Why is a fire drill important at school?

Answer 1

A fire drill is important because of the incredible unpredictability of an actual fire. There is often very little time to decide what to do, so it is important to have experience.

A fire drill allows you to practice ordinary procedures to follow during an emergency so that you are familiar with what to do and how to do it. It's also important because state and federal safety laws require a certain number of fire drills to be conducted per school year. For example, NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code® requires monthly evacuation drills in schools and other "educational occupancies."

Answer 2

This is how it works in my school:

We hear the alarm, then we all line up and go outside. Everyone is counted to make sure nobody is still inside. After a few minutes, we'll hear an announcement telling us to reenter the building. Nobody should return to the building until instructed.

To make sure a fire drill is properly organized, each school must have a written plan that describes the duties of the teachers and staff during the drill, including selecting primary and secondary exits, how to train the students to react calmly during the drill, and how students should exit the building if they do not happen to be in a classroom at the time of the fire alarm. Teachers and staff are responsible for making sure everyone under their supervision has left the building during the drill and that nobody is allowed to return inside until a clear signal is given.

As a general rule, drills should be held monthly.