Florida · city · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood Fire Rescue is the fire AHJ in the city. It has not published its own BDA signal levels or test forms that we could find, so the state rules and Broward County's Section 118 permit steps are the published baseline.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with Hollywood Fire Rescue and Beach Safety, Division of Fire Prevention and Life Safety before you design, permit or test a system.
Who must comply
State rules apply here too. See Florida statewide rules.
| Rule | Effect | Citation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| As in all of Broward, the FCC license holder must approve the plans before review, and the system may not be switched on before the license holder authorizes it. | Note | FBC Broward County Edition 118.4 | Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals |
| 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 |
A November 2025 Sun-Sentinel report counted 18 of Hollywood's 83 high-rises cited for weak radio coverage.
Signal and coverage
Not published by the city.
| 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) | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| 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 | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
Not published by the city. Broward County's guideline values are on the Broward County page; ask Fire Prevention which levels it tests to.
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 | Not published in the local documents we found; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Annual test | Not published by the city. Broward County's annual test rule is on the Broward County page; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Five-year test | Not published in the local documents we found; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Coverage assessment interval | Set by state law: the fire marshal may require an interior coverage assessment no more than once every 3 years for an existing high-rise or an existing building over 12,000 total gross square feet, and once every 5 years for other existing buildings, with exceptions for major alterations, reported radio failures and imminent threats. | F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2 |
Permit and inspection process
- Ask Fire Prevention and Life Safety (954.967.4404) how to request a radio signal test for your building. City inspections page
- If a system is needed, follow Broward's Section 118 process: engineer-sealed design, license holder approval, then city building, electrical and fire permits. BORA Guidelines 1.4 to 1.9
Your notice
How long do we have?
Every date here comes from the statute or rule cited under it.
In Florida, after the fire marshal issues a notice of code violation, the owner gets at least 1 year to complete a required retrofit. The date written on your notice controls; it may give you more. F.S. 633.202(18)(g)
Codes and standards referenced
| Code or standard | Edition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, Florida editions), in force statewide | 8th edition (NFPA 1, Florida 2021 edition), effective December 31, 2023 | rule |
| Florida Building Code, Broward County Edition, Chapter 1, Section 118 | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal | bora |
Notes
We will add Hollywood's own rules when the city publishes them.
Next step
Take the board a plan, not just a problem
Ask for up to 3 quotes from vetted installers who serve your area, or start with a one-page brief the board can read before the next meeting. Free for owners, boards and managers. No texts, no cold calls.
Questions people ask
Does Hollywood publish its own BDA signal requirements?
Not that we could find on the city website as of our last check. Call Fire Prevention and Life Safety at 954.967.4404 and ask which signal levels and test method it uses.
Is Hollywood actually citing buildings?
Yes. A November 2025 Sun-Sentinel report counted 18 of the city's 83 high-rises cited for weak emergency radio coverage.
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- Florida Statutes 2026, section 633.202, subsection (18), The Florida Senate
- Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th edition: Florida amendments to NFPA 1 (2021 edition), sections 11.10.2 and 11.10.2.1, Florida Division of State Fire Marshal
- Rule 69A-60.003, F.A.C.: NFPA 1, the Fire Code, Florida 2021 edition, adopted (effective 12/31/2023), Florida Department of State, Florida Administrative Code
- Fire Prevention and Life Safety: inspections and permitting, City of Hollywood Fire Rescue and Beach Safety
- BORA ERCES Guidelines, revised 2021-10-14 (archived copy; broward.org blocks automated access), Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals
- Fort Lauderdale cites 69 high-rises with weak radio signals (South Florida Sun-Sentinel via Firehouse, November 2025), Firehouse / South Florida Sun-Sentinel