Free · Excel & Google Sheets

Free Fire Drill Log & Schedule Template for Assisted Living (Excel, Google Sheets & PDF)

A free fire drill workbook for assisted living and residential care: a 12-month drill schedule that rotates shifts and counts night drills, a drill log that records times, staff, evacuation time and who needed help, and a recurring fire-safety inspection tracker. A printable one-page drill log is included.

Updated 12 Oct 2026No sign-upOctober 2026 edition
Download the Excel templateXLSX · 233 KB
Open in Google SheetsCSVPrintable drill log (PDF, 1 page)

In the file

7 sheets · 233 KB · opens in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice

  1. Start here
  2. Drill schedule
  3. Drill log
  4. Inspections
  5. Dashboard
  6. Import to ExpiryEdge
  7. Lists

Prefer a plain list? The CSV (1 KB) has the same columns and example rows, without formulas or colors.

Preview

The tracker sheet, with example rows

This is the color logic the spreadsheet uses. Move the date to see which rows turn amber or red next.

fire-drill-log-and-schedule-us.xlsx

Inspections: example rows, statuses as of Sep 28, 2026
Check / serviceSystemNext dueBook-by dateDays leftStatus
Visual inspection of each portable extinguisherFire extinguishersOct 20, 2026Oct 13, 202622Due ≤30 days
Annual maintenance, dated tag on eachFire extinguishersNov 5, 2026Sep 6, 202638Due ≤90 days
Internal examination (stored-pressure types needing a 12-year hydrostatic test)Fire extinguishersMar 1, 2027Dec 1, 2026154OK
Visual inspection of componentsFire alarm systemNov 10, 2026Oct 11, 202643Due ≤90 days
Full inspection, test and maintenance by approved servicing companyFire alarm systemDec 15, 2026Oct 16, 202678Due ≤90 days
Control valves visual inspectionSprinkler systemOct 2, 2026Sep 25, 20264Due ≤30 days
Wet-pipe system gauges visual inspectionSprinkler systemNov 2, 2026Oct 26, 202635Due ≤90 days
Annual inspection, testing and maintenanceSprinkler systemMar 18, 2027Jan 17, 2027171OK
Internal inspection of piping and branch linesSprinkler systemJun 1, 2027Mar 3, 2027246OK
Inspection of hood extinguishing systemKitchen hood suppressionNov 1, 2026Oct 25, 202634Due ≤90 days
Service by a trained, qualified personKitchen hood suppressionOct 20, 2026Sep 20, 202622Due ≤30 days
Hydrostatic test of system cylindersKitchen hood suppressionAug 1, 2028May 3, 2028673OK
Inspection for grease build-upKitchen exhaustDec 15, 2026Nov 15, 202678Due ≤90 days
Generator inspectionEmergency generatorOct 15, 2026Oct 14, 202617Due ≤30 days
Diesel set exercised under load, at least 30 minutesEmergency generatorOct 25, 2026Oct 18, 202627Due ≤30 days
Staff test of building-powered smoke detectors (Wisconsin CBRF)Smoke detectorsOct 30, 2026Oct 23, 202632Due ≤90 days
Fire detection system inspected, cleaned and tested (Wisconsin CBRF)Fire alarm systemFeb 10, 2027Dec 12, 2026135OK
Annual inspection by local fire authority or certified inspector; keep reports 2 years (Wisconsin CBRF)Fire inspectionJan 22, 2027Nov 23, 2026116OK
Annual fire safety inspection; send copy to AHCA within 30 days (Florida ALF)Fire inspectionJan 22, 2027Nov 23, 2026116OK

5 due ≤30 days, 7 due ≤90 days, 7 OK. The example dates are fixed, so as real time passes more of them turn amber and red: that is the formula working.

Start hereDrill scheduleDrill logInspectionsDashboardImport to ExpiryEdgeLists

How to use it in 3 steps

  1. Set your drill rule

    On "Drill schedule", set the year, how many months each drill window lasts and how many night drills you need. The defaults (six a year, two at night) follow the NFPA 101 board-and-care rule as published by the Kansas State Fire Marshal. Change them to match your state and fire authority.

  2. Plan and log every drill

    Give each window a shift, date, time, fire origin and lead. After each drill, add a row to "Drill log": the schedule marks the window Done and flags a night window that was not run while residents slept.

  3. Keep inspections current

    Type the last-done date from each tag or vendor report on "Inspections". The next due date, a book-by date and the status colour are calculated. Check the Dashboard weekly.

What’s inside

Start here
How to use it in four steps, the colour key and what every column means.
Drill schedule
Twelve-month drill plan: editable year, drill frequency and night-drill target; shift rotation; each window marks itself Done from the log.
Drill log
One row per drill: date, time, shift, staff, fire origin, residents evacuated, total evacuation time, who needed help, problems, fix owner and sign-off.
Inspections
Recurring fire-safety checks with the source of each starter frequency, next due date calculated, status colours at 30 and 90 days.
Dashboard
Drills logged against target, night drills, missed windows, evacuation times, open fixes and the next 10 inspections.
Import to ExpiryEdge
The inspection rows in the ExpiryEdge bulk-import columns, filled by formula.
Lists
The options behind every dropdown. Add your own.

