Free Fire Drill Record Template (UK): PDF & Excel Log
The drill record an inspector actually asks for: evacuation time, what went wrong, and what you did about it.
Most fire drill records log that a drill happened. The ones that survive an inspection log what the drill exposed and what changed afterwards. This template has a column for both, because a drill that found three problems and fixed them is worth more to you than a drill that reported everything was fine.
↓ Download PDF (print-ready)↓ Download Excel (editable)
Free for use within your organisation. No sign-up required. If it saves you time, a link back to this page is always appreciated.
Tell me when the rules behind this template change (free, one email when it happens, nothing else).
What's in the template
- Date, time, and whether the drill was announced or unannounced
- Areas covered and number of people taking part
- Evacuation time and whether the assembly point roll call was completed
- Problems identified, the action taken, who owns it, and a signature
How to use it
Time the evacuation from the moment the alarm sounds to the moment the roll call is complete, and write down the real number rather than the target. Vary the scenario between drills: block the main exit one time, run one outside core hours, run one with the fire marshal deliberately absent. A drill that always uses the same route only proves that route works.
File the completed record with your fire risk assessment. See our guides to how often to run drills and what to log, whether a fire safety logbook is a legal requirement, and the fire safety logbook template this sits inside.
Who must keep this record
The responsible person for the premises. In England and Wales that duty comes from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which requires evacuation procedures to be established and tested. Scotland works to the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, and Northern Ireland to the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. In practice that is the employer, the building owner, the managing agent or whoever has control of the premises.
No statute sets a drill frequency. At least one drill a year is the widely accepted minimum, and premises with sleeping accommodation, higher occupancy, vulnerable occupants or complex layouts normally need more. If your fire risk assessment says twice a year, that is your standard and an inspector will hold you to it.
How long to keep it
Keep at least three years of drill records, and keep them for as long as the fire risk assessment they support is current. If an incident ever occurs, the drill history is among the first things requested, and a gap in the record is read as a gap in the practice.