A fire alarm sounding is not the time to find out that a fire exit is obstructed, a visitor does not know where to go, or a fire marshal is unsure which area they are responsible for. Knowing how to run fire marshal drills gives employers a controlled way to test their evacuation arrangements before a real incident puts people at risk.

A useful drill is more than getting everyone outside quickly. It checks whether the arrangements identified in the fire risk assessment work in the real building, with the real people, during normal operations. For workplaces across Scotland, this means considering shift patterns, contractors, members of the public, people needing assistance and the practical layout of the premises.

Start with the fire risk assessment

The fire risk assessment should set the purpose and scope of the drill. It identifies the hazards, escape routes, fire doors, assembly points, alarm arrangements and people who may be especially at risk. A drill should test these controls rather than follow a generic script.

For example, an office may need to test whether staff can leave safely while visitors are signed in at reception. A factory may need to check how evacuation works around noisy machinery, vehicle movements and separate departments. A nursery, care setting or sports venue may need a more detailed plan for children, clients or members of the public who require supervision.

The responsible person should decide what the drill is intended to test. Keep the first exercise straightforward if procedures are new or have recently changed. Later drills can test a specific issue, such as a blocked usual route, an out-of-hours evacuation, a new assembly point or communication between several buildings. Do not create unnecessary risk by simulating smoke, locking exits or introducing surprises that could cause panic or injury.

Set clear fire marshal responsibilities

Fire marshals or fire wardens support the employer’s fire safety arrangements. Their duties should be clear before the alarm sounds. In most workplaces, they will encourage prompt evacuation, check designated areas only where safe to do so, direct people towards a safe exit, report concerns and pass information to the person coordinating the evacuation.

A marshal should never put themselves at risk to complete a sweep. They must not enter smoke, search areas where conditions are unsafe, or delay their own escape. A drill is a good opportunity to reinforce this boundary. The priority is life safety, not proving that every room has been checked.

Allocate areas in advance and make sure every area is covered, including toilets, meeting rooms, staff rooms, changing areas, storage spaces and external work areas where relevant. Consider holidays, sickness, shift handovers and lone working. A plan that relies on one named marshal is vulnerable if that person is absent.

The person leading the drill should also understand the difference between a marshal’s role and the role of the Fire and Rescue Service. Marshals manage the initial evacuation procedure. They do not investigate the cause of a fire or attempt firefighting unless this is part of the organisation’s training, procedures and safe risk assessment.

Plan the drill without making it routine

Give enough notice to those who need to manage safety, such as senior managers, security, reception, facilities teams and any neighbouring occupiers who could be affected. If the premises has an alarm receiving centre, a monitored system or a link to another site, follow the correct procedure to prevent an unnecessary emergency response.

Whether the wider workforce is told in advance depends on what is being tested. An announced drill can be appropriate when staff are learning a new process, after a building move, or where there are significant public safety concerns. An unannounced drill may provide a more realistic picture, but it needs careful control. It should not take place during a high-risk activity, when vulnerable people would be distressed, or where stopping work suddenly could create danger.

Check the weather and operational conditions. In Scotland, a cold or wet day does not remove the need to practise evacuation, but it may affect how long people can remain at the assembly point. If the site operates vehicles, machinery, clinical services, childcare, food production or other safety-critical work, agree how equipment will be shut down or made safe before staff leave.

Before starting, confirm that escape routes and final exits are clear, the assembly point is usable and the person coordinating the drill has a way to record observations. A simple drill log is usually sufficient, provided it captures what happened and what needs to change.

How to run fire marshal drills step by step

At the agreed time, activate the alarm using the normal procedure. The drill should use the same alarm signal and evacuation process people would follow in an emergency. Staff should stop work, leave by the nearest safe route and avoid collecting belongings, returning for colleagues or using lifts.

Fire marshals should move through their allocated areas only if it is safe, encouraging people to leave and closing doors behind them where possible. Closing doors can help slow the spread of fire and smoke, but doors should not be locked or wedged open as part of the exercise.

At the assembly point, supervisors or nominated staff should account for employees, visitors and contractors. A signing-in system is only useful if it is current, accessible and someone is responsible for using it. If a person cannot be accounted for, this must be reported immediately to the drill coordinator. During a real incident, that information would be passed to the Fire and Rescue Service.

The coordinator should record the time taken to evacuate, but speed is not the only measure of success. A very fast evacuation can still reveal serious issues if people used an unsuitable route, gathered in the path of emergency vehicles, or left a visitor behind. Observe behaviour, communication and control as well as timing.

Do not allow people back into the building until the coordinator gives the all-clear. In a real emergency, re-entry would normally be controlled by the Fire and Rescue Service. Rehearsing this discipline matters, particularly where staff are tempted to return for phones, bags or vehicles.

Review what the drill revealed

Hold a short debrief while the exercise is fresh. Ask fire marshals what they found, whether their zones were manageable and whether any areas were difficult to check. Reception staff may identify missing visitor information. Employees may report confusion about the nearest exit or assembly point. These are useful findings, not failures to be hidden.

Record the date and time, the type of drill, who coordinated it, any alarm or communication problems, evacuation observations, roll-call results and corrective actions. Assign each action to a named person with a completion date. Examples might include removing stored materials from an escape route, replacing faded signage, updating visitor procedures, appointing additional marshals or providing refresher training.

Where the drill identifies a material weakness, update the fire risk assessment and emergency plan. A repeated issue should not simply be noted each time. It needs a practical correction and, where appropriate, a follow-up drill to confirm that the change works.

How often should fire drills take place?

There is no single frequency that suits every premises. The appropriate schedule depends on the fire risk assessment, size and complexity of the site, staff turnover, working hours, changes to the building and the people who use it. Some organisations also have requirements set by landlords, insurers, client contracts or sector guidance.

A workplace with stable staffing and simple arrangements may need a different programme from a large multi-occupancy site, a school, a care environment or a premises operating around the clock. New starters should be shown the alarm procedure, escape routes and assembly point as part of their induction rather than waiting for the next scheduled drill.

Formal fire marshal training gives nominated staff the knowledge to support these arrangements, but training should be backed by regular practice. The strongest procedures are the ones that staff can follow calmly when conditions are busy, unfamiliar or inconvenient.

A well-run drill should leave the organisation with clear evidence of what works, what needs attention and who will act on it. Treat each exercise as a practical check of your fire safety arrangements, and your next alarm will be met with more confidence and control.