Fire drill - wikipedia Fire drill This article is about the safety exercise in case of emergency. For the tool, see Bow drill. Students practicing a fire drill in a smoke trailer with a firefighter assisting them. This is aimed at teaching the children proper procedures for evacuating the building in a real life fire or emergency situation. A fire drill is a method of practicing how a building would be evacuated in the event of a fire or other emergencies. In most cases, the building 's existing fire alarm system is activated and the building is evacuated as if the emergency had occurred. Generally, the evacuation is timed to ensure that it is fast enough, and problems with the emergency system or evacuation procedures are identified to be remedied. Contents 1 History of fire drills 2 Other improvements in fire safety 3 Security improvements 4 Fire drill regulations 4.1 United States 4.2 United Kingdom 4.3 New Zealand 5 See also 6 References History of fire drills The purpose of fire drills in buildings is to ensure that everyone knows how to exit safely as quickly as possible if a fire, smoke, carbon monoxide or other emergency occurs. People need to recognise the sound of the fire alarm. Before regular fire drills were instituted, a fire that had a major impact broke out at the private Catholic school Our Lady of the Angels in 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, US. Children on the second floor were trapped there, with neither teachers nor pupils knowing how to get out of the building safely. Many children jumped out of windows, and many were killed as they could not make their way to an exit. Although the school had passed a fire inspection two months before, and had the number of fire exits and fire extinguishers required at the time, it lacked smoke detectors or adequate fire alarms, and was overcrowded. The need for fire drills was recognised ; monthly fire drills were put in place after the Our Lady of the Angels fire. It was found in a later study that education on fire also helped to prevent it : people started to learn more about what started fires, and what to do in the case of one starting. They were also aware of the hazards that allow a fire to start. Within a year of the fire, many of the hazardous conditions found in Our Lady of the Angels had been eliminated in thousands of schools around the United States. Other improvements in fire safety After the fire at Our Lady of the Angel, state regulations required that there had to be fire alarm street boxes no more than one hundred feet from the front of the building. The General Assembly of Illinois also passed life safety codes in response to the fire at Our Lady of the Angel. Things such as more control over waste disposal, proper storage of combustible supplies, more frequent fire drills and inspections were put in place. Other reforms from the fire include the city of Chicago modifying the Municipal Building Code of Chicago, affecting fire safety of schools as well as other buildings with two or more stories. To prevent fires and deaths caused by fires, schools must have an evacuation plan in place, and make sure that all the proper fire alarms and warnings work. Teachers must take charge of the situation and be a leader. Teachers should also consider the number of students that they have. They need enough space and time to get all of the students out quickly, and safely. Teachers should also be the ones that are looking out for causes of fires, in order to try and stop it from happening. Security improvements In reviewing how during a school shooting by Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Golden a fire alarm was used, it was realised that such an alarm could motivate the occupants of a building to assemble in one place, appropriate for a fire, but increasing the risk in a shooting. Nick Dial 's article suggests possible improvements of a color - coded drill along with other remarks about school security. Fire drill regulations Many jurisdictions require that fire drills be conducted at certain intervals. This is the case in educational institutions, and also other workplaces and buildings. The frequency of such drills and what must be done during them may be laid down in statutes. United states In the United States, school fire drill regulations are set by individual states. Some states require that schools conduct a fire drill once per month : Alabama Arkansas Alaska California ( elementary schools ) Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Indiana Kansas Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey North Carolina Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Utah ( elementary schools ) West Virginia Wisconsin Some states require that schools conduct a specific number