Michigan K-12 schools: 5 fire, 2 tornado and 3 secured-building drills a year, each posted online within 30 school days

MCL 29.19 requires Michigan K-12 schools to hold at least 5 fire, 2 tornado and 3 secured-building drills each school year, run one during lunch or recess, post each completed drill online within 30 school days, and send the drill schedule to the county emergency management coordinator by September 15.

Source facts

Michigan’s Fire Prevention Code, MCL 29.19, as amended by 2024 PA 36 effective April 2, 2025, requires a minimum of 5 fire drills each school year for a school that operates any of grades K to 12, with 3 held by December 1, and a minimum of 2 tornado safety drills, with at least 1 in March. Schools must also ensure unrestricted emergency egress during school hours and keep a record of drills.

A minimum of 3 drills in which occupants are restricted to the interior of the building and the building secured is required each year, with at least 1 by December 1 and 1 after January 1; they must include security measures appropriate to an emergency such as a hazardous material release or a potentially dangerous individual on or near the premises, and the governing body must seek input from local public safety officials. At least 1 required drill must take place during lunch or recess or another time when many students are gathered outside the classroom.

Documentation of each completed drill, including the school, date and time, drill type, running count and the principal’s or designee’s signature, must be posted on the school or district website within 30 school days and kept for at least 3 years. By September 15 each school year, the chief administrator must send the list of scheduled drill days to the county emergency management coordinator, and that information is exempt from FOIA disclosure.

Applicability

Use this for Michigan schools operating any of grades K to 12; the section excludes postsecondary institutions. The statute directs the Michigan State Police emergency management division to develop a model for the secured-building drills.

DSE recommendation

DSE recommends that Michigan schools build the year’s drill calendar around MCL 29.19’s deadlines and use the secured-building drills to test locks, intercoms and alerting systems. Schedule the lunch or recess drill deliberately, have staff confirm that every door that must lock does so and every exit still allows egress, record any device that fails, and fix it before the next drill.

Verification

After each drill, confirm the website posting has every required field within 30 school days, check the running counts against the minimums, and keep device failure logs with the drill records.

Official reference

Michigan Legislature — MCL 29.19, Fire Prevention Code (1941 PA 207), school drills. Reviewed October 18, 2026.