If you go to school in America you are pretty familiar with fire drills. but how helpful are fire drills in a real-life emergency you might ask. Fire drills were invented in 1908 by a man named Carl Prinzler this was after the 1902 Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago which led to 600 deaths and many injuries. The reason we practice fire drills in school/work is to prepare for an emergency yet does it truly prepare you for a real-life emergency.

Fire drills are a safety plan but in an emergency, many are not going to want to follow the plan no matter how many times this plan is practiced. Many will automatically go into a panic mindset trying to get out as soon as possible.

Fire drills are also not the most reliant. On February 14, 2018, the Parkland High School school shooter set off the fire alarm to distract people right before taking the lives of 17 high schoolers. This created trust issues with schools for many years. Although some people think old-school drills are just fine. perhaps it is time we need to rethink them having a more detailed plan on what to do in case an intruder were to come in during a fire drill. Fire drills have been around for years saved lives and unfortunately took some, it is always important to know what to do. Always know the emergency plan and never panic.