Free Fire Drill Checklist: Fire Drill Checklist and Evaluation Form, Yearly Fire Drill Log, and Fire Warden Roll Call Sheet (PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the page

Evacuation time

Minutes from the alarm until the last person is out. Set a realistic target for your building, often around three minutes for a small single-floor workplace.

People expected and accounted for

Everyone who should be in the building, from the staff rota and visitor log, and the number found at the assembly point.

Announced

Whether people knew about the drill in advance. Mix announced and unannounced drills.

Fire wardens

Staff who check their area is empty, close doors and report to the person in charge. Each has a backup.

Problems and fixes

Anything that slowed the evacuation, with an owner and a date, so it is fixed before the next drill.

Running a fire drill

Pick a date, tell the alarm monitoring company if you've one, and brief the fire wardens. Have the staff list, the visitor log and a stopwatch ready. Sound the alarm and watch, rather than lead: do people stop work at once, use the nearest exit and close doors behind them? Time the last person out and the end of roll call. Back at work, hold a ten-minute debrief and write down every problem with a person and a date to fix it. The visitor log is what tells you whether everyone is out, so make sure someone takes it.

How often to hold drills

The rules depend on where you're and the type of building. Many workplaces hold at least one or two drills a year, schools hold them much more often, and buildings with several shifts drill each shift. Check your local fire code, your landlord's requirements and your insurer. Whatever the rule, keep the log: it's the first thing an inspector or insurer will ask to see, and it shows patterns, like the same exit being blocked every time.

Fire wardens and people who need help

Give each warden an area and a backup, because the warden will not always be in. Wardens sweep their area quickly on the way out, including restrooms and storerooms, and report to the person in charge at the assembly point. Plan, with their agreement, for anyone who may need help: someone using a wheelchair or walker, someone with impaired hearing who may not hear the alarm, or a pregnant employee who shouldn't use stairs in a rush. Train new staff on the routes in their first week; add it to the onboarding checklist.

Editing the files

The PDFs are fillable. In Excel, the evaluation form works out how many people were not accounted for. Use the Word version to add your own building's exits and assembly point.

Questions

What should a fire drill checklist include?

Planning steps, what to watch during the drill (alarm, exits, sweeps), roll call, timings, problems found and who will fix them.

How long should a fire evacuation take?

It depends on the building. Set a target based on your layout and number of people, time each drill, and work to bring the time down.

How often are fire drills required?

It varies by location and building type. Check your local fire code, landlord and insurer; schools usually need drills more often than offices.

Should fire drills be announced?

Mix both. Announced drills are good for training; unannounced drills show what really happens.

What is a fire drill log?

A record of each drill with the date, time, evacuation time, headcount and problems found, kept for inspections.