Everyday English · A school fire drill: hearing the alarm, lining up, leaving by the exits, waiting at the meeting spot and going back in after the all clear
Fire Drills at School: 18 Everyday English Words
Learn the words you hear in a school fire drill, such as fire alarm, line up, single file, exit sign and meeting spot, and use them in real situations.
What to do
Schools practise fire drills during the year. In a fire drill there is no fire. It is practice, so that everyone knows the safe way out of the building before they ever need it.
A drill starts when the fire alarm rings. The sound is very loud on purpose, so that people in every room can hear it. It is normal to feel surprised. You can stay calm, stop what you are doing and listen to the adults.
Next, the class lines up at the door and walks quietly in single file. Exit signs over the doors show the way out. Outside, each class goes to its meeting spot, and the teacher counts everyone. When the all clear is given, everyone goes back inside.
You will also see safety equipment around the school, such as smoke alarms, sprinklers and fire extinguishers. Read each word, listen to it and read the example sentence. The example sentences are made-up examples of how the words are used; your school's own plan may be a little different. You do not need to memorise them all today.
Core everyday words
fire drill
noun phrase · FIRE DRILa practice where everyone leaves the building the safe way, even though there is no fire
Example: We had a fire drill right after lunch.
fire alarm
noun phrase · FIRE uh-LARMa loud bell or sound that tells everyone to leave the building
Example: When the fire alarm rang, we stood up and went to the door.
practise
verb · PRAK-tisto do something again and again so you get better at it and know what to do
Example: We practise fire drills so that everyone knows the way out.
evacuate
verb · ih-VAK-yoo-aytto leave a building or place to go somewhere safer
Example: The whole school evacuated in a few minutes.
emergency
noun · ih-MER-jun-seea sudden, serious event when people need help quickly
Example: A fire drill helps us get ready for an emergency.
stay calm
phrase · STAY KAHMto keep your body and voice quiet and steady, without panicking
Example: The alarm is loud, but you can stay calm and listen.
follow instructions
phrase · FOL-oh in-STRUK-shunzto do what a person in charge tells you to do, in the way they say
Example: Listen carefully and follow instructions from the adults.
line up
phrasal verb · LYNE UPto stand one behind another in a row
Example: Please line up at the classroom door.
single file
noun phrase · SING-gul FYLEa line of people walking one behind the other
Example: We walked down the hall in single file.
quietly
adverb · KWY-it-leewithout making much noise
Example: Walk quietly so you can hear the adults.
exit sign
noun phrase · EG-zit SYNEa sign over a door that shows a way out of the building, often lit up
Example: Follow the exit sign at the end of the hall.
stairwell
noun · STAIR-welthe closed-in space in a building where the stairs are
Example: Our class used the north stairwell to go down.
fire door
noun phrase · FIRE DORa heavy door that helps stop fire and smoke from spreading
Example: The fire door closed by itself behind us.
meeting spot
noun phrase · MEE-ting SPOTthe place outside where a group goes and waits after leaving the building
Example: Our class meeting spot is beside the soccer field.
all clear
noun phrase · AWL KLEERa message that it is now safe to go back inside
Example: When we got the all clear, we went back to class.
smoke alarm
noun phrase · SMOHK uh-LARMa small device on the ceiling that beeps loudly when it senses smoke
Example: The smoke alarm beeped when the toast burned.
sprinkler
noun · SPRINK-lera small nozzle on the ceiling that sprays water if a fire makes it very hot
Example: Look up and you can see a sprinkler in the gym ceiling.
fire extinguisher
noun phrase · FIRE ek-STING-gwish-era metal container, often red, that sprays something to put out a small fire; adults use it
Example: There is a fire extinguisher on the wall by the office.
Recognise the word
Recognise the word
Choose the meaning or the word that fits.
1. What is a fire drill?
- A practice for leaving the building safely when there is no fire
- A real fire in the school
- A lesson about how fires start
- A visit to the fire hall
2. What does evacuate mean?
- to hide under your desk
- to wait in the classroom
- to leave a building and go somewhere safer
- to call your family
3. Where is a school's meeting spot for a fire drill?
- inside the gym
- at the front office
- in the stairwell
- outside, where the class gathers and waits
4. Which of these sprays water from the ceiling if a fire makes it very hot?
- a sprinkler
- a smoke alarm
- an exit sign
- a fire door
5. What does the all clear mean after a fire drill?
- Leave your things behind
- It is safe to go back inside
- Line up in single file
- Walk to the nearest exit
Use the word in a situation
Use the word in a situation
Think about what people really say and do during a fire drill.
6. "The alarm is loud, but there is no need to panic. Please ___."
- run fast
- stay calm
- shout
- hide
7. "Please ___ at the door, one behind the other."
- line up
- look up
- give up
- wake up
8. "Look for the ___ over the door. It shows the way out."
- fire extinguisher
- sprinkler
- exit sign
- pull station
9. "Walk ___ so you can hear what the adults say."
- loudly
- quickly
- sideways
- quietly
10. "We ___ fire drills so that everyone knows what to do."
- forget
- practise
- cancel
- evacuate
Quick-check answers
- 1. A practice for leaving the building safely when there is no fire
A drill is practice. In a fire drill there is no fire; everyone practises the safe way out. A visit to the fire hall or a lesson about fire is a different school event. - 2. to leave a building and go somewhere safer
To evacuate is to leave a place to go somewhere safer. Waiting in the classroom or hiding under a desk means staying inside, which is the opposite. - 3. outside, where the class gathers and waits
The meeting spot is outside, away from the building. The gym, office and stairwell are all inside, and everyone leaves the building in a drill. - 4. a sprinkler
A sprinkler sprays water. A smoke alarm beeps but does not spray, an exit sign shows the way out, and a fire door slows fire and smoke. - 5. It is safe to go back inside
The all clear is the message that you may go back in. The other choices are things you do when the alarm first rings. - 6. stay calm
Stay calm means keeping steady and quiet. Running, shouting or hiding can make a drill less safe and make it hard to hear instructions. - 7. line up
To line up is to stand one behind another. The other phrasal verbs also use up but mean something different. - 8. exit sign
An exit sign marks the way out. A fire extinguisher, a sprinkler and a pull station are safety equipment, but none of them shows the way. - 9. quietly
Quietly means without much noise, which lets everyone hear instructions. Walking quickly does not help you hear, and walking loudly makes it harder. - 10. practise
To practise is to do something again so you know how. Drills are practice. Evacuate is what you do during the drill, not why you have one.