Conduct Different Types of Drills
Schools should conduct different types of drills, including fire, lockdown and evacuation drills. Each drill should be designed to simulate a real emergency situation and be tailored to the school’s specific layout and emergency response plan.
Drill Requirements By State
Below is a list of safety drills and their frequency required to be conducted each year by state, as well as the person in charge of enforcing these drills.
Alabama
Emergency Drill – 1 per month
Lockdown Drill – 1 per semester
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Alaska
Emergency Drill – 1 per month
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Arizona
Not Identified in Statute
Arkansas
Lockdown Drill – 1 per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
California
Drop Procedure – one per quarter – elementary; one per semester – secondary
Drill Manager/Lead: Staff Member
Colorado
All-Hazard Drill
Fire Drill
Table Top Exercises
(frequency determined by school board)
Drill Manager/Lead: N/A
Connecticut
Crisis Response Drill -one every three months, in place of a fire drill
Fire Drill – one per month
Drill Manager/Lead: School Safety Team
Delaware
Lockdown or Intruder Drill -two per year
Tabletop Exercise – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: School Safety Team
District of Columbia
Not Identified in Statute
Florida
Emergency Drills – one per year of each type
Drill Manager/Lead: School Safety Team
Georgia
School Safety Plan Drill – frequency determined by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Hawaii
Not Identified in Statute
Idaho
Evacuation Drill – frequency not specified
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Illinois
Law Enforcement Drills – one per year
School Evacuation Drills – three per year
Severe Weather and Shelter-in-place Drills – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Indiana
Active Shooter Drill – one per year
Fire Evacuation Drill -one per month
Manmade Occurrence Disaster Drill – one per semester
Tornado Drill – one per semester
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Iowa
School Safety Plan Drill – one per year (may include a table top exercise, walkthrough, partial drill, or full drill)
Fire Drill – four per year
Tornado Drill – four per year
Drill Manager/Lead: District Board
Kansas
Crisis Drill – three per year
Fire Drill – four per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Kentucky
Lockdown Drill – two per year
Severe Weather Drill – two per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Louisiana
School Safety Plan Drill – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Maine
Evacuation Drills
Lockdown Drills -frequency varies by grade level
Drill Manager/Lead: Staff Member
Maryland
Evacuation Drill – one per year
Shelter in Place Drill -one per year
Reverse Evacuation Drill – one per year
Lockdown Drill – one per year
Drop, Cover, Hold Drill – one per year
Severe Weather Drill – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Massachusetts
Not Identified in Statute
Michigan
Fire Drill – eight per year
Lockdown Drill – three per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Minnesota
School Fire Drill – five per year
School Lockdown Drill – five per year
Tornado Drill – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Mississippi
Active Shooter with Lockdown/intruder shelter in place
Tabletop Activity and full scale operational based response drills all serving as acceptable Active Shooter drills – two per year
Fire Drill – one per month)
Tornado Drill – two per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Missouri
Not Identified in Statute
Montana
Disaster Drill – eight per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Nebraska
Tornado Drill – two per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Nevada
Emergency Drill – Fire, Lockdown or Other Emergency -one per month
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
New Hampshire
All-Hazard Response Drill – four per year
Armed-Assailant Response Drill – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
New Jersey
Fire Drill – one per month
School Security Drill – one per month
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
New Mexico
Emergency Drill – Active Shooter or Evacuation – four per year
Fire Drill – four per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
New York
Evacuation Drill – eight Per Year
Lockdown Drill – four Per Year
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
North Carolina
Tabletop Exercise – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
North Dakota
Emergency Drill – frequency not specified
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Ohio
Emergency Drill – six per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Oklahoma
Fire Drill – two per year
School Security Drill – four per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Additional Safety Drills consistent with the risks assessed by the Safe School Committee – two per year Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Oregon
Emergency Drills – 30 minutes per month
Of that time, earthquake Drills (two) and safety threat drills (two) must take place. For schools in the tsunami hazard zone, at least (3) drills on earth quakes and tsunamis must take place. Fire drills are also required.
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Pennsylvania
Fire Drill – one per month
School Security Drill – one or two per year in place of the monthly fire drill
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Rhode Island
Emergency Egress Drill. – one per month*
Evacuation Drill – two per year
Lockdown Drill – two per year
*At least one out of every four emergency egress drills shall be obstructed.
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
South Carolina
Active Shooter/Intruder Drill – two per year
Fire Drill – two per year
Severe Weather/Earthquake -two per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
South Dakota
Fire Drill -two per semester
Fire, tornado, and other disaster drills are required as a part of the school safety plan.
