to alert them to the medical emergency.

Within minutes the EMTs arrived and provided the necessary emergency treatment. The child was transported to the local hospital.

This entire scene took only a few minutes. The possibilities for disaster were obvious. What if the supervising teacher hadn?t been paying attention? What if others had frozen from fright?

Understanding the importance of remaining alert to children in all their activities is of vital importance. Where there are children there will be accidents and unexpected dangers. With proper training a daycare staff will not only support each other during an emergency but also begin to anticipate and prevent the dangers of childhood.