Washington · county · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Pierce County, Washington
In the area Pierce County's Fire Prevention Bureau serves, every new building must prove adequate emergency responder radio coverage before a certificate of occupancy. If testing shows coverage is deficient, an ERRCS must be installed under the handout and IFC Section 510. The handout applies to projects requiring coverage under Pierce County Code 17C.60.195.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau (Department of Emergency Management) before you design, permit or test a system.
Who must comply
State rules apply here too. See Washington statewide rules.
| Rule | Effect | Citation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before a certificate of occupancy, all new buildings must provide proof of adequate emergency responder radio coverage, by testing under IFC 510.5.3 or a field demonstration of clear two-way communication. If coverage is inadequate, an ERRCS must be installed. | Must meet | Pierce County ERRCS Handout, Requirements | Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, Fire Prevention Bureau |
| 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 |
We have not read Pierce County Code 17C.60.195, which sets which projects are in scope. Washington's state rules for existing buildings still apply.
Signal and coverage
From ERRCS Handout, Steps to Success for ERRC Compliance (effective 11/15/2022).
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum downlink signal | -95 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 | 99% of floor area |
| Critical areas named | Fire command centers, Fire pump and controller rooms, Exit stairs, Exit passageways, Elevator lobbies, Standpipe cabinets, Interior sprinkler valve or sprinkler and alarm control rooms, Other Critical Communication Areas the fire marshal identifies |
| Public safety radio bands | Pierce County 700 MHz P25; City of Puyallup 800 MHz where those agencies respond |
The handout requires 99% coverage at not less than -95 dBm and DAQ 3.4 in critical areas, and design to DAQ 3.4 overall; it does not print a general-area percentage. Only Class A signal boosters are approved; Class B devices are not. The uplink signal at the donor site must be no greater than -75 dBm, measured by Pierce County Radio Communications before the DAQ coverage 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 | The installer pre-tests and sends floor plans with grid overlays, grid-by-grid inbound and outbound results and a certification to the ERRC program. The fire marshal then witnesses an on-site test: visual inspection, 1 hour of operation on normal, battery and backup power, signal and DAQ checks in selected areas and every critical area, and at least five random trouble signals. Any failure fails the whole system. | Pierce County ERRCS Handout, ERRCS Testing |
| Annual test | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Five-year test | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Coverage assessment interval | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
Maintenance and monitoring
- Primary power on a dedicated circuit; standby power per IFC 510.4.2.3.
- Supervisory signals include low battery when 70% of the 24-hour operating capacity is used, and low generator fuel where a generator is used.
- A dedicated monitoring panel in the fire command center (or approved location) shows seven labeled conditions.
- Pierce County may have any device shut off if it is suspected of interfering with the 700 MHz P25 system until it is repaired and approved.
Source: ERRCS Handout, Steps to Success for ERRC Compliance (effective 11/15/2022)
Permit and inspection process
- Contact Pierce County Radio for the ERRC Request for Authorization (the licensee's permission to rebroadcast its frequencies). Handout, Steps to Success 1
- Apply for a permit from the Fire Prevention Bureau with the site plan, floor plans, equipment listings, personnel qualifications, the Request for Authorization and an attestation. Handout, Steps 2 and Permitting
- Install after approval, pre-test, and send the pre-test results to [email protected]. Handout, Steps 3-5
- Schedule the Fire Prevention Bureau inspection and witnessed acceptance test. A re-inspection fee applies after two inspections. Handout, Step 6 and ERRCS Testing
Frequency information and tower coordinates are provided case by case depending on which agencies respond to the address.
Codes and standards referenced
Notes
Medium confidence: the handout is from 2022 and we did not read the county ordinance it points to. The county site blocks automated requests, so we read an Internet Archive copy; the live link is listed first.
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
Can I use a Class B signal booster in Pierce County?
No. The handout says ERRCS devices must be Class A rated, and Class B devices will not be approved by Pierce County (Pierce County ERRCS Handout, Radio Requirements).
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- ERRCS Handout, Steps to Success for ERRC Compliance (effective 11/15/2022), Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, Fire Prevention Bureau
- Internet Archive copy of the Pierce County ERRCS Handout, captured 2026-04-30 (the county site blocks automated requests), Internet Archive