Florida · county · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Pinellas County, Florida
Under Pinellas County Resolution No. 23-24, every fire department in the county, in incorporated and unincorporated areas, must require new and existing high-rise buildings to keep -102 dBm with DAQ 3.4 in all critical and non-critical areas. A grid test goes to the local fire marshal and the county radio section, which decide together whether a BDA is needed.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with The fire marshal of the municipality or fire district where the building is, with Pinellas County Safety and Emergency Services (radio license holder) before you design, permit or test a system.
Who must comply
State rules apply here too. See Florida statewide rules.
| Rule | Effect | Citation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New and existing high-rise buildings must maintain at least -102 dBm with DAQ 3.4 or better in all critical and non-critical areas. | Must meet | Pinellas County Resolution No. 23-24 | Pinellas County Safety and Emergency Services |
| A qualified vendor runs a radio signal grid test and submits it to the local fire marshal and the county radio section, who decide whether a BDA is needed. | Note | Pinellas County BDA FAQ | Pinellas County Safety and Emergency Services |
| 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 | Yes |
| Compliance deadline | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
The county says installing a BDA where one is not needed creates interference, so do not install one without a failing test and retransmission authorization.
Signal and coverage
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum downlink signal | -102 dBm |
| 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 | 800 MHz SmartZone (Pinellas County intergovernmental system) |
The resolution applies the level to all critical and non-critical areas of high-rise buildings and does not state a coverage percentage. Tests are coordinated with the county radio section so the right signals are measured.
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 | A building that needs a BDA gets a provisional retransmission authorization for activation, optimization and testing, and a final authorization when the system is commissioned. All passing tests go to the county radio section. | Resolution No. 23-24, as quoted by the county |
| Annual test | Not published in the local documents we found; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Five-year test | No five-year test is published. The final retransmission authorization is valid for five years. The county also says a new grid test is needed if responders notice degraded audio. | Resolution No. 23-24; BDA FAQ |
| 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
- Hire a vendor that uses a spectrum analyzer (not a portable radio), with an FCC GROL license and ideally NICET in-building public safety certification. BDA FAQ
- Coordinate the grid test with the county radio section and send results to the local fire marshal and [email protected]. BDA FAQ
- If a BDA is needed, get provisional retransmission authorization before switching it on, then final authorization at commissioning. Resolution No. 23-24
Permits and plan review are handled by the city or fire district where the building is.
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
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 do Pinellas high-rises need?
At least -102 dBm with delivered audio quality of 3.4 or better in all critical and non-critical areas, under Pinellas County Resolution No. 23-24.
Who decides if our building needs a BDA?
The fire marshal of the municipality where the building is, together with the county radio section as the FCC license holder, based on a grid test.
Can we install a BDA now just in case?
No. The county warns that an unneeded BDA creates interference that can disable a radio site. You need a test showing it is needed and retransmission authorization from the county.
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
- Radio and Technology: Bi-Directional Amplifiers (BDA) FAQ, quoting Pinellas County Resolution No. 23-24, Pinellas County Safety and Emergency Services