when i worked at a foundry, fire alarms were the signal for an extended break. grab your gear (water/soda/cigs/phone) and meet at the rally point outside. i (like everybody else) did not run. but there was no poking either. the fire alarm sounded at least once every three months though. they were like second nature, they were so frequent. but at my college it is pandemonium. the alarm in the science building went off and people were trying to break windows, a girl got pretty banged up on the stairs. (labs ground level, classrooms in basement) i had to deal with a few idiots myself. amazing how a rabbit punch to a kidney will calm someone down.