Hochiki Middle East team, Hemanth Kumar, General Manager discusses Outpost Al Barari, a luxury resort, being secured with Hochiki’s Ekho Hybrid Wireless fire detection system

Outpost Al Barari, a haven of opulence nestled within the heart of Qatar’s breathtaking desert landscape, offers a unique escape from the clamour of modern life. Surrounded by the majestic, towering sand dunes and the vast expanse of the Inland Sea nature reserve, this retreat provides an authentic desert adventure, seamlessly blended with world-class hospitality.  

While guests luxuriate in the unparalleled comfort and elegance of the resort, the surrounding desert climate, with its dramatic fluctuations in temperature and the constant movement of sand, can cause significant alterations to the landscape. These shifts inevitably impact the resort’s layout.  

To minimise its environmental footprint and maintain harmony with the natural surroundings, Outpost Al Barari employs temporary structures, allowing it to adapt to the ever-changing terrain. This approach, while environmentally conscious, presented a formidable challenge for conventional fire alarm systems. 

Fire Cloud Qatar, renowned for its expertise in fire safety solutions across the region, recommended Hochiki’s Ekho hybrid wireless fire alarm system as the ideal solution. This advanced system, leveraging cutting-edge wireless technology, offered the requisite flexibility, reliability and ease of installation that this unique hotel demanded. 

Features of the Ekho system 

Key features of the Ekho system, which proved pivotal in its selection, include its self-configuring mesh network. This intelligent network enables seamless, uninterrupted communication between the fire control panel and all wireless field devices, eliminating the need for any physical cabling.  

This inherent flexibility allows for effortless expansion and reconfiguration, perfectly mirroring the outpost’s complex and ever-evolving layout.

Hemanth Kumar

Furthermore, the wireless nature of the devices significantly expedited the installation process, minimising disruption to the resort’s operations and ensuring a swift implementation. 

The full Ekho system was brought online in a streamlined, four-step process, demonstrating the system’s efficiency and ease of deployment.  

Site survey and assessment 

Fire Cloud Qatar initiated the process with a comprehensive site survey, utilising Ekho’s Survey Kit.

This meticulous assessment allowed for the determination of the optimal placement of wireless fire detection devices and control units, ensuring robust and reliable radio signal strength.

Hemanth Kumar

Hochiki’s Ekho system’s inherent flexibility enabled strategic deployment, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the entire resort, even in the most challenging areas. 

Installation 

Following the site survey, Fire Cloud Qatar’s team of highly skilled technicians swiftly installed the Ekho wireless devices. The absence of traditional cabling significantly simplified and accelerated the installation process, minimising disruption to the resort’s daily operations and ensuring a rapid deployment. 

System configuration and testing 

Once the devices were installed, Fire Cloud Qatar meticulously configured the system to ensure optimal performance and seamless communication within the wireless mesh network. Rigorous testing protocols were implemented to validate the system’s reliability and responsiveness, ensuring that it would perform flawlessly in the event of an emergency. 

Training and handover 

Finally, Fire Cloud Qatar provided comprehensive training to Outpost Al Barari’s personnel, covering all aspects of the Hochiki system’s operation, emergency procedures and routine maintenance.

This thorough training ensured that the resort’s staff were fully equipped to manage the system and respond effectively to any potential fire incidents. Following the training, the system was formally handed over to the outpost management, with ongoing support provided by Fire Cloud Qatar. 

Guests at Outpost Al Barari can now relax and enjoy their stay, secure in the knowledge that Hochiki’s Ekho system has significantly enhanced fire safety across the site, providing reliable detection and alarm coverage throughout the resort.

Hemanth Kumar

Staff can confidently deliver the resort’s renowned five-star service, knowing that regardless of how the luxury retreat evolves, the fire detection system can seamlessly adapt to its ever-changing layout, ensuring continuous protection. 

The successful installation of the Hochiki Ekho wireless fire alarm system by Fire Cloud Qatar at Outpost Al Barari underscores the undeniable effectiveness of wireless technology in overcoming the limitations and challenges posed by traditional wired systems.  

This customer story serves as a testament to the power of innovative fire safety solutions in addressing the specific needs of challenging sites such as Outpost Al Barari, where traditional approaches simply fall short. 

This article was originally published in the April 2025 Edition of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE copy, click here.