Fire Drill Log

3 Reasons Your Establishment Needs a Fire Drill Log

While some might find fire drills and its associated documentation tedious and time-consuming, it is a necessary step in preparing for one of the worst-case scenarios workers and students can face. 2018 alone recorded the following statistics for commercial building fires reported by FEMA:

• 379,600 reported fires
• 2,790 deaths
• 11,525 injuries
• $8,194,500,000 in dollar loss

Considering the substantial damage caused by commercial building fires to lives and property, below are some of the reasons your establishment needs a fire drill log:

It prepares personnel for swift action and helps improve fire emergency protocols
Scheduling regular fire drills help ensure that workers, students, and other people who regularly occupy buildings know what needs to be done in case of a fire emergency. Fire drill logs, on the other hand, help safety officers document what went well, and what needs improvement regarding the fire emergency SOPs.

It helps ensure that all personnel are safely evacuated
One of the most important sections of a fire drill log is the documentation of total occupants evacuated. This helps ensure that no occupant is left behind and that everyone is accounted for upon evacuation. It also takes building guests into account and any persons with disabilities that may require special assistance when evacuating the building.

It helps ensure that the right data is gathered from fire drills
Fire drill logs or checklists also serve as guides to ensure that safety officers don’t miss essential fire drill data that can help inform protocols for real-life emergencies. Was the fire drill pre-announced or not? Were evacuation signs legible and in good condition? Were exits clearly marked and properly illuminated? Were fire alarms working properly and loud enough to be heard across the building? These are some of the small details that can determine the success or failure of a real-life fire evacuation.

Top 3 Tips for Creating an Effective Fire Drill

Preparation is key in overcoming crisis situations. With serious injuries and fatalities being common in building fires, personnel must have the knowledge and ability to follow safety protocols in order to evacuate safely, and efficiently. Prior to your fire drill’s implementation, however, your organization must do their due diligence to ensure that it is effective. Below are some valuable tips for creating an effective fire drill:

Consult A Local Fire Emergency Expert
Before drawing up the official fire drill procedure, safety officers should get in touch with a local fire marshal for a walkthrough inspection of the building. By doing so, the fire marshal can provide recommendations and expert advice; greatly improving the quality and effectiveness of the fire drill.

Establish a Fire Emergency Point Person for Each Department
A safety officer will find it difficult to keep track of all evacuees during fire drills and in real-life emergencies. For this reason, a point person for each department must be established. The point person’s job is to ensure that each person from their department evacuates safely. While everyone is expected to know the proper exit points and protocols, point persons have the added responsibility of enforcing them; a critical role in emergency situations.

Ensure the Emergency Protocol’s Flexibility by Introducing Different Scenarios
Due to the unpredictable nature of emergencies, protocols serve as guidelines rather than step-by-step instruction manuals. In order to ensure that your fire drill is effective in practicing personnel for real-life emergencies, introduce different scenarios to assess the relevance of your current fire emergency protocols.

Using a Mobile App for Easy Fire Drill Logging and Reporting

Traditional fire drill logs are accomplished on pen-and-paper forms. These forms, however, are susceptible to damage and loss. They also stack up and consume plenty of storage space in the long run; this tends to happen sooner rather than later since fire drills should be conducted regularly.

With iAuditor by SafetyCulture, safety officers and point personnel can take advantage of a versatile mobile app that streamlines fire drill logging and reporting with the following features:

• Go completely paperless and accomplish all of your fire drill logs, fire extinguisher inspections, and fire risk assessments on your mobile device, even while offline.
• No need to manually sort through papers and reports. iAuditor automates documentation, report-generation, and report-sharing to improve visibility minus the effort.
• Templates, checklists, and digital forms can be updated and rolled out to the entire team in real-time, including revisions and updates to completed reports.
• Assign corrective actions to personnel as soon as you spot issues. Set the due date, priority level, and include notes to cut the lag time between issue identification and resolution.
• Save time, money, and space with a do-it-all mobile app that streamlines your safety and quality processes.