fire drill

American  

noun

1. a practice drill for a company of firefighters, the crew of a ship, etc., to train them in their duties in case of fire.

2. a drill for pupils in a school, employees in a factory, etc., to train them in the manner of exit to be followed in case of fire.

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fire drill British  

noun

1. a rehearsal of duties or escape procedures to be followed in case of fire

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Etymology

Origin of fire drill

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Wayne Bates, from the union, said the procedures could be "quite distressing", which was why schools should practise in the same way they would with fire drills.

From BBC

Wang's comments came just over an hour after China's military said it conducted "long-range live fire drills in the waters to the north of the Taiwan Island".

From Barron's

The fire drill for us lawyers began in earnest that day.

From The Wall Street Journal

At the Tuesday meeting, it was brought up that the charter did not participate in a recent fire drill.

From Los Angeles Times

“The fire drill was a hard one to choreograph,” said Lewis, who operated the camera.

From Los Angeles Times