The ERRCS project, step by step

Where a time is "not published", no code or fire department document we have read sets one. A bidder's schedule is a promise, not a rule, so get it in writing.

Who: the owner, board or manager asks; the fire marshal (the authority having jurisdiction, AHJ) decides.

The fire code requires approved radio coverage for emergency responders inside the building (IFC 2021 510.1). In Florida the rule is also in state law, F.S. 633.202(18), which exempts some buildings outright (F.S. 633.202(18)(h)) and requires no system or assessment where the fire marshal finds the public safety signal weak even outside (F.S. 633.202(18)(e)).

• What it produces: a written answer you can show the board, with the code section behind it. Our building checker applies every published exemption for the places we cover and cites each one; the requirements pages list local rules.
• What can go wrong: assuming the building is exempt without asking in writing. Florida's statute says "apartments"; condominium buildings are normally classed as apartment occupancies, but confirm with your fire marshal.

Who: a radio tester or the system designer. In Miami-Dade, MDFR or county staff run a pre-test inspection (Phase I) with a calibrated spectrum analyzer and handheld voice tests, and email the results within two business days (MDFR guidelines).

You cannot size a fix without measuring floor by floor. The model code tests each floor as a grid of 20 areas (IFC 2021 510.5.4) and sets the bar at coverage in 95 percent of all areas and 99 percent of critical areas (IFC 2021 510.4.1). Miami-Dade uses 90 percent of general areas and 99 percent of critical areas, and tests both its 450 MHz and 800 MHz systems (MDFR guidelines). Some cities require a test before any amplifier is designed; Houston is one (Houston CE-1350).

• What it produces: a written report with a coverage grid for every floor. If the building passes, no amplification system is required (IFC 2021 510.4.2.1).
• What can go wrong: a quote with no test report behind it; a test run on the wrong frequencies. The fire code official keeps a document with the frequencies and design details (IFC 2021 510.4.2.2), so ask for it first.

Who: an RF designer, the radio licensee (usually the city, county or regional radio system), the fire department, and for Class B boosters, the FCC.

1. Design. At a minimum the designer and lead installer need an FCC general radio operator license and in-building system training (IFC 2021 510.5.3). Some cities add a licensed engineer's seal; Houston requires a Texas PE (Houston CE-1350).
2. Licensee consent. A booster may only operate with the express consent of the frequency licensee, kept in a recordable format (47 CFR 90.219(b)(1)(i)). Florida requires the licensee's express consent for any new system or change to an existing one (F.S. 633.202(18)(d)). Our sister site explains licensee consent and FCC registration.
3. Permit. A construction permit is required to install or modify a system (IFC 2021 510.3). In Miami-Dade, the BDA permit (category 0040) follows a failed pre-test, and no radio equipment may be installed before plans are approved (MDFR guidelines).
4. FCC registration. Class B signal boosters must be registered (47 CFR 90.219(d)(5)), and a new one must be registered before it operates (FCC DA 14-15).

• What it produces: approved plans, the licensee's written consent, the permit, and the FCC confirmation with a booster ID.
• What can go wrong: equipment bought or installed before approval; a missing consent letter, which can stop the acceptance test.

Who: the installer, whoever runs power and pathways (the fire code does not say whether that is the installer or a separate electrical contractor, so ask each bidder and check it is in the price), and the fire department, which witnesses the acceptance test.

The system needs standby power for at least 12 hours at full load under the model code (IFC 2021 510.4.2.3), and it is tested floor by floor when it goes in (IFC 2021 510.5.4). In Miami-Dade the acceptance test (Phase II) needs the permit number, commissioning documents and separate 450 MHz and 800 MHz grid maps, the installer must be there, and the fire alarm test follows before the permit closes (MDFR guidelines).

• What it produces: the acceptance test report and the amplifier gain values. Keep them: if they are lost, the owner must rerun the acceptance test (IFC 2021 510.5.4 item 6).
• What can go wrong: missing the coverage percentages (Miami-Dade stops the test if coverage misses 99 percent of critical areas or 90 percent of general areas); locked rooms on test day. Each re-inspection costs money: in Miami-Dade, $98.46 for the first or second and $194.44 for a third or later, and "no contractor or unable to gain access on inspector's arrival" is one of the listed reasons (Implementing Order 04-123). Add up your fire department's fees with the fee estimator.

Who: the owner hires a qualified tester; the report goes to the fire code official (IFC 2021 510.6.1).

The model code requires a test every year and whenever structural changes could change coverage (IFC 2021 510.6.1). In Florida the fire marshal may also require a new coverage assessment no more than once every 3 years for a high-rise or a building over 12,000 square feet, and once every 5 years for others, with exceptions (F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2). We have not found a separate five-year test in IFC 510 or the Florida statute; if your fire department wants one, it will be in its own requirements. Miami-Dade also requires a service contract with a licensed radio service provider whose runner responds within four hours of a trouble signal (Sec. 14-69, Code of Miami-Dade County, quoted in the MDFR guidelines).

• What it produces: an annual test report, sent to the fire department.
• What can go wrong: a missed year, batteries that fail the load test, and renovations (new windows or walls) that change the signal. Our sister site BDACheck has the tools for this step: BDA testing works out when your next test is due and walks you through test day, and the failure finder points to the likely cause when a test fails.

• Just got a notice? Start with Got a notice? or what to do after a citation.
• On a condo board? ERRCS for condo boards explains it in plain words, the cost per owner calculator splits a quote, and if a building recertification or milestone inspection is coming, plan them together.
• Ready for prices? Request up to 3 quotes. Your request goes to up to 3 vetted installers who serve your area. We send no texts and make no cold calls, and owners never pay us.

This is guidance, not legal or engineering advice. Confirm every step with your fire marshal (AHJ).