How to Automate Fire Drills with QR Codes (No More Clipboards)

Sam Mathews
Jun 30
3 min read

Fire drills have long been a logistical headache for facility managers and safety teams.The old-school routine - clipboards, printed checklists, and chasing down headcounts creates more paperwork than preparedness. But there’s a better way.

By using QR codes to automate fire drills, safety leaders are ditching outdated methods and unlocking faster, smarter, and more engaging evacuation training.

This guide shows how QR code-based fire drills work, the benefits for your team, and how platforms like LOCI QR drills are transforming emergency readiness across industries.

Why Traditional Fire Drills Fall Short

Most organizations still run fire drills manually:

Evacuation wardens with clipboards
Printed rosters and floor plans
Verbal check-ins or paper-based roll calls
Data logged manually after the fact

The result?

Lost time and productivity
Low participation and engagement
Inconsistent documentation
No real insight into team readiness

These gaps aren’t just inefficient , they put your facility at risk during real emergencies.

Enter QR Code Fire Drills

QR-based fire drills flip the script. Instead of assigning manual roles and checklists, facilities can place smart QR codes at strategic locations. Employees simply scan these codes using their phones as they exit or reach designated muster points.

Each scan records:

Who participated
When and where they checked in
Time taken to evacuate

All data is tracked in real-time through an emergency preparedness software dashboard.

Key Benefits of QR-Based Fire Drill Automation

1. Eliminate Paperwork No more printing rosters or collecting signatures. Drill data is captured instantly and digitally.

2. Real-Time Tracking Monitor who has checked in and who hasn’t in real time. Identify procedural gaps and improve response time.

3. Boost Participation and Recall QR drills transform passive drills into team missions. Staff are 70% more likely to recall procedures under stress.

4. Reduce Downtime by 60% QR drills are faster and easier to run. Most teams cut drill time in half with LOCI’s interactive safety training tools.

5. Customizable for Any Facility QR codes adapt to your exact floor plan and safety protocols no generic one-size-fits-all setups.

How QR Code Drills Work: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Map your exits and muster points using your site’s layout.

Step 2: Generate smart QR codes for each location using a tool like LOCI drill builder.

Step 3: (Optional) Link codes to SCORM-compliant safety modules or videos.

Step 4: Run your drill, staff scan codes with a phone (no app needed).

Step 5: Review data instantly via your safety dashboard:

Evacuation speed
Completion rates
Missed check-ins
Compliance over time

Who Is Using QR Code Fire Drills?

Forward-thinking EHS managers in:

Healthcare facilities needing HIPAA-aligned records
Manufacturing plants balancing shift schedules
Corporate offices with hybrid workforces
24/7 logistics and distribution hubs

These teams use LOCI’s emergency preparedness software to train smarter not harder.

Integrate With Your Safety Ecosystem

QR drills fit into your current tools:

Export SCORM reports to your LMS
Connect with access control systems
Trigger SMS/email alerts
Feed data into your existing dashboards

Still Using Clipboards? Here's What You're Missing

Old Method	QR Code Drill Approach
Paper sign-in sheets	Mobile check-ins via QR code
Manual tracking	Real-time analytics
One-size-fits-all drills	Facility-specific customization
Static posters	Interactive, video-enabled content
Time-consuming reviews	Instant SCORM export

Real-World Results (Change to real testimonials)

A logistics center with 1,200 employees cut drill time from 45 minutes to 18 using QR codes
A healthcare facility saw 2x improvement in recall from surprise drills, just weeks after switching to LOCI

Ready to Automate?

If your team still uses paper checklists and clipboards, it’s time to modernize.

With LOCI’s emergency preparedness software, you can:

Build site-specific QR drills
Track participation in real-time
Export SCORM-compliant training reports

No classroom sessions. No paperwork. Just smarter drills.

Want to see it in action? Schedule a demo and discover how QR code drills can upgrade your safety program.