As I was about to write this column, the unthinkable happened. A white supremacist entered a Jewish Day Care Center in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles and fired more than 70 rounds, injuring two adults and three pre-school children. Who would believe that anyone would attack a day care center? Fortunately, everyone survived the attack and is back home without physical disabilities. Yet, this haven of safety and comfort for children shattered into an inferno of gunsmoke and bleeding youngsters, and attracted national and international attention. Children are considered our most innocent and valuable population.

This applies to every emergency situation. Children lack the physical strength and mental ability to cope with unexpected disasters. As in nature, every child depends on their parents, as well as supervising adults to protect and comfort them. Changes in their routines, the disruption of a secure environment, and especially the fear of abandonment can become devastating factors.

Are we - average adult citizens, as well as emergency professionals - prepared to meet the needs of children in a disaster? Do EMS, health providers, and other responders have adequate training and supplies (from diapers to comfort toys) to handle a mass casualty incident involving kids? Because infants, toddlers and children are not small adults, much of the disaster equipment and protocols that exist for adults cannot be automatically applied to them. Does your emergency plan cover Pediatric Disaster Life Support and does it designate facilities for newborns as well as infants without guardians? Do shelters give children room to play? Do they provide toys and books? Review your current emergency plans to determine if the needs of children are properly addressed.

Dr. Aghababian, one of the leading Emergency Medicine experts at the University of Massachusetts, states: "Following a disaster, the needs of children exceed the needs of adults and children should be given priority." Most importantly, the psychological impacts of a disaster should never be underestimated - children always show emotional disturbances ranging from mild to severe complaints such as apathy, depression, fear, nightmares and more.

Do adults behave as good examples? Too often family members become frantic and dysfunctional in emergency situations. So children may think: Mom and Dad are worried - I am, too. The dog keeps whining. What's going to happen to us? Understandably, the agitation and fear that is expressed by out-of-control adults intensifies the anxieties of kids in an unfamiliar situation. In some cases, children may be more affected by the reactions of their parents and other caretakers than they are by the disaster itself.

Sometimes parents put their children in great danger by neglecting basic safety rules. For example, not wearing seatbelts or the reluctance to follow evacuation recommendations may well cause injuries to children that could have been prevented.

Educational preparation and experienced counseling in the aftermath of a disaster are the keys to preventing devastating effects to children. With proper guidance, kids can and should become the key factors in building a safer and disaster resistant world in the future.

The program "Risk Watch" by the National Fire Protection Association http://www.nfpa.org is an excellent tool for gaining kids' interest in safety and emergency preparedness and involving them in activities. They learn in a playful environment how to develop a family disaster plan, how to evacuate, and where to meet in case of fire, etc. Conducting drills is fun and takes away a lot of the fear associated with real life emergencies. Another outstanding play/learning tool is FEMA's Website for kids http://www.fema.gov/kids aimed at elementary and middle school ages. Jokes, quizzes and games introduce the youngsters to the subject of disaster preparedness.

I believe that schools need to instruct even more safety and life-saving features such as, providing C-P-R courses and teaching what to do in case of flood, fire, tornadoes, and other threatening hazards. This knowledge is as important as mathematics, chemistry, and the social sciences. Natural disasters and accidents are part of our daily life and our education systems need to address these issues with the same importance as academic subjects. Schoolteachers can develop a safety curriculum with the help of local fire, health care, and emergency departments, as well as police and safety personnel.

If kids understand that disaster events are a part of the environment and they learn how to prevent or mitigate hazards, we have prepared them for the challenge. This will ensure that our next generation is better able to build a disaster resistant community.