Disaster drills simulate disasters to practice responses, identify weaknesses, and familiarize people with steps to take. They range from basic drills for individuals to community-wide exercises with civilian actors. Regular drills are required for public buildings and can be organized for families.
A disaster drill is an exercise in which people simulate the circumstances of a disaster so they have the opportunity to practice their responses. Disaster drills can range from earthquake drills in schools to multi-day exercises that can span entire communities, including detailed simulations and the ability to work with the same equipment that would be used in a disaster. Such drills are used to identify weaknesses in a disaster response plan and to familiarize people with the steps they need to take in order for their response to a disaster to be automatic.
Disasters are unpredictable by nature and this can make them difficult when it comes to preparedness. Sometimes communities get advance warning, as is the case with some disasters caused by severe weather, while in other cases disaster can strike in an instant in the form of an earthquake or major fire. If people don’t practice their responses, they usually won’t be prepared when disaster strikes; while a disaster drill might not anticipate all potential scenarios, it does give people an idea of what to do during a disaster.
At a basic level, drills can include individuals’ responses to protect themselves, such as learning how to shelter in place, figuring out what to do in an evacuation, and arranging meeting points so people can find each other after a disaster. For emergency services and other first responders, emergency drills cover topics such as what to do when communications are disrupted, how to deal with lack of access to equipment, tools and even basic services such as water and power, and how to manage the evacuations. A drill also provides the ability to drill for events such as mass casualties that can occur during a disaster.
Regular disaster drills are often required for public buildings such as government offices and schools. During emergency drills, people are expected to practice things like evacuating the building and assisting each other so they know what to do when a real alarm goes off. People can also organize emergency drills for their families so family members know what to do in an emergency.
Community-based disaster drills such as citywide drills offer the opportunity to practice across the full spectrum of disaster response. These drills may include civilian actors and volunteers playing the roles of victims, looters, and other people who might be encountered during a disaster, and extensive planning could go into such drills. A drill on this scale can be done once a year or once every few years.
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