What Should an Emergency Drill Attendance Record Include?

Published September 23, 2026 · 2 minute read

A drill attendance record lists who took part in each emergency drill, what role each person played, and whether anyone scheduled to attend was absent. Its purpose is to answer a simple question over time: has everyone who might be present during an event actually practiced? The drill log shows what was drilled. The attendance record shows who.

Why attendance is separate

A drill log entry often lists participants in a single line, which is fine for one drill. Across months, it becomes hard to see whether a part-time staff member has ever participated, or whether one person always plays the same role. An attendance view, organized by person, makes those gaps visible.

Roles matter

Record the role each person played in the drill, such as the person who retrieved the kit, the person who read the escalation page, or the person who began the incident form. Over time, each person should rotate through the roles that apply to them. The record shows whether that is happening.

Absences

When someone scheduled to attend misses a drill, record it and note the plan for them to catch up. An absence is not a problem in itself. An absence that is never followed up is.

Keeping it non-punitive

The attendance record is a readiness record, not a performance review. It should not include evaluative comments about individuals. Findings about how the drill went belong in the debrief record, framed around the system.

What to record

• Drill date and log reference
• Each participant's name
• Role played in the drill
• Scheduled but absent, with catch-up plan
• Date catch-up completed
• Running view by person: last drill and roles covered

The drill itself is described in Your Emergency Protocol Is Not a Protocol Until Someone Has Drilled It. What happens after the drill is covered in the drill debrief record.

Related framework: Complete Emergency Kit ($149), Emergency Documentation Set ($29). Ships blank; clinical and jurisdictional fields are completed by your practice.