Regulations typically require evacuation or fire drills anywhere from monthly to annually , depending on the type of program (school, childcare, healthcare, office, residential, etc.) and the local or national fire code that applies.

Key point: “It depends”

There is no single universal rule for how often “all programs” must practice their evacuation.

Requirements come from a mix of:

  • Local fire code or building code (often based on the International Fire Code or similar).
  • Sector-specific rules (schools, healthcare, childcare, high‑rise, etc.).
  • Licensing or accreditation standards for your particular program type.

Because of this, the correct answer for compliance is always “check your jurisdiction and your program type.”

Typical regulatory frequencies by setting

These are common patterns seen in codes and guidance, not guarantees for your location.

  • Schools (K–12, Group E)
    • Often required to run evacuation or fire drills monthly during the school year , especially early in the year.
* Some universities/colleges must conduct at least **one drill within the first 10 days of the term** and then additional drills during the year.
  • Healthcare & residential care (Group I, care homes, therapeutic residences)
    • Frequently required to drill monthly with residents/occupants , plus quarterly per shift for staff.
* Regulations often insist on **complete evacuation practice** at intervals because residents may have mobility or cognitive challenges.
  • Childcare / early childhood programs
    • State rules often require monthly emergency drills , including evacuation, shelter‑in‑place, and other scenarios.
* Some policies state **any type of emergency drill can count** toward the requirement if documented properly.
  • Offices, businesses, and many workplaces (Group B)
    • Fire or evacuation drills are commonly required at least once per year , especially in larger or higher‑occupancy buildings.
* Best practice guidance often suggests **quarterly** in busy or risk‑exposed workplaces, even if the law only mandates annual drills.
  • High‑rise residential, dorms, special occupancies
    • High‑rise buildings and Group R‑2 college/university housing often require annual drills for all occupants , sometimes with specific rules about day vs. night drills.
* Casinos, flammable‑liquid terminals, and similar special uses may be required to drill **twice per year** for staff.

Example from a fire code table

Many jurisdictions use a table similar to “Table 405.2” in fire code, which lists minimum drill frequency by occupancy group.

Here is a simplified HTML version to match your content rules:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Occupancy / Program Type</th>
      <th>Typical Minimum Drill Frequency</th>
      <th>Who Must Participate</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Group E (schools)</td>
      <td>Monthly during school year [web:3]</td>
      <td>All occupants [web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Group I (healthcare, residential care)</td>
      <td>Monthly with residents; quarterly per shift for staff [web:3]</td>
      <td>All occupants and staff [web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Large Group B (big offices, businesses)</td>
      <td>At least annually [web:3]</td>
      <td>Employees [web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>High‑rise & college housing (R‑2)</td>
      <td>At least annually, with some drills by day and some by night [web:3]</td>
      <td>All occupants [web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Care homes / high‑risk premises</td>
      <td>Often monthly; more often if risk is higher [web:5]</td>
      <td>Staff and residents [web:5]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

For your specific question (“all programs”)

Because “all programs” is broad, the safest interpretation is:

  • Many regulations expect at least one full evacuation drill per year for any organized program in a regulated facility.
  • High‑risk or vulnerable populations (children, patients, residents) are often required to practice monthly.
  • Real‑world best practice is to run more frequent drills than the legal minimum , especially when staff or enrollment changes, or when the building layout or equipment changes.

Practical takeaway for compliance

To answer “how often do regulations require all programs to practice their evacuation” in a way you can use:

  1. Identify your program type
    • School, childcare, healthcare, office, residential, etc.
  1. Check your adopted fire code and licensing rules
    • Look up your state or local fire marshal’s guidance or your licensing agency’s evacuation‑drill section.
  1. Meet the legal minimum, then set an internal standard
    • For many programs, a reasonable default is:
      • Monthly for schools, childcare, and care facilities.
   * **Quarterly** for most workplaces and complex sites.

   * **Annually** as an absolute minimum for low‑risk offices.

TL;DR: There is no single global rule, but most regulations fall between monthly (high‑risk/vulnerable groups) and annually (low‑risk workplaces) for required evacuation practice.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.