You are trapped. You use the phone to inform the authorities that you are trapped and that smoke is starting to fill the room. You're told to remain calm and that help is on the way. A short while later, several firefighters arrive to bring you to safety. On the news that evening, there is a report that a firefighter was hospitalized from smoke inhalation due to a successful rescue of a trapped employee.
Employees can be very lackadaisical regarding the proper response when the fire alarm gongs sound.
If the alarms do sound, there are specific actions that must be taken by ALL personnel. When the alarms are ignored, you are not only risking your life but the lives of everyone who has to find and rescue you. Your health and the health of emergency service personnel are more important than any work that is in progress at the time of the alarm. An experiment, a phone call, or a memo can always be finished at a later time. All fire alarms should be taken seriously unless you are told that testing is being conducted.