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Tennessee
Armed Intruder Drill – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: School Safety Team
Texas
Emergency Drills – number and frequency determined by Texas School Safety Center and State Fire Marshal
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Utah
Elementary School:
Emergency Drill – one per month
Other safety or security drill as determined appropriate by school location – alternated with fire drill
Secondary School:
Fire Drill – every two months
Other safety or security drill – every two months*
*Safety and security drills alternate with fire drills Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
Vermont
Emergency Preparedness Drill – one per month
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Virginia
Fire drill – three per year
Lockdown drill – two per year
Tornado drill – one per year
Drill Manager/Lead: Not Specified
West Virginia
Not Identified in Statute
Wisconsin
Fire Drill – one per month
School Safety Drill – two per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Safety drill may be substituted for another type of drill
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Wyoming
Fire Drill – one per month
Safety drills may be substituted for fire drills with approval
Drill Manager/Lead: Head of School
Alabama
Emergency Drill – 1 per month
Lockdown Drill – 1 per semester
Alaska
Emergency Drill – 1 per month
Arizona
Not Identified in Statute
Arkansas
Lockdown Drill – 1 per year
California
Drop Procedure – one per quarter – elementary; one per semester – secondary
Colorado
All-Hazard Drill
Fire Drill
Table Top Exercises
(frequency determined by school board)
Connecticut
Crisis Response Drill -one every three months, in place of a fire drill
Fire Drill – one per month
Delaware
Lockdown or Intruder Drill -two per year
Tabletop Exercise – one per year
District of Columbia
Not Identified in Statute
Florida
Emergency Drills – one per year of each type
Georgia
School Safety Plan Drill – frequency determined by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency
Hawaii
Not Identified in Statute
Idaho
Evacuation Drill – frequency not specified
Illinois
Law Enforcement Drills – one per year
School Evacuation Drills – three per year
Severe Weather and Shelter-in-place Drills – one per year
Indiana
Active Shooter Drill – one per year
Fire Evacuation Drill -one per month
Manmade Occurrence Disaster Drill – one per semester
Tornado Drill – one per semester
Iowa
School Safety Plan Drill – one per year (may include a table top exercise, walkthrough, partial drill, or full drill)
Fire Drill – four per year
Tornado Drill – four per year
Kansas
Crisis Drill – three per year
Fire Drill – four per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Kentucky
Lockdown Drill – two per year
Severe Weather Drill – two per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Louisiana
School Safety Plan Drill – one per year
Maine
Evacuation Drills
Lockdown Drills -frequency varies by grade level
Maryland
Evacuation Drill – one per year
Shelter in Place Drill -one per year
Reverse Evacuation Drill – one per year
Lockdown Drill – one per year
Drop, Cover, Hold Drill – one per year
Severe Weather Drill – one per year
Massachusetts
Not Identified in Statute
Michigan
Fire Drill – eight per year
Lockdown Drill – three per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Minnesota
School Fire Drill – five per year
School Lockdown Drill – five per year
Tornado Drill – one per year
Mississippi
Active Shooter with Lockdown/intruder shelter in place
Tabletop Activity and full scale operational based response drills all serving as acceptable Active Shooter drills – two per year
Fire Drill – one per month)
Tornado Drill – two per year
Missouri
Not Identified in Statute
Montana
Disaster Drill – eight per year
Nebraska
Tornado Drill – two per year
Nevada
Emergency Drill – Fire, Lockdown or Other Emergency -one per month
New Hampshire
All-Hazard Response Drill – four per year
Armed-Assailant Response Drill – one per year
New Jersey
Fire Drill – one per month
School Security Drill – one per month
New Mexico
Emergency Drill – Active Shooter or Evacuation – four per year
Fire Drill – four per year
New York
Evacuation Drill – eight Per Year
Lockdown Drill – four Per Year
North Carolina
Tabletop Exercise – one per year
North Dakota
Emergency Drill – frequency not specified
Ohio
Emergency Drill – six per year
Oklahoma
Fire Drill – two per year
School Security Drill – four per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Additional Safety Drills consistent with the risks assessed by the Safe School Committee – two per year
Oregon
Emergency Drills – 30 minutes per month
Of that time, earthquake Drills (two) and safety threat drills (two) must take place. For schools in the tsunami hazard zone, at least (3) drills on earth quakes and tsunamis must take place. Fire drills are also required.
Pennsylvania
Fire Drill – one per month
School Security Drill – one or two per year in place of the monthly fire drill
Rhode Island
Emergency Egress Drill. – one per month*
Evacuation Drill – two per year
Lockdown Drill – two per year
*At least one out of every four emergency egress drills shall be obstructed.
South Carolina
Active Shooter/Intruder Drill – two per year
Fire Drill – two per year
Severe Weather/Earthquake -two per year
South Dakota
Fire Drill -two per semester
Fire, tornado, and other disaster drills are required as a part of the school safety plan.
Tennessee
Armed Intruder Drill – one per year
Texas
Emergency Drills – number and frequency determined by Texas School Safety Center and State Fire Marshal
Utah
Elementary School:
Emergency Drill – one per month
Other safety or security drill as determined appropriate by school location – alternated with fire drill
Secondary School:
Fire Drill – every two months
Other safety or security drill – every two months*
*Safety and security drills alternate with fire drills
Vermont
Emergency Preparedness Drill – one per month
Virginia
Fire drill – three per year
Lockdown drill – two per year
Tornado drill – one per year
West Virginia
Not Identified in Statute
Wisconsin
Fire Drill – one per month
School Safety Drill – two per year
Tornado Drill – two per year
Safety drill may be substituted for another type of drill
Wyoming
Fire Drill – one per month
Safety drills may be substituted for fire drills with approval