ERRCSCheck

Got a notice?

You got a notice about your building's radio coverage. Start here.

A notice about emergency radio coverage is serious: it is about firefighters being able to talk inside your building. It is also fixable, one step at a time. Answer four short questions below and you will have a plan to take to your board or manager.

Get up to 3 quotesMake a board brief

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)

A letter, reading glasses and coffee on a kitchen table.

Last verified Updated 3 sourcesChangelog

Got a notice?

Take a breath. Four questions, then a plan.

Runs in your browser. Nothing you choose is saved or sent.

Question 1 of 4

What does the notice ask for?

  1. Read the notice closely. Write down the code section, the deadline, the fire department contact and what it asks for.
  2. Check whether the rule applies. The building checker applies every published exemption.
  3. Get a signal test. It shows whether you need a system at all, and where.
  4. Hire qualified people. Designer and lead installer need an FCC general radio operator license and in-building training (IFC 2021 510.5.3).
  5. Consent, permit, install, test. Then close the notice in writing.
  6. Keep it compliant. Test every year and send the report to the fire department (IFC 2021 510.6.1).

In Florida, after a notice of violation the owner gets at least 1 year to finish a required retrofit. F.S. 633.202(18)(g)

Get up to 3 quotesMake a board brief

What the notice is asking for

Find these four things on the notice and write them down:

  1. The code section. In Florida it is often F.S. 633.202(18) or a section of the fire code. Elsewhere it is often Section 510 of the International Fire Code or a local version.
  2. The deadline. The date on your notice is the one that counts.
  3. The contact. The inspector or office named on the notice.
  4. The ask. A signal test, a permit application, a working system, or a report. These are very different jobs.

If the notice only asks for a test or a report, that is a smaller first step than a full system.

What happens next

Most buildings go through the same steps, in this order:

  1. Measure. A signal test shows which floors and areas fall short, if any. The code judges coverage by measurement (IFC 2021 510.4.1).
  2. Design and price. Qualified installers design a fix to the fire department's criteria (IFC 2021 510.4.2.2) and give written bids.
  3. Consent and permit. The agency that owns the radio channels gives written consent (47 CFR 90.219(b)(1)(i)), and a permit is pulled (IFC 2021 510.3).
  4. Install and test. The system goes in and passes an acceptance test, floor by floor (IFC 2021 510.5.4).
  5. Close the notice. Send the fire department what it asked for and get written confirmation that the matter is resolved.

How much time you have. In Florida, if the fire marshal requires an existing building to retrofit after the 2024 and 2025 statutory dates, the owner gets at least 1 year from the notice of code violation to finish (F.S. 633.202(18)(g)). Outside Florida, timelines are local; your notice and your local requirements page say what applies.

Your building may be exempt. Florida exempts some building types and sizes (F.S. 633.202(18)(h)). The building checker applies those exemptions and shows the source for each answer.

A fire inspector listens to a radio in a building entrance.
Inspectors check that radios work inside; the notice says what they found.

After a notice

Six steps from the letter to a closed violation

  1. Read the noticeWrite down the code section, the deadline, the contact and what it asks for.
  2. Check the ruleRun the checker for your building and look for a published exemption.
  3. Get a signal testYou cannot size a fix without measuring floor by floor.IFC 2021 510.4.2.2
  4. Hire qualified peopleFCC general radio operator license and in-building training, at minimum.IFC 2021 510.5.3
  5. 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
  6. 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.

The order most owners follow after a fire marshal's ERRCS notice. Confirm every step with your fire marshal.Source: F.S. 633.202(18)(g); IFC 2021 510.3 to 510.6.1; 47 CFR 90.219.

Who to call first

  • If you are a unit owner: tell your board or your management company today, and share this page or a Board Brief. The fire code puts the obligation on the building owner (IFC 2021 510.6.1), and in a condominium the board decides how to respond.
  • If you are on the board: call your property manager, then read ERRCS for condo boards.
  • If you are the manager: call the contact on the notice and ask what will satisfy it by the date. Then follow the week-one plan for managers.
  • When you are ready for prices: request up to 3 quotes. Your request goes to up to 3 vetted installers who serve your area. We send no texts and make no cold calls.

The full step-by-step guide, with every rule cited, is what to do after a fire marshal notice.

This is guidance, not legal or engineering advice. Confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).

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.

Get up to 3 quotesMake a board brief

Questions people ask

Is this notice a scam?

A real notice comes from your fire department or fire marshal, names your building and cites a code section. If you are unsure, call the fire department using the number on its own website, not one printed in an unexpected letter or email, and ask whether it was issued.

Do I have to hire the company that found the problem?

No. Nothing in the fire code requires you to hire a particular company. Get comparable written bids on the same scope. You can request up to 3 quotes from vetted installers who serve your area.

Sources

Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).

  1. Florida Statutes 2026, section 633.202, subsection (18), The Florida SenateVerified October 25, 2026 · statute
  2. International Fire Code 2021, Section 510 (text as published by the City of Eaton), City of Eaton, reproducing the ICC International Fire CodeVerified October 25, 2026 · code
  3. 47 CFR 90.219, Use of signal boosters, Electronic Code of Federal RegulationsVerified October 25, 2026 · federal
Get up to 3 quotesMake a board brief