BUCKHANNON – The Upshur County Courthouse will conduct a fire drill Friday, Dec. 13 at 11 a.m.

County Administrator Carrie Wallace said all occupants of the courthouse will be required to participate in the drill.

“If they are in the building at 11 a.m. and the fire alarm sounds, they will be required to exit the facility and they will not be able to reenter the facility until we are given the okay by the Buckhannon Fire Department,” Wallace said.

The drill could last up to an hour, and the courthouse will close at noon as previously scheduled.

“The facility does close at 12 p.m. that day, and we expect the fire drill to last around 45 minutes to an hour, so my recommendation for patrons would be to come prior to 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 13 if they have county business to conduct,” Wallace said.

The drill will be a full evacuation with the Buckhannon Fire Department coming in to clear the building and coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Wallace said the idea of having the drill has been discussed before, but after a fire scare in September, the Upshur County Commission thought it was necessary.

“It’s something we have talked about for quite a few years and there were questions from several offices about how an evacuation would work, for instance would they lock the doors and take their cash drawer and how it would work when the public were in the office,” Wallace said.

After this initial drill, it is likely the commission will schedule an annual drill moving forward, she added.