Florida · city · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Orlando, Florida
Orlando requires a radio signal survey for every new building under construction and accepts surveys on existing buildings. A building that fails needs a fire permit for a radio enhancement system. Buildings that proved coverage with a grid report must show it again every year.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with Orlando Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office before you design, permit or test a system.
Who must comply
State rules apply here too. See Florida statewide rules.
| Rule | Effect | Citation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A new building under construction must have an emergency radio signal survey. Passing results are uploaded under the building permit; failing results require a fire permit. | Note | OFD, new building survey page | City of Orlando, Orlando Fire Department |
| Properties that submitted grid reports as proof of coverage must demonstrate minimum radio strength annually or when the AHJ asks. | Note | OFD, existing building survey page | City of Orlando, Orlando Fire Department |
| 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 |
Surveys are run by a communications specialist with an FCC GROL license, on a control channel approved by the Orlando Police Department.
Signal and coverage
From Submit an Emergency Radio Signal Survey on an Existing Building.
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum downlink signal | -95 dBm |
| Minimum uplink signal | -95 dBm |
| Delivered audio quality (DAQ) | 3.4 |
| Coverage, general areas | 90% of floor area |
| Coverage, critical areas | 99% of floor area |
| Critical areas named | Fire command centers, Fire pump rooms, Exit stairs, Exit passageways, Elevator lobbies, Standpipe cabinets, Sprinkler sectional valve locations |
| Public safety radio bands | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
Inbound: at least -95 dBm with DAQ 3.4 throughout the coverage area. Outbound: at least -95 dBm at the donor site with DAQ 3.4. Isolation between the donor antenna and inside antennas is at least 20 dB above the booster gain. The city assigns the control channel for each test.
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 | For new buildings, passing survey results are uploaded under the building permit number for formal approval. Do not upload failed results; a failed survey needs a fire permit referencing the building permit. | OFD, new building survey page |
| Annual test | Properties that submitted grid reports as proof of coverage must demonstrate minimum radio strength annually or at the request of the AHJ. | OFD, existing building survey page |
| 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
- Request a control channel from the Orlando Police Department through the city's authorization form; it answers within 3 business days. Step 1
- Have an FCC GROL-licensed communications specialist run the survey: control channel frequency, analyzer type, downlink and uplink calculations, DAQ values and a grid report for every floor. Steps 2 and documentation list
- Existing building: submit the results with the authorization letter. The Fire Marshal's office emails direction within seven business days. Step 3 and after submission
- New building: upload passing results under the building permit; for failing results, apply for a fire permit (DAS/BDA) with an electrical permit application. New building page
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 (NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, Florida editions), in force statewide | 8th edition (NFPA 1, Florida 2021 edition), effective December 31, 2023 | rule |
Next step
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Questions people ask
What signal does Orlando require inside a building?
At least -95 dBm inbound and outbound with delivered audio quality (DAQ) of 3.4, in 99% of critical areas and 90% of general areas.
Our existing building passed. Are we done?
No. Orlando requires properties that proved coverage with a grid report to demonstrate minimum radio strength again every year, or whenever the AHJ asks.
Who can run the survey?
A communications specialist holding an FCC GROL license, using a control channel the Orlando Police Department approves.
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
- Submit an Emergency Radio Signal Survey on an Existing Building, City of Orlando, Orlando Fire Department
- Submit an Emergency Radio Signal Survey for a New Building Under Construction, City of Orlando, Orlando Fire Department