Training, Drilling, and Exercising Toolkit

2.1 Drill Requirements

Legal Considerations

As a result of the passage of Senate Bill 11 during the 86th Texas Legislative Session, TEC Chapter 37.114: Emergency Evacuations; Mandatory School Drills was added. This new section addresses mandatory school drills for public school districts and open-enrollment charters.

Specifically, it states that the commissioner, in consultation with TxSSC and the State Fire Marshal, must adopt rules that provide procedures for evacuating and securing school property during an emergency. This includes designating the number of mandatory school drills to be conducted each semester of the school year, not to exceed eight drills each semester and sixteen drills for the entire school year. Neither this rule, nor the law, precludes a school district or an open-enrollment charter school from conducting more drills as deemed necessary and appropriate by the district or charter school. In addition, school districts and open-enrollment charter schools should consult with their local fire marshal and comply with their local fire marshal’s requirements and recommendations.

Below, is the required minimum frequency of drills by type.

The Fire Exit Drills and Fire Prevention Education in Schools form below is required documentation that should be kept in school and/or district records for three years.

Fire Exit Drills Form

Drill Requirements

Secure Drill: 1 per school year

Lockdown Drill: 2 per school year (one per semester).

Evacuation Drill: 1 per school year

Shelter-in-Place for Hazmat Drill: 1 per school year

Shelter for Severe Weather Drill: 1 per school year

Fire Evacuation Drill: School districts and open-enrollment charter schools should consult with their local fire marshal and comply with their local fire marshal’s requirements and recommendations. If a district does not have a local fire marshal, it shall conduct four per school year (two per semester).

Drill Freqently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Drill Definitions

*These definitions do not apply to an active threat exercise, which is defined in Texas Education Code 37.1141 and associate rules, if any.

Drill: A set of procedures that test a single, specific operation or function. Drills do not include persons role playing as active aggressors or other simulated threats. An active aggressor is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. Drill examples include evacuating for a fire or locking down from an internal threat.

Secure Drill: A response action schools take to secure the perimeter of school buildings and grounds during incidents that pose a threat or hazard outside of the school building. Secure uses the security of the physical facility to act as protection to deny entry.

Lockdown Drill: A response action schools take to secure interior portions of school buildings and grounds during incidents that pose an immediate threat of violence inside the school. The primary objective is to quickly ensure all school students, staff, and visitors are secured away from immediate danger.

Evacuation Drill: A response action schools take to quickly move students and staff from one place to another. The primary objective of an evacuation is to ensure that all staff, students, and visitors can quickly move away from the threat. Evacuation examples include a bomb threat or internal gas leak.

Shelter-in-Place for Hazardous Materials Drill: A response action schools take to quickly move students, staff, and visitors indoors, perhaps for an extended period of time, because it is safer inside the building than outside. Affected individuals may be required to move to rooms without windows or to rooms that can be sealed. Shelter-in-Place for hazmat examples include train derailment with chemical release or smoke from a nearby fire.

Shelter for Severe Weather Drill: A response action schools take to quickly move students, staff, and visitors indoors, perhaps for an extended period of time, because it is safer inside the building than outside. For severe weather, depending on the type and/or threat level (watch vs. warning), affected individuals may be required to move to rooms without windows on the lowest floor possible or to a weather shelter.

Fire Evacuation Drill: A method of practicing how a building would be vacated in the event of a fire. The purpose of fire drills in buildings is to ensure that everyone knows how to exit safely as quickly as possible.

Hold: A response action schools take when hallways need to be cleared. Subsequent bells and any/all scheduled class changes are disregarded. Movement throughout building is stopped until an all-clear signal is given.

Drill Resources

Below is a list of resources that may be used to develop a comprehensive drill program.

Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM) Resources

Additional Resources

  • The document below contains drill guidance information with considerations about what to do before, during, and after a drill.
    Drill Guidance for School District Administrators
  • The tool below provides schools with the ability to establish a primary purpose and identify objectives to be tested prior to conducting a drill. This form can be used to answer the following questions or similar ones: Will this drill be announced so staff is expecting the drill, or will it be a surprise? Will more than one response be tested? Will a specific area or student population be tested?
    Pre-Drill Planning Form
  • One of the most valuable drill feedback methods involves the use of an evaluator. This individual can be a district level staff member or local emergency responder. The form below is a tool the evaluator can use to document observations and help determine if the campus achieved its intended objectives and provide feedback for improvement.
    Drill Evaluator Form
  • The tool below helps schools document lessons learned and evaluate performance for each drill conducted throughout the school year.
    Post-Drill Assessment Form
  • It is important to have a feedback system in place, so all participants have input to evaluate campus/facility drills. The form below allows students and staff the opportunity to provide valuable insight for administration to improve procedures and processes.
    Post-Drill Campus Feedback Form
  • Per mandate from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, each campus must complete the form below and keep in campus or district records for three years.
    Required Fire Exit Drill Form
  • Retaining documentation of drills conducted at each campus or facility is a critical practice that allows schools to track progress in meeting the district EOP drill requirements, as well as for ongoing self-assessment and audit purposes.
    Drill Documentation Form
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