Protocols for injuries, facility emergencies, weather closures, and missing-child procedures.
From a twisted ankle to a head injury — what to do in the first five minutes.
Emergency Numbers — Post This
Stop the activity immediately. Have the student sit down away from the group.
Do not let them walk it off until you have assessed.
Assess the injury. Ask: where does it hurt? Can you move it? Did you hear a snap or pop?
Apply RICE: Rest, Ice (cloth-wrapped, 20 min), Compression (light bandage), Elevation.
Never apply ice directly to skin.
Notify the parent or guardian by phone. Document the time of call.
Complete the studio incident report form before end of day.
Form is in the front desk binder, red tab.
If swelling increases or student cannot bear weight after 20 minutes — escalate to Major Injury protocol.
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Call 911 immediately.911
Do not move the student. Keep them still and calm. Clear the space around them.
Assign one adult to stay with the student. Assign another to meet the ambulance at the front entrance.
Do not leave the student alone at any point.
Move the rest of the class to an adjacent room or hallway. Assign a responsible adult to supervise.
Call the parent or guardian immediately.See student emergency contact card
Do not give any medication, food, or water without parental consent and medical guidance.
The studio director must be notified within 15 minutes.
Document everything: time of injury, what happened, who witnessed it, what was done.
This documentation is critical for insurance claims.
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Ask the student or parent: do you have an EpiPen? Where is it?
If anaphylaxis symptoms are present (throat swelling, difficulty breathing, hives spreading) — administer EpiPen and call 911.911
Lay the student flat with legs elevated unless breathing is difficult (then sit upright).
Stay with the student until emergency services arrive.
Call the parent immediately.
After an EpiPen is used, a hospital visit is mandatory — even if symptoms improve.
Epinephrine wears off in 15–20 minutes. Secondary reactions occur in 20% of cases.
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A 9-year-old came down wrong from a jump. She said her ankle was fine. It wasn't — she had a hairline fracture. We used the RICE protocol, called her mom, and documented everything. When the insurance adjuster called three weeks later, we had a timestamped incident report. That report closed the claim in one call.
Fire, gas leak, flooding, power outage. Getting 40 kids out safely requires a plan you've already rehearsed.
Activate the nearest fire alarm pull station if not already sounding.
Call 911. Do not assume someone else has called.911
Instruct all students: "Line up at the door. We are going outside now." Use a calm, firm voice.
Panic is contagious. Your tone sets the room.
Touch the door before opening. If it is hot — do not open it. Use your secondary exit route.
Take the class attendance sheet. You will need to account for every student outside.
Proceed to the designated assembly point.
Assembly point should be posted in every studio room. If not posted — assign one now.
Take attendance at the assembly point. Report any missing students to fire department on arrival.
Do not re-enter the building for any reason until fire department gives all-clear.
Contact parents. Students are not to be released to anyone other than their listed guardian without verification.
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We had a gas leak during Saturday tap. I had forty kids between ages six and fourteen in two studios. This checklist got all forty out in three minutes. The gas company said we did everything right. The thing that saved us was that we had practiced the route twice that semester — not a drill, just a walkthrough.
If you smell gas: do not turn any lights or switches on or off. Do not use your phone inside the building.
Evacuate immediately using the standard fire evacuation route. Leave doors open as you exit.
Once outside and at a safe distance (minimum 100 feet), call 911.911
Call the gas company emergency line.1-800-427-2200
SoCalGas / varies by region — post your local number.
Do not re-enter the building until the gas company has cleared it.
Notify parents. Arrange pickup at the assembly point.
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Move students immediately away from the water source and off wet flooring.
Wet dance floors are extremely hazardous. Treat standing water as a slip-and-fall emergency.
Locate the main water shut-off valve and turn it off if safe to do so.
Shut-off valve location should be marked on your emergency map.
If water is near electrical panels, outlets, or equipment — evacuate and call an electrician before re-entry.
Call your insurance carrier to open a claim. Document with photos before cleanup begins.
Time-stamped photos are critical for claims. Take them before you move anything.
Notify all families of class cancellation via your communication platform.
Call a water damage restoration company.
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Remain calm. Use your phone flashlight to assess the room immediately.
Keep students seated and together. Do not allow movement in the dark.
Check if the outage is isolated to your building (look outside) or broader.
If the outage persists beyond 15 minutes during class hours — begin parent notification for pickup.
Locate emergency lighting. Flashlights should be in the front desk drawer and each studio.
Check batteries quarterly. Mark it on your calendar.
Do not continue teaching in darkness. Cancel remaining classes for safety.
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The pipe burst at 7:45 p.m. on a Tuesday. I had three classes running. I had no checklist. I made every mistake — I kept one class going while dealing with the flooding, I didn't call insurance until the next morning, and I didn't document before cleanup. We lost $18,000 in flooring. The adjuster said the lack of same-day documentation cost us the full claim.
All four protocols, contact sheets, incident report templates, and a 12-month safety calendar — formatted for a standard binder. Used by 600+ studios across the US.
