Fire drills
Facilities & Services conducts fire drills for St. George campus buildings to assess the readiness of the fire alarm systems and emergency exiting provisions.
The Ontario Fire Code requires all buildings to conduct fire drills at minimum annually.
According to the University of Toronto Governing Council Policy on Crisis and Routine Emergency Preparedness and Response, all persons occupying space controlled by U of T are subject to emergency procedures, which includes evacuating a building or area upon activation of an alarm during a drill.
During fire drills, everyone’s participation is critical to test each building’s evacuation procedures and exiting, as well as identify and address potential issues under full occupancy conditions.
Fire drill frequency
The Ontario Fire Code mandates a different fire drill frequency for different building types:
- Monthly for daycares
- Thrice per semester for schools
- Every three months for buildings taller than 18 metres
All other buildings are required to conduct annual fire drills.
How fire drills may impact you
Mandatory evacuation fire drills on campus are scheduled in August and September.
The day before a fire drill, notices are posted at the buildings’ main entrances(s). Heavy rain or other inclement weather may result in a fire drill being rescheduled.
During a fire drill, the building fire alarm system will typically sound for up to 15 minutes.
Everyone inside a building during a fire drill must evacuate according to the fire evacuation procedures.
Fire drill evacuation procedures
The purpose of a mandatory evacuation fire drill is to practice the emergency evacuation procedures as though a real fire emergency is taking place.
The building must be fully evacuated in three to five minutes.
When the fire alarm sounds, everyone in the building:
- Must never ignore or assume the alarm is false or a test
- Must turn off all equipment before evacuating, if applicable
- Must exit the building using the nearest and safest exit or stairway
- Must never use the elevators
- Must close (but not lock) all doors behind them
- Must move away from the building and not obstruct the fire department’s access
- Must not re-enter the building until advised
- In the event of a fire, the Fire Department has the authority over the emergency scene and would advise occupants if and when a re-entry is safe
- Should take valuables with you (for example, purses, jackets, keys)
When the fire alarm sounds, faculty and managers:
- Are responsible for evacuating students and staff using the nearest and safest exit
- Must remind students and staff of the evacuation procedures
- Must ensure all equipment is turned off before evacuating the building (for example, Bunsen burners, machines, kitchen stoves)
Procedure for those requiring assistance to evacuate
When the fire alarm sounds:
- If you are on the ground floor, exit as you normally would.
- If you are above or below the ground floor, stay where you are.
- In the event of a fire, staying in place will help the Fire Department to evacuate you, if required.
St. George campus building fire drill schedule
Annual fire drills and mandatory evacuations on the St. George campus will be taking place August through October 2025.
Fire drills for buildings taller than 18 metres, daycares and schools are scheduled directly with building occupants by your fire prevention officer.
| Building name and code | Scheduled fire drill |
|---|---|
| 121 St. George Street (110) | August 13, 2025 |
| 123 St. George Street (088) | August 13, 2025 |
| 162 St. George Street (106) | August 14, 2025 |
| 215 Huron Street (067) | August 5, 2025 |
| 254/256 McCaul Street (083) | August 11, 2025 |
| 263 McCaul Street (156) | August 11, 2025 |
| 30 Charles Street West (790) | October 14, 2025 |
| 33 Ursula Franklin Street (164) | August 8, 2025 |
| 35 Charles Street West (791) | October 14, 2025 |
| 40 Sussex Avenue (146) | August 12, 2025 |
| 45 St. George Street (027) | August 7, 2025 |
| 703 Spadina Avenue (125) | August 12, 2025 |
| 90 Wellesley Street West (098B) | October 1, 2025 |
| Anthropology Building (079) | September 18, 2025 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics Building (036) | September 18, 2025 |
| Bahen Centre for Information Technology (080) | September 17, 2025 |
| Bancroft Building (057) | August 6, 2025 |
| Borden Building North (061A) | August 6, 2025 |
| Borden Building South (061) | August 6, 2025 |
| C. David Naylor Building (011) | August 11, 2025 |
