School Emergency Drill SOP Template

1.Purpose

To make sure required emergency drills are scheduled, staff and students know their roles, everyone is accounted for during a drill, and issues found are fixed before the next drill.

2.Scope

Applies to fire, lockdown and severe weather drills for all classrooms and common areas. Response to an actual emergency is covered by the school's emergency operations plan, not this SOP.

Definitions

Assembly point

The designated outdoor location where a class gathers and is counted after an evacuation.

Lockdown

A drill or response where students and staff move away from doors and windows, lock the room, and stay silent until an all-clear.

All-clear

The announced signal that a drill or emergency response has ended and normal activity may resume.

3.Responsibilities

Safety Coordinator

Schedules drills, activates the drill signal, gives the all-clear, and leads the debrief.

Teacher

Leads their class through the drill response, takes roll at the assembly point or during lockdown, and reports anyone missing.

Front Office Administrator

Accounts for visitors and non-classroom staff and helps log drill results.

Maintenance Technician

Keeps evacuation routes clear and posted, and fixes issues found during a drill such as a blocked exit or faulty alarm.

RACI matrix

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

4.Materials and PPE

Materials, tools and systems

• →School safety calendar
• →Posted evacuation and shelter route maps
• →Class roster for roll call
• →Drill log or digital tracking system
• →Two-way radios or intercom system
• →Visitor sign-in log

5.Procedure

1. 5.1

   Schedule drills for the term

   Safety Coordinator

   Plan fire, lockdown and severe weather drills across the term to meet the school's safety calendar and local regulations for frequency.

   Checkpoint: Every required drill type is scheduled at least once before the term ends.

2. 5.2

   Brief staff on drill procedures

   Safety Coordinator

   At a staff meeting before the term begins, review the signal, response and roll call procedure for each drill type with all teachers.

3. 5.3

   Post and refresh evacuation routes

   Maintenance Technician

   Confirm the evacuation and shelter route map posted in every classroom is current, and update it after any room or furniture change.

4. 5.4

   Confirm classroom roles before the drill

   Teacher

   Before the drill window opens, each teacher confirms their route, primary and alternate assembly point, and how to take roll from the class roster.

5. 5.5

   Activate the drill signal

   Safety Coordinator

   Activate the alarm, announcement or signal for the drill type being run, following facility policy for how each type is announced.

6. 5.6

   Lead the classroom response

   Teacher

   Guide students calmly through the evacuation route to the assembly point, or into the lockdown or shelter position, depending on the drill type.

   Warning: Never use elevators during a fire evacuation drill or an actual fire.

7. 5.7

   Take roll and report missing students

   Teacher

   Take roll against the class roster at the assembly point or during lockdown, and report any missing student's name and last known location to the safety coordinator immediately.

   Checkpoint: Every teacher confirms a full or missing headcount within two minutes of reaching the assembly point or lockdown position.

8. 5.8

   Account for visitors and staff

   Front Office Administrator

   Cross-check the visitor sign-in log and staff schedule to confirm every visitor and non-classroom staff member is accounted for at their assigned area.

9. 5.9

   Maintain drill discipline until all-clear

   Safety Coordinator

   Keep students in position, silent during lockdown or orderly at the assembly point, until the safety coordinator gives the all-clear signal.

   Warning: If a real fire, intruder or hazard is discovered during a scheduled drill, treat it as an actual emergency and call emergency services immediately.

10. 5.10

    Give the all-clear and return to class

    Safety Coordinator

    Announce the all-clear once every classroom has confirmed a full headcount, and direct classes to return to their normal schedule.

11. 5.11

    Debrief with staff

    Safety Coordinator

    Within 24 hours of the drill, gather feedback from teachers on timing, blocked routes or confusion points during the response.

12. 5.12

    Log the drill and file the report

    Front Office Administrator

    Record the date, drill type, total duration and any issues raised during debrief in the drill log for compliance reporting.

13. 5.13

    Assign and track corrective actions

    Safety Coordinator

    Assign an owner and target date for fixing any issue found, such as a blocked exit or a faulty alarm, and confirm it is resolved before the next drill.

6.Quality checks

• →Every classroom completes a documented headcount within two minutes of the drill signal.
• →Posted evacuation routes match the current classroom layout.
• →Every required drill type is completed at least once per term.
• →Corrective actions from the last drill are closed before the next drill of the same type.

7.Records

• →Drill log with date, type and duration
• →Debrief notes and corrective action list
• →Visitor sign-in log for the drill day
• →Staff briefing attendance record

8.KPIs

• →Time to full headcount from drill signal
• →Percentage of required drills completed on schedule
• →Number of open corrective actions past their target date
• →Staff attendance rate at drill briefings

9.Common mistakes

• →Running a drill without briefing new or substitute staff on the procedure first.
• →Not updating the posted evacuation route after a classroom or furniture change.
• →Treating a delayed or incomplete headcount as good enough instead of investigating.
• →Letting corrective actions from a past drill go untracked.

10.Revision history