PCOL Safety Guidelines: What We’re Doing Now, and Future Plans

PCOL strives to maintain the safest environment for all of God’s Children, ages zero through ninety-nine.  While devastating news surfaces almost daily of folks hurting one another through words and actions, we will continue to strive to maintain a community that is both welcoming and safe.

What we have been doing:

We follow the guidelines set forth by PCOL’s child protection policy. In addition to these guidelines, parents or authorized adults are required to sign in their infants, toddlers, and preschool age children.  A preapproved, authorized adult must pick them up. The Director of Children’s Ministries escorts the K-5th grade children to their Sunday school classrooms and maintains records of attendance for each classroom. The classroom doors are closed during class. In the event of an evacuation, the DCM and teachers will exit the building via the exterior doors attached to the classroom and reconvene in the backyard playground of the manse. Parents and guardians are asked to meet their children at this location.

The DCM is in constant contact with all of the teachers and is able to contact them as a group or individually in the event of an emergency situation. A point person is assigned when the DCM is off site.

Staff and volunteers have been trained in first aid, CPR, and AED operation. We will be offering additional training opportunities to folks in the PCOL community in early 2018.

Among the things we will be implementing:

An emergency communication protocol between the Meetinghouse, Sexton, and DCM.

Emergency exit maps will be placed in each room.

interior locks will be installed on the interior side of the classroom doors so that doors may be secured in the event that the classroom needs to shelter in place,

Staff, and other appropriate volunteers will have risk management training.

Ancillary exterior doors will be locked during Sunday school. (10 of the 15 doors)

The conversation will be continuing and we encourage you to reach out to us with your thoughts, concerns, and ideas.