Q: Can I count a real fire response in a patient room as a fire drill? The fire alarm system was activated at the pull station, and the fire department responded.

A: Most accreditation organizations do allow actual activations of the fire alarm system to count as a required fire drill, provided all of the requirements of a drill are recorded, such as documenting the response of the staff, making sure they followed the fire response plan, the response of the fire alarm system, and the response of the building.

The problem is, these responses are rarely recorded during an actual fire alarm activation, thereby prompting organizations to not use actual events as fire drills.