Missing Child Procedure

Question 1

STEP 1: GET A DESCRIPTION

What is included in this step?

Answer 1

1. If a child is reported missing at the pool, quickly send 1 staff to do a pool scan and 1 staff to get a description.
2. Name, age, gender, hair color and eye color, Approx. height & weight, what the child is wearing, including color.

Question 2

STEP 2: LAST KNOWN LOCATION

What is included in this step?

Answer 2

Find out what the child was doing last. Were they:
In a class?
Rec Swim?
With a camp?
Using the restroom?

Question 3

STEP 3: ANNOUNCE “CODE ADAM”

What is included in this step?

Answer 3

Using the walkie-talkies and speaker system, announce a “Code Adam” followed by a description of the missing child.

Question 4

STEP 4: BEGIN THE SEARCH

What is included in this step?

Answer 4

All available staff should begin looking for the child.
One person should have already searched the pool (including bottom).

All available staff should split up and search/sweep the entire facility– pool, deck, locker rooms, hill, perimeter, exits.

Staff covering entrances/exits should ask visitors with children resembling the missing child to wait until police/management arrives.

Question 5

STEP 5: CALL THE POLICE

What is included in this step?

Answer 5

Don’t hesitate to call 911

Police would rather get a second call saying the child was found than to learn too late the child has been abducted.

Manager on duty should be the point person to the police once they arrive.

Question 6

STEP 6: LEAVING THE FACILITY

What is included in this step?

Answer 6

Staff should make an effort to detain (without becoming physical) any person with a child attempting to leave the facility until the police arrive.

If a suspicious person gets aggressive and cannot be contained at the facility, the staff should follow the person to the parking lot and get a complete description of the car (license plate, color, make, model, any features that stand out).

Question 7

STEP 8: CONCLUDE THE INCIDENT

What is included in this step?

Answer 7

Make announcement “Code Adam Cancelled”

Complete an incident report form

Staff staff should debrief with supervisor on the situation and determine if anything else could have been done, and how to implement that into future operations.

Question 8

STEP 7: LOCATE THE CHILD

What is included in this step?

Answer 8

If the child is found and appears to have been lost and unharmed, reunite the child with the parent or guardian.

Take the child and parent to a quiet place to debrief.