of drills over the course of the entire school year, or that a certain number of drills must be conducted within a certain period of time : Arizona Alaska California ( middle and high schools ) Florida Hawaii Illinois Iowa Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Montana New Mexico New York Oklahoma South Dakota Texas Utah ( middle and high schools ) Vermont Virginia Some states specify a greater frequency of fire drills at the beginning of the school year : District of Columbia Florida Georgia Louisiana Maine Rhode Island Tennessee Utah Virginia West Virginia Until regulations changed on November 1, 2010, New Jersey was unique in its requirement that schools conduct two fire drills per month. Under later requirements one of the two fire drills was replaced by a monthly security drill. United Kingdom The Government of the United Kingdom requires that all schools, colleges and universities and any other education establishment perform a fire drill at the start of the new academic year in September. and recommends that one should be held every term. According to UK fire regulations, places such as public residences or small buildings should have a fire alarm warning device such as a bell or a sounder installed in every room. Regular safety checks such as testing fire alarms and fire extinguishers should be performed weekly. According to the Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005, all workplaces must have an emergency plan specifying staff actions, evacuation plans and arrangements for contacting the fire brigade. New Zealand The New Zealand Fire Service requires all schools and educational facilities to carry out a fire drill ( termed a trial evacuation ) at least once every six months, unless a shorter period is specified in the school 's approved evacuation scheme. Schools need to give the Fire Service 7 - 10 working days ' notice before a fire drill is planned, and must submit a report to the Fire Service within 7 - 10 working days of the drill ; an unplanned alarm activation does not count as a fire drill. See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fire drill. Chinese fire drill, a form of prank False alarm Fire alarm Firefighter Tornado drill Muster drill Earthquake drill Exit sign References ^ Jump up to : Cunningham, Thomas ( n.d. ). `` Our Lady of the Angels : A Historical Perspective on School Fires ''. WithTheCommand.com. Retrieved 11 January 2015. Jump up ^ Teague, Paul. `` Case Histories : Fires Influencing the Life Safety Code '' ( PDF ). nfpa.org. Retrieved 2009. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ National Fire Protection Association. `` Fire Drills at School ''. nfpa.org. Retrieved October 28, 2014. Jump up ^ Dial, Nick ( November 26, 2013 ). `` School Safety : Serious Proposals for Effective Security ''. Law Enforcement Today. Retrieved November 5, 2014. Jump up ^ Code of Alabama, § 36 - 19 - 10, Regulation of fire drills and doors and exits in schools, factories, hospitals, etc. Jump up ^ Arkansas Code, § 12 - 13 - 109. Fire drills. ^ Jump up to : `` 723 ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION '' ( PDF ). Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. ^ Jump up to : `` School Emergency Preparedness Plan - Section 8 ''. Web.archive.org. 2004 - 11 - 20. Archived from ( http : ) / / mcoeweb.marin.k12.ca.us/EmerPrep/plan8.html the original ) Check url = value ( help ) on 2004 - 11 - 20. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived March 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. ^ Jump up to : `` Standards for Principals and Assistant Principals '' ( DOC ( computing ) ). District of Columbia Public Schools. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 14. ^ Jump up to : `` Site Based Manager Fall Back and Regroup ''. Florida Department of Education. Retrieved 2009 - 02 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Kansas DOE Education Statute # : 31 - 133 ''. Kansas DOE. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 18. Jump up ^ `` State Regulation of Private Schools - Nebraska ''. Ed.gov. 2000 - 01 - 01. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ `` Nevada Revised Statutes § 392.450 ''. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Nevada Revised Statutes § 394.170 ''. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Fire Code Issues in Educational Occupancies '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 25. ^ Jump up to : `` New Jersey Principals And Supervisors Association -- Membership News ''. Njpsa.org. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 24. Jump up ^ `` GS 115C - 288 ''. Ncga.state.nc.us. