What a break glass call point is for
A break glass call point — more formally a Manual Call Point (MCP) — is the wall-mounted device that lets a person manually trigger a fire alarm system, typically by pressing on a frangible or resettable element behind a small glass or plastic front. It's a deliberately simple, unmistakable interface: no training or code is needed to operate one in an emergency, which is exactly the point.
Resettable vs single-use elements
Modern call points generally use a resettable plastic element rather than actual breakable glass — pressing it in triggers the alarm and gives clear tactile/visual feedback, and a key or tool resets it afterward without needing to replace a broken part. Older or lower-cost installations may still specify a genuine break-glass or frangible element, which must be physically replaced after activation. For sites doing routine fire alarm testing, resettable elements meaningfully reduce ongoing maintenance cost and downtime compared to a replace-after-every-test element.
Standards and placement
In most jurisdictions, manual call points used in a fire detection and alarm system are expected to meet a recognised product standard (EN 54-11 is the common European reference) covering construction, response and durability. Placement is typically governed by the site's fire safety design — commonly along escape routes and at floor exits, at a consistent mounting height — rather than by the call point manufacturer, so always confirm placement against your site's fire risk assessment or the relevant local code rather than treating it purely as a product-selection question.