ABC Group

With over 60,000 m² of retail space, eight outlet stores in prime Lebanese sites, more than 1,000 employees and over 70 years of brand name recognition, ABC is today a leader in Lebanon's retail industry. ABC operates two major department stores; ABC Dbayeh, the flagship store, and ABC Ashrafieh, the first European-style mall in the region. There are also another six medium-sized stores totalling 4,500 m² situated throughout Lebanon.

ABC Ashrafieh

Located in the fashionable Ashrafieh district of Beirut, ABC is undoubtedly the area’s leading 'hot spot' and entertainment venue offering top-of-the-range retail, dining and leisure amenities. The mall's ingenious design allows for continuous fresh air and bright sunlight at almost every level. With more than 200 well-known local and foreign retailers, as well as seven state-of-the-art movie theatres and over 20 eateries, ABC Ashrafieh has transformed the Sassine neighbourhood into a vibrant gathering place for people of all ages.

Pre-existing situation & UTCFS’s role

When the ABC Mall in Ashrafieh was built, one of the most important aspects of its design was to ensure the safety of the people working, visiting and shopping there. ABC needed a security partner who could provide a fire detection system that would detect any possible hazard and allow security personnel and the fire brigade to react as quickly as possible to prevent any disaster. The main requirement set out by ABC was that the system be a high-end product capable of integrating many shops. ABC Mall contacted Mac Corp, a leading fire detection installer in Lebanon, who recommended UTCFS's fire detection platform.

UTCFS’s solution

ABC Ashrafieh uses the EST fire detection system, one of UTCFS's market leading safety and security products. The mall’s system consists of four control panels, together managing more than 2,000 detectors, sounders and other devices. The four-panel system is capable ultimately of managing up to 4,500 devices, leaving more than enough capacity for possible future expansion. A central control room operates UTCFS's FireWorks graphical user interface and software package. This integrates input from all the control panels into a single, easy-to-understand fire detection system. The EST platform is also integrated with ABC Mall's voice evacuation system, enabling messages to be broadcasted automatically through a speaker system when a detector or call-point triggers an alarm. With this system in place, ABC's management and customers can rest assured that the facility is well protected against the risk of fire.