Getting drunk is not an excuse to jeoparidize the lives of others but that doesn’t seem to stop people.

Apparently, pulling fire alarms is considered one of the more intelligent pastimes when drinking with friends. Firefighters beg to differ.

According to DeKalb Assistant Fire Chief Reuben Nelson, the problem with the fire alarm pull boxes is their constant use by those who need an extra chuckle to add to an otherwise dull day.

The big problem here lies in the off chance that while one person sets off the alarm as a prank, somewhere else an actual fire is taking place—a life-threatening action to say the least.

For those who are skeptic, take for instance a week ago Monday when a false alarm did go off simultaneously with an actual alarm. A fire truck was diverted to check the problem out.

We’re all college students and shouldn’t need to be reminded of why not to pull stunts like this. We know something like this could, in the worst case scenario, cause serious injuries or death.

Unfortunately, people don’t think of this while falling up steps or running into doors. This is where the problem lies.

So next time the urge strikes to pull an alarm, try and remember that you could be preventing a fire truck and its crew from saving a life.