You know, much as it doesn't compare to what you're referring to, this is a New York City public high school we are talking about - or rather, five public high schools - because it got split up since the big school was in bad shape. So, based on that, and the need for the metal detector at the front door, I am guessing that they have had more than one occasion on which it was prudent to evacuate the building in a timely manner. High school students are very capable of setting fires. They're smart that way - or stupid, take your pick. I know it happened once at one of my other schools - I have heard stories. Mind you, some of the other emergency situations that have probably arisen in the past involve precisely the opposite situation - making everyone stay *inside* - that is, putting the school on lockdown. This would be the response to, say, a student getting a gun into the building. (Which, with the metal detectors at the door, might be slightly harder than setting a fire... but I have heard of something that happening too - and I think that story was from one of my coworkers who worked at this particular high school)