Fire Alarm Installation at Fareeda Hospital, Gujranwala

In short: ZZ Marts supplied and installed a complete conventional fire alarm system at Fareeda Hospital, Gujranwala: 38 Global smoke detectors, 3 Global heat detectors, 5 flasher sounders, 3 manual call points and 8 zones of control, wired with 915 metres of cable. The whole job, equipment, wiring and installation, came in under Rs 3 lakh. When the control panel failed its final test, we replaced it with two 4-zone panels at our own cost and handed over a fully tested system. See the project page.

Project at a glance

Client	Fareeda Hospital, Gujranwala
System	Conventional (zoned) fire alarm system with Global detectors and control panels
Scope	Supply, wiring, installation and testing
Devices	49 field devices on 8 zones
Cable	3 coils × 305 m (915 m total)
Budget	Under Rs 300,000, all-inclusive
Installation time	3 days including all wiring (handover 2 days later than planned, see below)
Result	Fully tested and handed over; client plans to use us again for the hospital's new branch

The brief

A doctor at Fareeda Hospital in Gujranwala contacted us because the hospital needed a fire alarm system to protect its patients and staff. A hospital is one of the hardest buildings to evacuate: some patients may not be able to walk, staff are spread across the building, and every minute of warning matters. We quoted one price that covered everything: equipment, cable, installation and testing.

What we installed

Equipment	Qty	What it does
Global 2-wire conventional smoke detectors	38	Detect smoke early in rooms and corridors
Global 2-wire conventional heat detectors	3	Trigger on heat, for spots where a smoke detector could false-alarm
Flasher sounders	5	Loud siren plus flashing light, so the alarm is seen as well as heard
Manual call points (MCPs)	3	Let anyone raise the alarm by hand
Global 4-zone conventional control panels	2 (8 zones in total)	Watch every device and show which zone the alarm came from
Fire alarm cable	3 × 305 m	Connects every device back to the panel

You can see the same kind of equipment in our fire and burglar alarm systems, alarm sensors and sirens and sounders collections.

Why a conventional system was the right choice

For a building with around 50 devices, a conventional system gives full protection at a fraction of the cost of an addressable one. The building is split into zones, so when a detector goes off, the panel tells staff which area to check. An addressable panel would pinpoint the exact detector, but the addressable panel we stock costs more on its own than this entire project did. For a hospital of this size, zoned coverage was the sensible, budget-friendly choice. Our conventional vs addressable guide explains the difference in detail.

How we installed it

All cabling was run neatly in conduit and trunking so nothing hangs loose in patient areas, and the smoke detectors were fitted into the false-ceiling tiles of rooms and corridors.

The flasher sounders were mounted high on the walls above the exit routes, where they can be seen down the corridor. The manual call points were placed on main routes: one beside the fire hose reel and one at the pharmacy, so staff can raise the alarm on their way out.

The control panel went into the hospital's security room.

What went wrong, and how we fixed it

We believe in telling the whole story, including the part that did not go to plan.

During final testing, the 8-zone control panel we had supplied would not sound the alarm when a device was triggered. We could not find a clear reason for the fault, and it was the last 8-zone panel we had in stock.

The fault was on our side, so we fixed it at our cost. We replaced the single 8-zone panel with two 4-zone panels, which together give the same 8 zones of coverage. The two panels cost us more than the one 8-zone panel, but the hospital's price did not change. We then tested the full system before handing it over.

This pushed the handover back by 2 days. Throughout, we kept the doctor informed about what had happened and what we were doing about it. He was patient and understanding the whole way through.

The result

The hospital now has a fully working, tested fire alarm system covering the building, finished within the agreed budget of under Rs 3 lakh. The doctor told us he was fully satisfied with our work. He said he would recommend ZZ Marts to other hospitals, and the hospital plans to hire us again for the new branch it is building.

Lessons for hospitals and clinics planning a fire alarm

Test every device before handover. A panel can pass a power-on check and still fail to raise the alarm. Ask your installer to trigger the alarm in front of you.

Ask what happens if a part fails. A good installer should have a plan and should not pass the cost of their own fault on to you.

Use flasher sounders, not just bells. In a hospital, some people may not hear a siren. A flashing light helps everyone notice the alarm.

Put call points on the way out. Near exits, hose reels and busy counters, so anyone can raise the alarm as they leave.

Get one all-inclusive price. Equipment, cable, labour and testing in one figure, so there are no surprises later.

For typical costs, see our fire alarm system price guide for Pakistan.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fire alarm system cost for a hospital in Pakistan?
It depends on the size of the building. For Fareeda Hospital in Gujranwala, a conventional system with 38 smoke detectors, 3 heat detectors, 5 flasher sounders, 3 manual call points and 8 zones cost under Rs 3 lakh including equipment, cable, installation and testing.

How long does it take to install a fire alarm system in a hospital?
For a building of about 50 devices, installation including all wiring took our team 3 days. Larger buildings or addressable systems take longer.

Is a conventional fire alarm good enough for a hospital?
For a small or mid-sized hospital, yes. A conventional system tells staff which zone the alarm came from and costs far less than an addressable system. Large multi-floor hospitals may need addressable panels that show the exact detector.

Does ZZ Marts install fire alarm systems outside Karachi and Lahore?
Yes. This project was in Gujranwala. We supply and install fire alarm systems for hospitals, offices and factories across Pakistan. Request a site survey to get a quote.

Planning a fire alarm for your hospital, clinic or building? Request a site survey, see the Fareeda Hospital project page, or browse all our installation projects.