Which procedure supports accountability during a fire drill or actual evacuation?

Which procedure supports accountability during a fire drill or actual evacuation?

• A. Roll calls and accountability after evacuation.
• B. Disable alarms.
• C. Hide in rooms.
• D. Never evacuate.

Answer: (A)

Accountability during a fire drill or evacuation means confirming that everyone who started the drill is safely out and accounted for once outside. The best way to do this is through roll calls and confirming accountability after everyone has evacuated. This creates a clear, documented status of all personnel, so if someone is missing, responders know exactly who to look for and where to focus a search. It also helps supervisors coordinate with the incident commander and ensures a safe return plan if needed.

Context helps: a designated person or team checks names against a roster at the muster point, then communicates any discrepancies to command. Drills reinforce this habit, while in real fires it speeds up rescue and reduces risk.

Disabling alarms removes a critical warning signal and creates chaos, hiding in rooms prevents accurate counting and delays help, and refusing to evacuate is unsafe and contrary to procedure.