California Code § 102417(g)(9)(A): Fire & Disaster Drills

📋Type B Violation🏢Affects: Family Child Care Homes

What Is California Code § 102417(g)(9)(A): Fire & Disaster Drills?

California Code § 102417(g)(9)(A)

Each family child care home shall conduct fire drills and disaster drills at least once every six months.

💡Insider's Tips

This is one of the most commonly cited regulations for family child care homes because the fix seems simple but providers still miss it. Inspectors ask to see your drill log the moment they walk in. No log means a citation, even if you drilled yesterday. You need two types of drills (fire and disaster) twice a year each, so that's four documented drills minimum per year. Write down the date, time, number of children present, and how long it took to evacuate or shelter. San Diego and Los Angeles tie for the most citations here. Inspectors in Orange County have also been writing this up frequently in the past 90 days.

44
facilities cited recently
That's 1 in 909 facilities
15
counties affected
23
most common citation
📈
Increasing
Last 90 days vs. previous 90 days
44 facilities (was 31)+13 facilities

Source: California CCLD inspection records | Data: last 90 days as of Feb 16, 2026

How to Avoid Fire & Disaster Drills Citations

✓ Prevention Checklist

❌ Common Mistakes

  • Conducting drills but not documenting them in writing. Providers say 'we practice all the time' but have nothing on paper. Without a written log showing date, time, and participation, inspectors document it as if no drill occurred.
  • Doing fire drills but skipping disaster drills. The regulation requires both types every six months. Earthquake or lockdown drills count as disaster drills, but you need to actually do them and log them separately from fire drills.
  • Running drills only when older children are present and skipping infants or toddlers. Every child in care must participate. Inspectors compare attendance records against drill logs to verify participation.
  • Falling behind the six-month schedule. If your last fire drill was in January and it's now August, you're past the deadline. Inspectors calculate the gap between documented drills and cite anything over six months.

What's Being Cited in Each Region Over the Past 90 Days

Based on facility inspection reports filed with California's Community Care Licensing Division, here's how this citation appears across different regions in the past 90 days.

San Diego County

11 citations

Los Angeles County

9 citations

Riverside County

5 citations

Orange County

4 citations

San Joaquin County

3 citations

Tulare County

2 citations

San Bernardino County

2 citations

Kern County

1 citations

Yuba County

1 citations

Fresno County

1 citations

Data updated weekly from CCLD public records. Last update: 2/16/2026

See California Code § 102417(g)(9)(A): Fire & Disaster Drills Citations in Your County

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fire & Disaster Drills?
California Code 102417(g)(9)(A) requires every family child care home to conduct fire drills and disaster drills at least once every six months. Fire drills and disaster drills are separate requirements, so you need both types documented independently. This means a minimum of four documented drills per year. For your facility's daily operations, missing even one scheduled drill creates a compliance gap that inspectors calculate to the day.
How common is this citation?
According to California CCLD inspection records as of February 08, 2026, 33 facilities have been cited for this violation in the past 90 days across 15 California counties. That's roughly 1 in 1,212 inspected facilities. Los Angeles and San Diego tie for the most citations at 7 each, followed by Orange County with 5. Sacramento and San Joaquin each recorded 2 citations during this period.
What triggers this citation during an inspection?
Inspectors ask to see your drill log almost immediately upon arrival. Based on CCLD inspection patterns, they calculate the gap between your last documented drill and today's date. If more than six months have passed for either fire or disaster drills, that's an automatic citation. They also compare your attendance records against drill logs to verify all children present that day participated. Saying you practiced without a written log showing date, time, and participation gets treated the same as never drilling at all.
How can I prevent this citation?
Keep a drill log binder in a visible location and record every drill with the date, time, number of children present, and evacuation or shelter-in-place duration. Schedule drills on the first week of January and July for fire, and March and September for disaster. This spacing keeps you well inside the six-month window. Include all children present during the drill, including infants and toddlers.
What should I do if I receive this citation?
Conduct both a fire drill and a disaster drill within the next 48 hours and document them thoroughly with date, time, children present, and duration. Create a drill schedule for the next 12 months with calendar reminders set two weeks before each due date. Start a dedicated drill log binder that stays by your front door for easy access during future inspections. For complex situations, consider consulting a licensed childcare compliance specialist.

Related Violations

This information is educational and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed childcare compliance consultant for guidance specific to your facility. Citation data is sourced from California Community Care Licensing Division public records and is refreshed regularly.