fire drill

noun

1. An organized practice to prepare occupants of an office, school or other public building for evacuation in the event of a fire.

   “There was a fire drill this morning. We had to leave the building calmly and go to the birch tree, our meeting point.”

2. Any pointless, unproductive, useless, or chaotic activity.

   “Since they've changed the standards again, our previous efforts now just amount to a fire drill.”

3. A fire-starting tool consisting of a wooden rod and some primitive means of rapidly rotating the rod on a flat surface like a drill until tinder can be ignited.

   “Near-synonym: firestarter (synonymous in some versions)”

   “There is no machine on earth so potent, yet so simple and elegant, as the two sticks of the Native American fire drill;”