Home / Fire / Annual Fire Safety Review

Annual Fire Safety Review

Once a year, sit down and ask what changed. This guide gives you an agenda for a fire safety review that covers people, buildings, animals and paperwork.

Why do an annual review?

Farms change every year: new buildings, new equipment, new workers, new crops and new risks. A fire plan written five years ago may not match what you have now. Lessons from any small fire or close call during the year belong at the top of the agenda, because they show what the plan missed.

A yearly review keeps the plan alive and gives everyone a chance to raise concerns. It also makes it easier to spot patterns, such as the same hazard showing up in several inspections.

Choose a time that fits your calendar, such as before heating season or after harvest. Do not let the review slip when the year is busy. Short, well-planned meetings work better than skipping.

Who should be there?

Include family members, key workers, and a representative of seasonal staff if you have them. Invite your local fire department, insurer or extension educator to join or review your notes. If your fire department cannot attend, ask whether they will read your notes or answer questions by phone.

If you have children old enough to take part, include them for the parts about escape planning.

Ask for different viewpoints. People who work in different parts of the farm see different risks. Prepare a one-page agenda and send it ahead so people can think about their answers.

What is on the agenda?

Walk through the main topics: evacuation and escape plans, alarms and extinguishers, inspections and repairs, training, fuel and chemical storage, wildfire preparedness where relevant, animal plans and insurance records.

For each topic, ask what changed, what went wrong this year, what nearly went wrong and what needs fixing. Write the answers down.

Assign each task to a named person with a date. Keep the tone constructive. People will speak up about problems only if they believe no one will be blamed.

• Evacuation and escape plans
• Alarms, extinguishers and maintenance
• Inspection results and repairs
• Training for new and seasonal workers
• Fuel, chemical and hay storage
• Animal plans and insurance records

How do we review people and training?

Check who has been trained, who needs a refresher and who is new. Schedule hands-on training with a qualified provider where needed, and include first aid and extinguisher use.

Review contact lists, emergency numbers and who is in charge of what if you are away.

Confirm what OSHA and your state require for your type of operation, and ask if anything has changed. Make a short list of training that new people need before their first day and keep it at hand during hiring. Keep copies of training records in a binder and in a second location.

How do we review buildings and equipment?

Look at repairs that were postponed, new wiring or heaters installed during the year and any building changes. Ask a qualified electrician or heating technician to inspect what you cannot judge yourself.

Check that extinguishers and alarms have been tested and serviced as their makers and local authorities advise.

Make sure your farm map and hazard list, which responders may need, are up to date. Walk the property with the notes in hand, and fix small items on the spot where it is safe. If something cannot be fixed right away, post a note and set a date, so the problem is not forgotten.

How do we review animal and wildfire plans?

Update the list of animals and their identification, destinations for evacuation, hauling partners and contacts. Review vehicle and trailer readiness. Include any new animal housing, since new buildings change how animals would be moved and where fire could spread.

If you live where wildfire is a risk, check alert sign-ups, evacuation routes and the defensible space guidance for your area with your local fire authority.

Remember that people come first, and plans must never depend on risking lives for animals. Check that destinations, phone numbers and permissions are still current, because they go out of date quickly.

How do we finish and follow through?

Close with a written summary of changes and assignments, and share it with everyone. Set a date to check progress in a few months. Ask each person to name one thing they will do before the next review, which makes the whole group feel responsible.

Update insurance records, photos and the inventory at the same time, and store a copy off the farm.

Thank people for their time. A review that feels useful, not like a chore, is more likely to be repeated next year. Put next year's review date on the calendar before you leave the meeting.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.