Annual Emergency Plan Performance During a Drill or Exercise Pursuant to regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education, Maryland public schools are required to conduct fire drills and six (6) emergency drills annually, COMAR 13A.02.02.04. The six (6) required emergency drills are: evacuation, reverse evacuation, shelter in place, lockdown, drop/cover/hold, and severe weather. It is important that schools approach drills and exercises with a developmentally appropriate lens, engaging in activities that teach and assuage anxiety through preparation. Emergency drills are a critical component of school safety for several reasons. • Drills provide the opportunity to teach students and staff defined procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. • Drills provide school safety personnel and local emergency response partners with valuable information that informs the next steps in preparing for an emergency. • Drills and exercises can alleviate student and staff fear, by building confidence through knowledge of what to do in the event of an emergency. 2024 LEA Annual Emergency Plan Performance Summary Pursuant to Maryland Ann. Code Ed. Art. § 7-1510(f), MCSS collects data annually from each LEA in the form of a report on the performance of emergency drills . The following information represents the school year 2023-2024 data from all LEAs, with the exception of Baltimore City. At the time of this report’s submission, Baltimore City had not yet reported the required information to MCSS. • 4,168 total school hours were spent engaging in emergency drills • 0 incidents occurred in which a public school’s emergency plan failed in part, or whole, to function as anticipated during a drill
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