Open it in Google Sheets

There is no shared Google copy to request access to. You import the same file, so you own your copy from the start.

  1. Download the .xlsx

    Use the button above. It saves straight to your computer.

  2. Import it into a blank Google Sheet

    Open Google Sheets, create a blank spreadsheet, then choose File › Import › Upload and pick the file. Select "Replace spreadsheet".

  3. Check the dates

    Formulas, dropdowns and status colors carry over. If your Google account uses a different locale, dates show in that format, which is fine: they are real dates underneath.

Columns explained

Type in the input columns. Calculated columns fill themselves. Columns marked required are the ones the import sheet needs.

Columns on the Inspections sheet
ColumnWhat to enterType
BuildingWhich building or site. Spell it the same way on every row.Input · required
SystemPick from the list; add your own on the Lists sheet.Input
Check / serviceWhat has to be done.Input · required
EveryHow often, as a number. The starter rows use the frequency in the source column; your fire authority or a newer code edition may require something different.Input · required
UnitWeeks, Months or Years. Blank counts as Months.Input
Done byStaff, a service company or the fire authority.Input
Last doneDate of the last check, from the tag, log or vendor report.Input · required
Next dueCalculated. Last done plus the interval. If a report or tag gives an earlier date, use that.Calculated
Lead time (days)How many days before the date you want to start acting. Leave blank for 30.Input
Book-by dateCalculated. Next due minus the lead time: book the vendor or put it on the rota before this.Calculated
Days leftCalculated. Days until the next due date; negative once it has passed.Calculated
StatusCalculated. Overdue, Due ≤30 days, Due ≤90 days or OK. Weekly and monthly checks are always within 30 days, so amber is normal for them; red is not.Calculated
Standard / rule (source)Where the starter frequency comes from. Check it against the code edition your fire authority enforces.Input
OwnerThe person who makes sure it happens.Input
Backup ownerWho covers when the owner is off.Input
Owner emailWho should be reminded. Becomes notification_email on import.Input
Proof linkLink to the signed log, tag photo or vendor report.Input
NotesAnything the next person needs to know.Input

When a spreadsheet stops being enough

For a handful of dates and one careful owner, this template is all you need. These are the signs it has become the wrong tool.

Sign 1

More than one person owns the dates

When several people add rows, dates get typed as text, copies drift apart and nobody is sure which file is current.

Sign 2

Reminders depend on someone opening the file

The status turns red whether or not anyone is looking. If the person who checks it is on leave, the date passes quietly.

Sign 3

You need to prove what happened

An audit, insurer or inspector may ask who was told, when, and where the certificate is. A spreadsheet does not keep that history.

When you would rather not remember

What this looks like when it runs itself

The same row, tracked for you: an owner, reminders at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days by email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack or Teams, the document on file and a log of who did what. The "Import to ExpiryEdge" sheet in this template is already laid out for Bulk Import, so moving across is one upload.

Try it with your own dates, free for 14 days, no card
FAQ

Fire drill log & schedule (assisted living): questions, answered

It depends on your state rule and local fire authority. Where the NFPA 101 board-and-care rule applies, the Kansas State Fire Marshal publishes it as at least six drills a year, every two months, with at least two at night while residents sleep. Wisconsin CBRFs drill at least quarterly, plus one drill a year that simulates sleeping hours. The schedule lets you set either.

At least the date and time, the shift and staff on duty, the simulated fire origin, the escape paths used, how many residents were evacuated, the total evacuation time and which residents needed help or resisted. Those fields come from Wisconsin’s CBRF rule, the Kansas drill form and the Minnesota State Fire Code record list. Add the problems found, the fix and who owns it.

The starter rows use the NFPA editions that NFPA 101 (2012) references for federal certification, as summarized by the Minnesota Department of Health, plus Wisconsin and Florida rules named on each row. Your state or fire authority may enforce a newer edition, so confirm the interval and delete rows that do not apply.

Yes. The download includes a one-page printable drill log (PDF) with the same fields, for the drill lead to fill in and sign on the night. Enter it on the spreadsheet afterwards so the schedule and dashboard stay current.

Yes. Open a blank Google Sheet, choose File › Import › Upload, pick the .xlsx and select "Replace spreadsheet". The formulas use only functions that Google Sheets, Excel and LibreOffice all support (no FILTER, SORT or XLOOKUP), so the status colours, dropdowns and dashboard carry over. The Excel table styling becomes a plain range with filters.

No. A spreadsheet only changes when someone opens it, so the colours are only as good as your habit of checking. Put a weekly calendar slot on it, or move the drills and inspections into a tool that sends the reminders for you.

It is the same rows laid out in the ExpiryEdge bulk-import columns (name, expiry_date, type and so on), filled in by formula. You can ignore it. If you ever move the list into ExpiryEdge, upload the file in Bulk Import and pick that sheet, or save the sheet as CSV. Nothing is sent anywhere by the file itself.

A free template, not legal advice. It tracks the dates you enter; it does not decide which licenses apply to you. Check requirements against the official source for your situation.

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