Hardware & Software FAQs
Learn more about how Emergency Drill helps protect your organization with secure life-safety system records, document drills, and improve system visibility and planning.
Hardware Devices
Do I have to purchase the physical hardware to use the Emergency Drill software?
Yes, the Emergency Drill software platform and the GEM Device are designed to work together. The GEM Device serves as the physical system of record for each facility, helping capture and transmit the data to the software platform.
Do I need a GEM Device for each building?
Yes, you need at least one GEM Device per fire address. If you manage a campus or facility with multiple buildings, each building needs its own hardware device. All of your devices communicate to the same Emergency Drill software platform, so you can manage multiple GEM Devices from one central platform.
Do I need more than one hardware device for my building?
In most cases, no. The only situation where you would need multiple GEM devices is if you have buildings with different fire addresses.
Does the GEM Device support the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) code requirements?
The GEM Device is designed to support NFPA requirements by helping keep critical system records organized, accessible, up-to-date, and protected at the facility.
Do I need to pay a recurring fee for the hardware?
No, each GEM Device is a one-time hardware purchase. The Emergency Drill software is billed through a monthly or annual subscription.
Software Plans
How do subscriptions and pricing work?
Emergency Drill software is subscription-based. While you need one GEM Device per fire address, your software subscription covers each address you manage.
What billing cycles are available for the software?
Customers can choose monthly billing or an annual subscription, with annual billing available at a discounted rate.
Can I set up account access for multiple users?
Yes, the software supports multiple users under the same account. You can create logins for administrators and approved team members at your organization.
Data Collection & Reporting
How does Emergency Drill handle compliance and state reporting?
Emergency Drill helps streamline the process of documenting and reporting drill events. When a drill is completed, the system can generate a formal Record of Event and, where supported, submit that record to the appropriate agency or compliance platform. Because records are tied to a secure, time-stamped source, Emergency Drill helps reduce manual reporting steps and gives facility teams a more reliable way to document life-safety drill activity.
What does it mean to have "Data Sovereignty"?
Data sovereignty means that your facility retains greater ownership and control over physical and digital system data. Emergency Drill helps keep critical data available to the facility owner. You don’t need to coordinate with a third-party vendor to access system logs or event records. This gives your organization better access to its own information, supports smoother vendor transitions, and reduces the risk of losing visibility into important system records.
How does the system track maintenance and vendor access?
Emergency Drill helps document vendor access and system changes through a secure proprietary data access process. When a vendor needs to access your system, they pass a biometric verification challenge. After verifying their identity, the vendor then proceeds with approved changes to your life safety system. By using the emergency drill system, you maintain a strict chain of data custody, always knowing who accessed the system, when, and what changes have occurred.
Emergency Drill Capabilities
Does Emergency Drill replace my existing fire alarm or security system?
No, Emergency Drill does not replace your current safety system infrastructure. Emergency Drill works alongside your current infrastructure, giving you a resource you have never had available before now to help you document system records, track events, manage vendor data access, and improve visibility into drills, deficiencies, along with service activities performed, and system changes.
What happens if a system fails during a drill or test?
When a life-safety system component does not perform as expected during a drill, such as a door not locking or an alarm failing to sound, Emergency Drill logs it as a “known deficiency.” From there, the system documents the issue, supports corrective action, and maintains visibility until it is resolved. Emergency Drill can also provide you with a view into any known system issues that remain unresolved from one life safety system to the next.
Contact Our Team
Have other questions about how Emergency Drill works? Reach out to our Life Safety Data Specialists for help.