page_title: Manual fire alarm activation
section_title: Modern pull stations
hierarchical_section_title: Manual fire alarm activation / Fire alarm pull station / Modern pull stations
caption_attribution_description: English: Activated Fire-Lite BG-12 pull station at MBTA Chinatown station, outbound side.
context_page_description: Manual fire alarm activation is typically achieved through the use of a pull station or call point, which then sounds the evacuation alarm for the relevant building or zone. Manual fire alarm activation requires human intervention, as distinct from automatic fire alarm activation such as that provided through the use of heat detectors and smoke detectors. It is, however, possible for call points/pull stations to be used in conjunction with automatic detection as part of an overall fire detection and alarm system. Systems in completed buildings tend to be wired in and to include a control panel. Systems for use during construction can also be wireless or mechanical, however it is recommended by the Structural Timber Association in the UK that for timber-framed constructions, interconnecting wireless systems be used.
context_section_description: Many modern fire alarm pull stations are single action and only require the user to pull down the handle to sound the alarm.  Other fire alarm pull stations are dual-action, and as such require the user to perform a second task before pulling down, such as lifting up or pushing in a panel on the station or shattering a glass panel with an attached hammer.  Perhaps the most recognizable pull station is the "T-bar"-style pull station, so named because the handle is shaped like the letter "T".  This style is manufactured by many companies, most notably SimplexGrinnell.  
  Resetting a fire alarm pull station after it has been operated normally requires building personnel or emergency responders to open the station using a key, which often is either a hex key or a more traditional key.  Opening the station causes the handle to go back to its original position, allowing the alarm to be reset from the fire alarm control panel after the station has been closed.
  In some places, particularly at college dormitories and schools, students set off fire alarms as a prank or simply because they want to (out of anger, curiosity or revenge). These false alarms can convey a risk to alarm fatigue if they occur repeatedly, causing occupants to dismiss the importance of alarms or ignore them completely. In areas where false alarms are a recurring problem, pull stations may be covered with a clear plastic cover (sold under the "Stopper" trade name) that will cause people to notice the person by sounding an alarm when tinkered with or opened, creating focus on the fire alarm. Because of these and other issues, setting off a fire alarm when there is no fire or other emergency is illegal in most jurisdictions.
caption: Activated Notifier NBG-12 pull station underneath a Stopper cover
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