Q&A for How to Act During a Fire Drill

Try to find a window or a way to get out. If you can't, make as much noise as you can, or break down the door (touch the doorknob first to see if it is hot, if it it is, there is fire on the other side).

To prevent an electric fire from injuring the firefighters. Firefighters generally have headlights installed on their helmets.

Open a window and start screaming help. That can get the attention of a firefighter.

Find the nearest exit. Evacuate with everyone quietly, and don't panic. Fire drill procedure differs, but I would advise asking everyone to remain calm and quiet. Please remember to wait for the all-clear, and then re-enter. If your clients are scared, comfort them and tell them this is only a practice drill. If it is not, follow the instructions above and try to keep your cool.

That is a very strange scenario since most fire drills occur at school or work, but if it is only a drill I suggest you put on your clothes before leaving the bathroom since that is more important than the drill.

Do not stop to close the windows if they are open. Instead, exit the building as fast as you can.

Get out of the bathtub, quickly cover yourself and get out of the building as soon as possible. Do not take time to dry off.

Yes, if there is a real fire, it is best to turn it off.

Running causes chaos. You are more likely to trip when you are running, and it would take much longer to get out with people shoving each other and jostling around each other. You should only run if the fire is quite literally next to you.

Yes, if it's only a drill. However, the school could schedule its drills during the middle of class periods to avoid this.

No. You should act like you would in a real fire. In the case of a fire, you are more important than a backpack, a phone or any other object.

Face the building so that you can see any orders from the fire department and so you can see what is happening.

You can't switch off the fire alarm unless you are authorized staff.

You or you and another person will have to carry them.

It depends on the structure. In a house fire, for example, you only have a few minutes to get out. In a mid-rise apartment fire, you may have even longer. And in a high-rise fire, you may have sufficient time to get out.

No. During a real emergency, the fire doors are used to contain smoke and heat and allow for a safe evacuation for everyone. Most injuries and deaths resulting from a fire are due to smoke inhalation. Keeping these doors closed allows for people to evacuate without smoke impeding their path.

If you have limited mobility, wait inside the stairwell or near the appropriate "area of rescue assistance". An evacuation chair is able to get these people down quickly and safely.

No. You risk causing serious injury or creating a stampede. Stampedes can seriously injure or kill a lot of people since individuals end up crushed under the weight of others. The best approach is to remain calm and to carefully walk to the meeting point.

You should not run, use the lifts, tamper with fire protection equipment, or leave your building keys behind.

A fire drill is an emergency drill that is used to assess an existing evacuation plan. During a fire drill the alarm is activated and some fire safety systems such as fire doors and elevator recall are triggered. Occupants are then advised to practice a total evacuation. In other cases the building may simulate a fire on a specific floor in order to check that occupants know when to evacuate and when to stay in place and what to do if they are ordered to remain put.

The safest way to put out a fire is to use a fire extinguisher. If the fire is only in its initial or smoldering stages, you can use the PASS method to extinguish it: pull the pin, aim at the base of the fire, squeeze the lever, and sweep the hose from side to side. A fire extinguisher should not be used if the fire is too large to control.

Being quiet is important, since the teachers will tell you the directions on how to escape and where everyone will stay at during the fire. You could get lost or not know what to do in the building if you talk loudly/not listen to directions.

You could risk injury if you dash out of the building during a fire drill. Instead, leave the building in a calm but quick manner.

Yes, you have the right idea. When you get outside of a building that is on fire, immediately turn away from it. Turning away from a burning building can prevent injury in case of an explosion.

During a fire drill, you are expected to listen to your teacher or fire warden, leave the building in a calm but swift manner and stay quiet. Do not jostle, shout or create alarm. Just leave in an orderly fashion.

If you hear a fire alarm, first get out of bed and try to locate the source of the fire. If it is a small fire, then grab a fire extinguisher (if you have one) to try to put out the fire. If the fire is too large to put out by yourself, immediately get out of your house and call the fire department. Alert anyone in the house to get out too.

In a workplace environment, it would be the fire warden who takes charge during a fire drill. In a school environment, it would likely be the principal who would conduct the fire drill.

Yes, if you are the only person in the building and a real fire happens, escape as quickly as you can from the school and immediately call the fire department.

Running during a fire evacuation can cause injury and confusion. Therefore, to maintain calm and order, it is much safer to walk during a fire evacuation.

Fire alarms can go off at any time of day, even during the most inconvenient of times. Just follow the evacuation procedures for your school or workplace, they will have a reason for setting the drill during lunch.