Florida · county · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue decides whether a building needs a two-way radio communication enhancement system (BDA) after its own pre-test inspection. Florida's statewide exemptions and deadlines apply here too.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR), Fire Prevention Division before you design, permit or test a system.
Who must comply
State rules apply here too. See Florida statewide rules.
| Rule | Effect | Citation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDFR determines whether a building needs a system. The building owner or general contractor must first get an MDFR pre-test inspection; plans submitted before it are disapproved. | Note | MDFR General Guidelines, Designer/Contractor Responsibilities | Miami-Dade County Fire Prevention Division |
| Elevator shafts are critical areas needing 99 percent coverage in buildings of six stories or more, and also in shorter buildings that lack signal in areas other than the elevator shaft (MDFR General Guidelines (D)). | Note | MDFR General Guidelines (D) | Miami-Dade County Fire Prevention Division |
| For the 800 MHz band, the county ITD Radio Division reviews the baseline signal report, and installers confirm with it which 800/700 MHz band to amplify. | Note | ITD Radio Division guideline v4.6, Important Notice | Miami-Dade County ITD Radio Division |
| 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 |
Some cities inside Miami-Dade County run their own fire departments and are a separate authority having jurisdiction, including the City of Miami and Miami Beach. Confirm which fire department covers your address before you request a pre-test. Miami-Dade County's radio division notes that many municipalities still use the county's 800 MHz system, so installers confirm the band with it.
Signal and coverage
From General Guidelines for the Deployment of Two-Way Radio Communication Enhancement System (BDAs).
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum downlink signal | -95 dBm |
| Minimum uplink signal | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Delivered audio quality (DAQ) | 3.0 |
| Coverage, general areas | 90% of floor area |
| Coverage, critical areas | 99% of floor area |
| Critical areas named | Elevator shafts (buildings of six stories or more, and shorter buildings that lack signal in areas other than the elevator shaft), Elevator lobbies, Generator rooms, Fire pump rooms, Mechanical rooms, Roof access, Stair enclosures, Fire command centers, Any other area the AHJ deems critical |
| Public safety radio bands | 450 MHz analog conventional (UHF); 800 MHz trunked digital |
Channels and talk groups depend on the building's location and are assigned by MDFR. The uplink may not be connected or powered on without MDFR's written approval.
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 | MDFR runs an acceptance test (Phase II) after installation. The request needs the BDA (0040) permit number, commissioning documents, programming screenshots and separate 450 MHz and 800 MHz downlink grid maps. The installer must be present. Testing stops if coverage misses 99% of critical areas or 90% of general areas. The fire alarm test follows, and the BDA permit closes after it. | MDFR General Guidelines, Acceptance Test Inspection |
| Annual test | Not published in the MDFR guideline; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Five-year test | Not published in the MDFR guideline; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Coverage assessment interval | Set by state law: no more than once every 3 years for an existing high-rise or an existing building over 12,000 total gross square feet, once every 5 years for other existing buildings, with exceptions. | F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2 |
Maintenance and monitoring
- A service contract with a licensed radio service provider must be in effect at all times (Section 14-69, Code of Miami-Dade County).
- The contract must include runner service that responds within four (4) hours of any trouble or supervisory signal and restores the system to full working order.
- Supervisory and trouble signals go to a central station or to the contracted radio service provider.
- If the system cannot be restored, the AHJ may impose limits on the building, including a fire watch, until it works again.
- The owner gives MDFR the maintenance vendor's contact details for interference troubleshooting (Section 14-18, Code of Miami-Dade County).
- Power supplies must alarm on loss of AC power, battery charger failure and low battery (70 percent of the 12-hour operating capacity).
Source: General Guidelines for the Deployment of Two-Way Radio Communication Enhancement System (BDAs)
Permit and inspection process
- Email [email protected] and Miami-Dade ITD Radio Engineering to request radio information and a pre-test inspection. Attach a PDF of the plans for all floors and any third-party grid test (separate 450 MHz and 800 MHz floor plans). Process notes
- Pre-test inspection (Phase I): MDFR or county staff measure signal with a calibrated spectrum analyzer and run handheld voice tests. Results are emailed within two business days. Phase I
- If the building fails, apply for the BDA permit (category 0040) with the emailed results, an initial RSSI study and the BDA checklist. No radio equipment may be installed before plans are approved. Permit
- Register Class B signal boosters with the FCC, and send the registration and a retransmission agreement to Miami-Dade ITD Radio. FCC Part 90
- Acceptance test (Phase II), then the fire alarm test, then permit close-out. A failed test means a re-inspection with fees. Phase II
For existing buildings without a county permit, MDFR assigns a process number after the request form is received.
After a notice
Six steps from the letter to a closed violation
- Read the noticeWrite down the code section, the deadline, the contact and what it asks for.
- Check the ruleRun the checker for your building and look for a published exemption.
- Get a signal testYou cannot size a fix without measuring floor by floor.IFC 2021 510.4.2.2
- Hire qualified peopleFCC general radio operator license and in-building training, at minimum.IFC 2021 510.5.3
- Consent, permit, install, testRadio licensee's consent, a permit, then the acceptance test.47 CFR 90.219(b)(1)(i); IFC 2021 510.3, 510.5.4
- Keep it compliantAn annual test and a report to the fire department, records kept on site.IFC 2021 510.6.1
In Florida, a required retrofit after the statutory dates gets at least 1 year from the notice of code violation (F.S. 633.202(18)(g)). Elsewhere, the date on your notice controls.
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 | 8th edition (NFPA 1, Florida 2021 edition), in force statewide since December 31, 2023; the MDFR guideline does not name an edition | s4 |
| Florida Administrative Code 69A-60.005 | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal | s2 |
| NFPA 72 and NFPA 1 (named for system monitoring) | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal | s2 |
Notes
MDFR asks contractors to email it before starting any project in case the guideline has changed since publication.
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
What signal level does Miami-Dade require inside a building?
MDFR's guideline requires a downlink signal of -95 dBm with delivered audio quality (DAQ) of 3.0 or better, in 90% of general floor area and 99% of critical areas.
Can we submit BDA plans before a pre-test?
No. MDFR says plans submitted before its pre-test inspection are automatically disapproved, and the permit is issued only after the pre-test shows a system is needed.
Do we need a maintenance contract?
Yes. The guideline requires a service contract with a licensed radio service provider at all times, with runner service that responds within four hours of a trouble or supervisory signal.
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
- General Guidelines for the Deployment of Two-Way Radio Communication Enhancement System (BDAs), Miami-Dade County Fire Prevention Division
- General Guidelines for the Deployment of In-Building 800 MHz Radio Coverage Solutions for First Responders, version 4.6 (June 12, 2023), Miami-Dade County ITD Radio Division
- 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