What We Do
Childcare for First Responders
DISASTER RESPONSE CHILDCARE FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
In the hours and days before, during and after Hurricane Ivan, firemen, law enforcement personnel, and emergency medical service providers faced the difficult choice between reporting to their emergency duty stations or caring for their children, due to the closure of many childcare facilities. Many of those that chose to stay with their children lost their jobs.
BRACE has:
♦ Engaged partners with an interest and expertise in providing child care.
♦ Surveyed Escambia County, City of Pensacola, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and ECUA employees to identify child care needs of 185 children that may need care during an emergency.
♦ Identified a survivable facility that meets all 15 criteria of the Florida Division of Emergency Management for sheltering in a hurricane, with the support of the Escambia County School District and Escambia County Emergency Management.
♦ Secured the donation of an auxiliary generator from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to provide emergency power.
♦ Secured a commitment for security from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
♦ Identified three co-directors for the facility with the support of the Florida Department of Children & Families and the Early Learning Coalition.
♦ Secured emergency communications with the support of the Early Learning Coalition.