Arizona · city · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix's policy covers new and existing buildings that meet Phoenix Fire Code Sections 510.1, 510.4.1 and 1103.2. An RF survey (benchmark test) decides compliance; if signal falls short, the owner must provide a solution to enhance it. The policy lists buildings under three stories above grade plane and buildings under 12,000 sq ft as exemption criteria.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with City of Phoenix Fire Department, Fire Prevention Section before you design, permit or test a system.
Who must comply
| Rule | Effect | Citation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| The policy lists 'buildings less than three stories above grade plane' among its exemption criteria. Confirm with Phoenix Fire Prevention whether your building qualifies. | Note | Phoenix Explanatory Policy, Emergency Responder Radio Coverage, Scope | City of Phoenix Fire Department, Fire Prevention Section |
| The policy lists 'total building area is less than 12,000 square feet' among its exemption criteria. Confirm with Phoenix Fire Prevention whether your building qualifies. | Note | Phoenix Explanatory Policy, Emergency Responder Radio Coverage, Scope | City of Phoenix Fire Department, Fire Prevention Section |
| An RF survey (benchmark test) after the building envelope is complete decides compliance. If in-building signal fails the Phoenix Fire Code minimums, a solution to enhance the signal must be provided. | AHJ may require | Phoenix Explanatory Policy, RF Testing and Compliance Procedure | City of Phoenix Fire Department, Fire Prevention Section |
| Buildings that passed the benchmark test retest only after new construction or a tenant improvement, a change of occupancy, a flag from operations or public safety, or (where the fire code official requires) a larger structure built in the path to the closest macro tower. | Note | Phoenix Explanatory Policy, RF Testing and Compliance Procedure | City of Phoenix Fire Department, Fire Prevention Section |
| Trigger | Published value |
|---|---|
| Minimum building size | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Minimum stories | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Height trigger | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Below-grade areas | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Building types named | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Existing buildings must retrofit | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Compliance deadline | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
The policy lists its two exemption criteria as separate bullets without saying whether a building must meet one or both. Ask Phoenix Fire Prevention how they apply to your building. A basement that is the only failing area may be exempted by appeal to the Fire Marshal, case by case.
Signal and coverage
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum downlink signal | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Minimum uplink signal | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Delivered audio quality (DAQ) | 3.4 |
| Coverage, general areas | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Coverage, critical areas | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Critical areas named | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Public safety radio bands | Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) system; VHF testing not required |
Downlink gain must be set so indoor antennas deliver DAQ 3.4 or better inside while staying 15 dB below the native signal measured 3 to 5 feet outside the walls. Per RWC, uplink power at the macro antenna should fall between -90 and -100 dBm, and in-band noise may not exceed -150 dBm at the macro receiver. Phoenix accepts a BER of 2.6% in lieu of DAQ handheld tests. Technical criteria are on the Fire Prevention website and the RWC ERRCS Vendor Packet.
How coverage is tested
One floor, 20 squares, a radio check in each
- 20 test areas per floorEach floor is divided into a grid of 20 roughly equal areas.IFC 2021 510.5.4
- One test spot per areaA spot near the center stands for the whole area. No extra spots after it is chosen.
- One failed area is allowedMore than one failed area fails the floor. With exactly two, the floor may be re-divided into 40 areas, and up to two non-adjacent failures are allowed.IFC 2021 510.5.4
- Critical areas count moreTypical model-code targets: 95 percent of all areas and 99 percent of critical areas such as stairs and elevator lobbies. Your fire marshal sets the numbers that apply to you.IFC 2021 510.4.1
Illustration: 19 of 20 areas pass, so this floor passes. Some fire departments use other numbers; Miami-Dade, for example, stops an acceptance test below 90 percent of general areas.
Testing
| Test | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance test | An RF leakage test comes before final testing. Before the building certificate of occupancy, a Certificate of Radio Coverage Compliance signed and sealed by an Arizona-licensed Professional Engineer knowledgeable in ERCES goes to the fire code official; a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued case by case. | Phoenix Explanatory Policy, Certificate of Radio Coverage Compliance; Final Testing |
| Annual test | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Five-year test | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Coverage assessment interval | Buildings that pass the benchmark test retest only on the qualifying events the policy lists (new construction or tenant improvement, change of occupancy, a flag from operations or public safety, or a larger structure in the path to the closest macro tower). | Phoenix Explanatory Policy, RF Testing and Compliance Procedure |
Permit and inspection process
- Run the benchmark RF test after the building envelope (doors, windows, interior walls) is complete. Phoenix policy, RF Testing and Compliance Procedure
- Get a Phoenix Fire Prevention construction permit (F128) to install or modify an ERCES. Frequency list changes, BDA replacements and RWC re-optimization also need permits. Phoenix policy, Permit Requirements (PFC 105.6.5)
- Submit shop drawings with the items the policy lists, including donor site map, propagation maps, link budget calculations, secondary power calculations and the RWC registration letter. Phoenix policy, Plans Submittal Requirements
- Pass the RF leakage test and final testing, then file the PE-sealed Certificate of Radio Coverage Compliance. Phoenix policy, Final Testing; Certificate of Radio Coverage Compliance
Designers need an FCC general radio operators license, in-building training, approved propagation software certification and NICET IB-PSC design certification; the lead installer needs NICET Level III IB-PSC. Working without the permit carries a penalty of 300 percent of the permit and inspection fees.
Codes and standards referenced
Notes
Read in the 2026 Explanatory Policy Manual (policy effective January 1, 2026, review date July 2029). The older 2019 policy URL on pilot.phoenix.gov no longer loads.
Next step
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Questions people ask
How does Phoenix decide whether my building needs an ERRCS?
With an RF survey (benchmark test) after the building envelope is finished. If the test shows signal below the Phoenix Fire Code minimums, you must add a solution to enhance it (Phoenix Explanatory Policy, RF Testing and Compliance Procedure).
Who signs the radio coverage certificate in Phoenix?
A Professional Engineer licensed in Arizona and knowledgeable in ERCES signs and seals the Certificate of Radio Coverage Compliance, which is due before the certificate of occupancy.
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- Fire Prevention Section Explanatory Policy Manual 2026, Explanatory Policy: Emergency Responder Radio Coverage Requirements (effective January 1, 2026), City of Phoenix Fire Department, Fire Prevention Section