Alaska school drill law

Which drills does Alaska require, and how often?

The principal or other person in charge of each public or private school or educational institution must train students by means of drills. Those drills must be held at least once each month during the school term, weather permitting. The statute's drills are for leaving the school building in an emergency, in the shortest possible time and without confusion or panic.

What training must staff get?

Each district must give every district employee training in crisis response, including evacuation and lockdown drills. New district employees who have not had that training must receive it within two years after their first day of work.

What must a school's crisis plan cover?

Each district must develop a model school crisis response plan, and each school must develop its own school-specific plan. A school's plan must include an evacuation and lockdown plan for safe entrance to and exit from the school. It must also include disaster and emergency procedures for earthquakes, fire, flood, explosions and similar events. Each district must review and update each school's crisis response plan every year.

What role does law enforcement play?

Districts and schools must consult local law enforcement and local social services agencies when developing the school crisis response plan.

What does the fire code add?

Alaska's fire code regulation adopts the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), including Chapter 4, which holds the drill sections, for all occupancies and buildings. Under the adopted IFC, school (Group E) buildings must hold fire and evacuation drills monthly, with all students and staff in the building taking part. The first evacuation drill of each school year must be held within 10 days of the start of classes. Evacuation drills must be held at different times of day, such as class changes, assemblies and recess, so drills can't be told apart from real fires. Lockdown drills follow the approved lockdown plan and cannot replace the required fire and evacuation drills. Drills must be designed in cooperation with the local authorities. In severe climates, the fire code official may change evacuation drill frequency and where students and staff gather after leaving. Alaska amends that code so false alarms may not be counted as a fire drill, both in school (Group E) buildings and in the code's drill-frequency section.

Do drills need to be logged?

Under the adopted IFC, records must be kept of required evacuation drills, including who ran the drill, its date and time, how many were evacuated, problems encountered and the time to evacuate fully. Where the fire code official requires it, advance notice of evacuation drills must be given to that official.

Are school bus drills required?

A municipal school district or regional educational attendance area (a rural school district) must hold at least three school bus drills each school year in safe boarding, exiting and emergency procedures, with one in the first three weeks of the term. Districts must also teach students who ride a school bus to or from a public school safe boarding, riding, exiting and emergency procedures.

Who is covered?

The monthly drill duty covers each public or private school or educational institution. The crisis plan and staff training duties fall on each school district and each school in a district. Alaska law defines a charter school as a school that operates within a public school district. A charter school operates as a school in the local district, apart from listed exemptions such as the district's textbook, program, curriculum and scheduling requirements. The fire code's drill sections apply to school buildings because Alaska adopts the code for all occupancies and buildings.

Are there recent bills?

SB 3 was introduced on January 22, 2025, and the legislature's bill page lists its status as in the Senate Education Committee. As introduced, its list of district materials includes the district's active shooter plan for each school and when all school employees will be available for training or on-site drills. The Alaska Department of Education lists AS 14.03.140 (Emergency Drills) among the state's school safety laws.