School Safety

School Safety Drills

Governor Snyder signed Public Act 12 of 2014, which modifies the frequency and recording requirements for school safety drills. Effective July 1, 2014, any school that operates "any grades" Kindergarten to 12 must conduct at least:

Five (5) fire drills per school year. Three (3) of those drills must take place by December 1. There must be a reasonable interval between each drill;
Two (2) tornado safety drills per school year. At least one (1) of those drills must take place in March; and
Three (3) "lockdown" drills per school year, including security measures appropriate to an emergency "such as the release of hazardous material or the presence of a potentially dangerous individual on or near the premises." At least one (1) of those drills must take place by December 1 and at least one (1) after January 1. There must be a reasonable interval between each drill.

Additionally, one of the above-listed drills must occur during lunch, recess, or at another time when a significant number of students are gathered but not in a classroom. Section 19 of the Fire Prevention Code requires that school officials document completed school safety drills on the school's website within 30 school days after the drill is completed and maintain this information on the website for at least three (3) years. This information must include:

School name
School year of the drill
Date and time of the drill
Type of drill
Number and type of drill completed during the school year
signature of the school principal or designee acknowledging the completion of the drill
Name of the individual in charge of conducting the drill, if other than the school principal