Tornado warnings, ice storms, extreme heat. The decision to close is yours — but the communication has to be instant.
A tornado WARNING (not watch) means take cover immediately. Do not wait for visual confirmation.
Move all students to your designated shelter area: interior hallway, ground floor, away from windows and exterior walls.
Bathrooms and interior closets on ground floor are ideal.
Have students sit against interior walls, heads down, hands over necks.
Do not open exterior doors. Do not stand near windows.
Take your class roster. Account for all students.
Remain sheltered until the warning is officially lifted by the National Weather Service.
After the all-clear: assess the building before allowing movement. Check for broken glass, structural damage.
Notify parents of the situation via mass text or your studio app.
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Make the closure decision at least 2 hours before class start time — ideally the night before.
Parents need time to adjust childcare. A 90-minute notice is inadequate.
Send notification via all channels simultaneously: studio app, email, text, and social media.
Your closure message must include: which classes, which dates, makeup class policy, and who to contact with questions.
Update your studio voicemail with the closure message.
Parents still call. They will be frustrated if your voicemail says nothing.
Document the weather event and your decision with a screenshot of the NWS advisory.
Useful if parents dispute makeup class policies later.
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We closed two hours late during an ice storm. Three families got into accidents on the way to the studio. No one was seriously hurt, but those calls changed how I make closure decisions. Now my rule is: if I'm unsure, we close. The makeup class costs me a Saturday. A car accident costs everyone much more.
Announce the closure calmly. Do not explain the full situation to students — keep it brief.
"We need to end class early today for safety. Please gather your bags."
Begin parent notification immediately via mass text.
Students are not to leave unaccompanied unless they are 16+ and have a signed self-release form on file.
For students under 16: hold them in the building until a listed guardian arrives. Document pickup times.
If a guardian cannot be reached within 30 minutes and conditions are deteriorating — contact local non-emergency police for guidance.311
Do not release students to any adult not listed on their emergency contact form.
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The protocol no studio owner wants to read — and the one every studio owner must have memorized.
⚠ Read This Section Completely Before You Need It
Missing child incidents at dance studios are rare but not unknown. Custody disputes, unauthorized pickup, and genuine disappearances all require different responses. The first 15 minutes are critical. This protocol assumes you cannot locate a student who was in your care.
Note the exact time you realized the student was missing. Write it down immediately.
Assign two adults to search the full premises immediately: all studios, bathrooms, lobby, parking area. Assign one adult to remain with all other students.
If not found within 5 minutes — call 911. Do not wait longer.911
Call the parent or guardian immediately. Use the emergency contact card.
Do not dismiss any other students until police arrive or you receive explicit guidance from law enforcement.
Preserve any security camera footage. Do not allow it to be deleted or overwritten.
Have the student's registration form, photo, and description ready for police.
Designate one person to speak to police. All other staff should not speak to media.
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A 7-year-old walked out the front door during a recital rehearsal. We found her in the parking lot two minutes later — she was looking for her mom's car. But those two minutes were the longest of my life, and I realized I had no protocol. Now we have a designated door monitor at every high-traffic event. We also have a sign-out sheet that parents physically sign when picking up.
Verify the identity of any adult claiming to pick up a student who is not on the authorized pickup list.
If the adult is not on the list — politely but firmly refuse release. "I'm so sorry, I can only release [name] to the people listed on their form. Let me call their parent now."
Call the custodial parent or guardian immediately.
If the adult becomes aggressive or refuses to leave — call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to physically intervene.911
Move the student to a back room away from the adult. Keep them calm.
Document the adult's description, vehicle, and license plate if visible.
Note: a court order restricting access overrides any verbal claim by a parent. If a custody order is on file, follow it exactly.
Keep copies of all custody orders in a locked file.
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If a student discloses abuse, or if you observe signs of physical or emotional abuse — you are a mandated reporter in most US states.
Listen to the student. Do not ask leading questions. Do not promise confidentiality.
Say: "Thank you for telling me. I want to make sure you're safe."
Do not confront the suspected abuser.
Report to Child Protective Services (CPS) or law enforcement immediately.1-800-422-4453
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline — 24/7
Notify your studio director. Document your observations in writing with date and time.
Do not share your report or suspicions with other parents or staff beyond those who need to know.
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A student told me during a water break that her stepfather 'hits her when she's bad.' I froze. I didn't know what to do. I called my studio director, who called CPS that evening. The student was removed from the home two weeks later. The thing I keep coming back to: I almost didn't say anything because I wasn't sure. The protocol taught me that uncertainty is exactly when you call.
Do not post identifiable photos of students on public social media without written parental consent on file.
Consent forms must specify: what platforms, how long images may be used, and whether the student's name may appear.
Do not allow parents to photograph students other than their own child during class without consent of all families present.
Review all tagged posts on studio accounts monthly. Remove any image of a student whose parent has not consented.
If a parent requests removal of their child's image — act within 24 hours.
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You've read all four protocols.
The Emergency Binder includes everything on this page plus incident report forms, a parent communication template, and a 12-month safety audit checklist — formatted for a standard 3-ring binder.
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