| Canadiana Gallery (047) | August 11, 2025 |
| Central Steam Plant (018) | August 13, 2025 |
| Chestnut Residence and Conference Centre (158) | October 1, 2025 |
| Clara Benson Building (068) | September 30, 2025 |
| Communications House (092) | August 7, 2025 |
| Convocation Hall (010A) | August 8, 2025 |
| Cumberland House (026) | August 5, 2025 |
| D.L. Pratt Building (008A) | September 16, 2025 |
| Daniels Building (054) | September 25, 2025 |
| Dentistry Buliding (065) | September 26, 2025 |
| Earth Sciences Centre (062) | September 19, 2025 |
| Edward Johnson Building (051) | October 1, 2025 |
| Electrometallurgy Lab (093) | September 16, 2025 |
| Engineering Annex (021) | September 17, 2025 |
| Exam Centre (155) | August 7, 2025 |
| Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (111) | September 23, 2025 |
| Faculty Club (075) | August 13, 2025 |
| Faculty of Law (040) | October 1, 2025 |
| Falconer Hall (050) | October 1, 2025 |
| Fasken Building (151) | August 12, 2025 |
| Fields Institute for Research in Math Science (105) | September 18, 2025 |
| FitzGerald Building (025) | August 8, 2025 |
| Gage Building (082) | August 5, 2025 |
| Galbraith Building (070) | September 15, 2025 |
| Gerstein Science Information Centre in the Sigmund Samuel Library Building (003) | September 15, 2025 |
| Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport (042) | August 15, 2025 |
| Graduate Students’ Union (056) | August 6, 2025 |
| Haultain Building (024) | September 17, 2025 |
| Health Sciences Building (154) | September 24, 2025 |
| Innis College (132) | August 13, 2025 |
| J. Robert S. Prichard Alumni House (019) | August 11, 2025 |
| Jackman Humanities Building (128) | September 23, 2025 |
| John P. Robarts Library Building (006) | August 20, 2025 |
| Koffler House (145) | August 6, 2025 |
| Koffler Student Services Centre (143) | August 5, 2025 |
| Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories (073) | September 19, 2025 |
| Lassonde Mining Building (007) | September 15, 2025 |
| Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building (161) | September 25, 2025 |
| Lillian Massey Building (528) | August 19, 2025 |
| Macdonald-Mowat House (172) | August 14, 2025 |
| Massey College (034) | October 3, 2025 |
| Max Gluskin House (104) | August 13, 2025 |
| McLennan Physical Laboratories (078) | September 18, 2025 |
| McMurrich Building (004) | August 11, 2025 |
| Mechanical Engineering Building (022) | September 17, 2025 |
| Medical Sciences Building (005) | September 24, 2025 |
| Morrison Hall (101) | September 29, 2025 |
| Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the Observatory (089) | September 23, 2025 |
| Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (087) | September 16, 2025 |
| North West Chiller Plant (122) | August 12, 2025 |
| Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (123) | September 23, 2025 |
| Ramsay Wright Laboratories (072) | September 19, 2025 |
| Regis College (478) | October 1, 2025 |
| Rehabilitation Sciences Building (152) | September 26, 2025 |
| Rosebrugh Building (020) | September 24, 2025 |
| Rotman School of Management (134) | August 7, 2025 |
| Sandford Fleming Building (009) | September 15, 2025 |
| School of Continuing Studies (103) | August 14, 2025 |
| School of Graduate Studies (043) | August 14, 2025 |
| Sidney Smith Hall (033) | September 22, 2025 |
| Simcoe Hall (010) | August 8, 2025 |
| Sir Daniel Wilson Residence (029) | September 29, 2025 |
| Strategic Enrolment Management (127) | August 14, 2025 |
| Student Commons (028) | September 18, 2025 |
| Sussex Court (077) | August 12, 2025 |
| Terrence Donnelly Ctr for Cellular & Biomolecular Research (160) | September 24, 2025 |
| University College (001) | October 7, 2025 |
| University College Union (023) | September 22, 2025 |
| University of Toronto Schools (UTS) (014A) | September 22, 2025 |
| Varsity Centre (030A) | August 15, 2025 |
| Varsity Pavillion (041) | August 15, 2025 |
| Wallberg Memorial Building (008) | September 16, 2025 |
| Warren Stevens Building (068A) | September 30, 2025 |
| Wetmore Hall-New College (032) | October 2, 2025 |
| Whitney Hall (013) | September 29, 2025 |
| Wilson Hall-New College (032A) | October 2, 2025 |
| Woodsworth College (038) | September 22, 2025 |
| Woodworth College Residence (130) | September 30, 2025 |
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Questions
For questions about fire drills or building evacuations, please contact your fire prevention officer.