Regulation-Code-EBCB-R
Safety Drills
Section E: Support Services
Regulation Title: Safety Drills
Regulation Code: EBCB-R
Print Version (in PDF)
Required Safety Drills
During the School Year, fire drills will be conducted on a monthly basis. Additionally Schools will practice emergency response drills such as lockdown, shelter-in-place, reverse evacuation and off-site evacuation.
Schedules and Record Keeping
In order to comply with this requirement, the following rules and procedures apply:
1.A fire drill will be practiced once during the first week of the school year. There will then be one fire drill every month that school is in session. Fire drills are on-site evacuation drills. Evacuation drills shall be in compliance with state/local fire marshal rules and regulations.2. Schools will maintain a current report of each fire drill practiced during the year. Each report will be submitted to the Fire Safety Department by the 10th day of the month following the month in which the fire drill occurred.
3. In addition to the monthly fire drill, a lock-down, shelter-in-place, reverse evacuation or off-site evacuation will be practiced during the school year the minimum number of times described below. At the discretion of the Superintendent, additional safety drills may be required.
a. Minimum three lockdown drills per year are required. One of these must be completed during non-class time. (Examples: lunch or a passing period).
b. Minimum one shelter-in-place drill per year is required. (Examples: weather or accident-related, such as severe thunderstorm alert or a nearby chemical spill off campus).
c. Although not required, schools may consider conducting one parent/guardian student reunification drill each school year.
4. Schools will maintain a current report of each lock-down, shelter-in place, reverse evacuation or off-site evacuation drill practiced during the year. Each report will be submitted to Risk Management by the 10th day of the month following the month in which the emergency drill occurred.
b. Minimum one shelter-in-place drill per year is required. (Examples: weather or accident-related, such as severe thunderstorm alert or a nearby chemical spill off campus).
c. Although not required, schools may consider conducting one parent/guardian student reunification drill each school year.
Training
Schools will:
- Conduct annual training of all staff, to include substitute teachers, on warning/response signals, evacuation routes, assembly areas, emergency procedures, and chain of command (Incident Command System i.e. ICS Structure).
- Develop and train staff, to include substitute teachers and parent/guardians, on parent-guardian/student reunification.
- At a minimum employees identified to fill a role within the ICS structure of the district or school must successfully pass the following Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Independent Study course (available online):
- Employees in the ICS structure of the district or school may also seek additional training (available online):
Adopted: January 11, 2013 [Friday Report]
Revised: September 30, 2019 [SLT review, cc Board]
Legal Ref:
AZ School Emergency Response Plan (ERP) – Minimum Requirements
ADE School Emergency Preparedness Website