Florida · city · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue's fire marshal is the AHJ in the city. Pinellas County Resolution No. 23-24 binds every fire department in the county, so St. Petersburg high-rises must keep -102 dBm with DAQ 3.4. The city uses the county's 800 MHz system, and the county is the license holder.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, Fire Marshal 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 |
| 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 city's own fire rescue site does not publish BDA guidance; the requirements below come from Pinellas County.
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 system, used by the City of St. Petersburg) |
From the county resolution; no coverage percentage is stated.
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 | Provisional county retransmission authorization covers activation, optimization and testing; final authorization follows commissioning and is valid for five years. | Resolution No. 23-24 |
| Annual test | Not published in the local documents we found; 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
- Have a qualified vendor run a grid test coordinated with the county radio section, and send results to the city fire marshal and [email protected]. Pinellas BDA FAQ
- Submit plans through St. Petersburg Fire Rescue plans review and the city's building permitting. Plans Review page
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
Does the Pinellas County signal rule apply inside St. Petersburg?
Yes. Resolution No. 23-24 applies to all fire departments enforcing fire codes in incorporated or unincorporated Pinellas County.
Who issues permission to rebroadcast the radio system?
Pinellas County Safety and Emergency Services, the FCC license holder for the 800 MHz system St. Petersburg uses.
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
- Plans Review and commercial services, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue
- Radio and Technology: Bi-Directional Amplifiers (BDA) FAQ, quoting Pinellas County Resolution No. 23-24, Pinellas County Safety and Emergency Services