> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.officeridge.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Drills

> Quarterly drill calendar, drill records, coordination team, and participant attendance.

These tabs cover planning, running, and recording your emergency drills.

## Drill Calendar

Quarterly drill schedule with planned dates, drill types, and assigned facilitators.

**Columns:** Title · Quarter · Scheduled · Facilitator

Drills are planned quarterly. **Facilitator** names who runs each one — an unassigned drill is one
that tends not to happen.

## Drills

Disaster drill records with scheduling, participation rates, and facilitator linkage.

**Columns:** Name · Scheduled · Duration · Participation · Summary

<Warning>
  **Participation** is what a surveyor examines. A drill with low participation demonstrates that
  most of your staff have not practised the response, whatever the plan says.
</Warning>

## Coordination Team

Disaster coordination team members with roles and team assignments.

**Columns:** Member · Team · Title

The people who run your emergency response. Roles need to be assigned before an emergency, not
during one.

## Drill Participants

Junction records linking contacts to drills with roles and attendance status.

**Columns:** Role · Attended · Notes

**Attended** is what drives the participation rate on the drill record. **Notes** captures what an
individual observed, which feeds the critique process.

## Planning the quarter's drill

<Steps>
  <Step title="Schedule it on the calendar">
    Set the quarter, date, and drill type.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign a facilitator">
    Name someone specific.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the coordination team is current">
    Roles change as staff change.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Notify participants">
    Give staff enough notice to attend.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Running and recording a drill

<Steps>
  <Step title="Conduct the drill">
    Follow the relevant emergency plan. See [Plans](/emergency/plans).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Record attendance">
    Mark **Attended** for each participant. This drives the participation rate.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Record duration and summary">
    On the drill record.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Collect critiques">
    From participants, recorded in [Continuity](/operations/continuity).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update the plan">
    A drill that revealed a problem should change the plan.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Drill at an inconvenient time occasionally. A drill always run mid-morning on a weekday tests your
  response under the easiest possible conditions, which is not when emergencies happen.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                                    | What to check                                                                            |
| ------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Participation rate looks low               | **Attended** must be marked for each participant. An unmarked attendee counts as absent. |
| A scheduled drill never happened           | Check whether a **Facilitator** was assigned.                                            |
| The plan's Last Drill date has not updated | The drill needs recording against the plan.                                              |
| Coordination team roles are out of date    | Review whenever staff change. Emergency roles are not automatically reassigned.          |

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Emergency drill cycle" icon="route" href="/guides/emergency-drill-cycle">
    Plan, run, critique, improve.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Continuity" icon="life-buoy" href="/operations/continuity">
    Drill critiques and backup agency agreements.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>