A fire drill must be carried out at least once every six months or once a term in the case of schools. Where appropriate “out of hours drills” should also be carried out for example if the building is hired by external users in the evenings.
Fire drills should take place without warning by operation of the fire alarm system using a different call point each time.
Where appropriate, at least one fire escape route should be made unavailable to simulate real fire conditions and to encourage evacuees to react to unforeseen circumstances.
Following the drill a short report detailing what went right and what went wrong should be compiled by the Responsible Person and a debriefing of staff should take place to resolve any problems encountered, this can form part of their refresher training. Details of the drill should be recorded in the fire logbook.
The premises should be confirmed as empty by,
A roll call of staff and visitors (this is the usual method in schools although an accurate record of who is in the building at any one time is required for this), and/or
A physical search of the building by trained evacuation officer(s)/Fire Wardens. This is the preferred method where staff do not have to sign in and out of the building.
A procedure for reoccupying the building to prevent unauthorised access, should be written and communicated to all employees, agency workers and visitors where appropriate.
People with a mobility impairment or other disability preventing them from a safe exit, must ensure there is an evacuation officer nearby and ensure there is a system in place to aid their evacuation.