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ `` Bills try at header '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on February 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ 24J Risk Management Operations Manual Archived January 19, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ PDE. `` Pre K - 12 Schools : Fire Drills and School Bus Evacuations ''. Pde.state.pa.us. Archived from the original on August 11, 2007. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 23. ^ Jump up to : Rhode Island General Laws, Title 16, § 16 - 21 - 4 Jump up ^ `` Chapter 07 - 234 ''. Rilin.state.ri.us. 2007 - 05 - 23. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 23. ^ Jump up to : `` State Fire Marshal 's Office : Fire Safety Starts in Schools ''. www.tn.gov. ^ Jump up to : `` Fire Drill Requirements ''. Davis School District. Archived from the original on March 19, 2005. Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 05. ^ Jump up to : `` School Fire Exit Drill Safety Report '' ( PDF ). Office of the State Fire Marshal. Retrieved 25 November 2009. Jump up ^ Fire Drills in Wisconsin Schools : an Opportunity for Excellence, John Andersen, Wisconsin Department of Commerce Newsletter, November 2003 Jump up ^ `` Arizona School Emergency Response Plan Minimum Requirements Checklist '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 14. Jump up ^ `` § 12 - 45.1 - 99 w / Amendment '' ( PDF ). Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 12, Subtitle 7, Chapter 45 - 1. Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. p. 32. Retrieved 2014 - 11 - 03. Jump up ^ Governor Blagojevich signs new law to make schools safer, Office of the Governor, State of Illinois, August 16, 2005 Jump up ^ ( PDF ) https://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/ACO/IC/LINC/2013.Section.100.31.PDF. Missing or empty title = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : `` E - Business Management ''. Cpsb.org. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 23. ^ Jump up to : Yarmouth School District. `` Yarmouth School District - E - Support Services ''. District.yarmouth.k12.me.us. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ Maryland An. Code 1957, art. 77, § 91 ; 1978, ch. 22, § 2 ; 1996, ch. 10, § 16. Jump up ^ School Fire Drills, Stephen D. Coan, Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, June 27, 2001 Jump up ^ Michigan Compiled Laws, Chapter 29, Act 207 of 1941, Section 29.19 Jump up ^ `` Minnesota Statutes 299F. 30 : Fire drill in schools ; doors and exits ''. 2006. Retrieved 2007 - 06 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Montana Code Annotated 20 - 1 - 402 ''. 2007. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 15. Jump up ^ Subsection M of 6.30. 2.10 of the New Mexico Administrative Code Jump up ^ `` FireDrillFreq_120309 ''. Retrieved 2010 - 07 - 24. Jump up ^ `` ARTICLE IV : SAFETY ''. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 19. Jump up ^ `` K - 12 Accreditation - South Dakota Department of Education ''. test.doe.sd.gov. Department of Education, State of South Dakota. ^ Jump up to : Code of Virginia, § 22.1 - 137 Jump up ^ `` Superintendent 's Report ''. Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. State of Georgia. Retrieved 13 February 2018. Jump up ^ New Jersey Permanent Statutes, § 18A : 41 - 1 Jump up ^ `` Fire safety in the workplace ''. Diect Gov. Retrieved 29 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Fire safety in the workplace ''. Direct Gov. Retrieved 2015 - 09 - 19. Jump up ^ `` DfES Teachernet Emergencies ''. Teachernet. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Guide to evacuation schemes December 2014 ''. New Zealand Fire Service. Retrieved 13 December 2015. Fire protection General Active fire protection Passive fire protection Fire suppression Manual Fire blanket Fire bucket Fire extinguisher Automatic Condensed aerosol fire suppression Fire sprinkler system Fire sprinkler Gaseous fire suppression Detection Flame detector Heat detector Smoke detector Notification Drill Fire alarm system Call box Control panel Notification appliance Pull station / call point Smoke detector Awards Arthur B. Guise Medal Harry C. Bigglestone Award Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fire_drill&oldid=835654171 '' Categories : Safety drills Firefighting Hidden categories : CS1 errors : dates Pages with URL errors Webarchive template wayback links Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters Pages using Columns - list with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia 日本 語 Simple English Svenska 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 10 April 2018, at 00 : 01. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the purpose of the fire drill
Answer: practicing how a building would be evacuated in the event of a fire or other emergencies