BDA systems
How a BDA system is tested
A BDA system is tested once when it is installed and then every year. Here is what the tester actually does, step by step, under the model fire code and the local rules we have read.
The acceptance test
When a system is required and installed, the owner must have it tested to show two-way coverage on each floor meets the code (IFC 2021 510.5.4). The model procedure works like this:
- Each floor is divided into a grid of 20 roughly equal test areas.
- The tester uses a calibrated portable radio of the latest model the fire department uses, talking through the department's radio system.
- A test spot near the center of each area is chosen and stands for the whole area. No extra spots are allowed after it is chosen.
- More than one failed area fails the floor. If exactly two areas fail, the floor may be redivided into 40 areas, and up to two non-adjacent failures are allowed.
- The gain of every amplifier is measured and kept on file with the owner, so annual tests can compare against it. If those records are lost, the owner must rerun the acceptance test.
- A spectrum analyzer checks that the booster is not producing spurious oscillation.
- Two radios are keyed at once on different frequencies, one within 10 feet of an indoor antenna and one at the farthest point, to check voice quality against the DAQ levels.
Source: IFC 2021 510.5.4, items 1 to 8.
Keeping up with the annual test
BDACheck, our sister site for building managers, walks through BDA testing from the owner's side and offers a free annual test reminder and test log, so the next test date and past results stay in one place.
The annual test
The owner must have the system inspected and tested every year, and again after structural changes such as additions or remodels that could change the original results (IFC 2021 510.6.1). The annual test covers:
| Step | What is checked | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage test | The same grid test used at acceptance | IFC 2021 510.6.1 item 1 |
| Booster gain | Gain matches the acceptance value, or is set to optimize performance | IFC 2021 510.6.1 item 2 |
| Batteries and power supplies | 1-hour load test, extended in 1-hour periods if the battery shows failure | IFC 2021 510.6.1 item 3 |
| Active components | Each operates within the manufacturer's specifications | IFC 2021 510.6.1 item 4 |
| Oscillation | Spectrum analyzer check at each annual inspection | IFC 2021 510.5.4 item 7 |
| Report | A report verifying compliance goes to the fire code official | IFC 2021 510.6.1 |
Washington adds a test that the fire alarm system is supervising the BDA, an updated grid diagram kept on site, and an exception: annual testing is not required inside Group R dwelling units (WAC 51-54A-0510, 510.6.1).
What local fire departments add
| Jurisdiction | Local rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | Acceptance test by a third party not related to the installer; annual reports filed through The Compliance Engine | SDFD ERRCS guideline, Appendix C |
| Palo Alto, CA | Every acceptance and annual result validated by an approved independent third party | PAFD 510.5.3 item 8, 510.6.1 |
| Pierce County, WA | Uplink test at the donor site before the coverage test; fire marshal witnesses the final test, including five random trouble signals | Pierce County ERRCS Handout |
| Phoenix, AZ | RF leakage test before final testing; BER of 2.6% accepted in lieu of handheld DAQ tests | Phoenix Explanatory Policy, Emergency Responder Radio Coverage |
Each local requirements page lists its own testing rules, and says so plainly when a rule is not published.
Who can do the testing
The model code requires the designer and lead installer to hold an FCC general radio operator license and in-building system training (IFC 2021 510.5.3). Washington applies that rule to lead acceptance test personnel too (WAC 51-54A-0510, 510.5.3). Some cities set their own credential, such as the Los Angeles Fire Department's Regulation No. 4 Certificate of Fitness for annual tests (LAFD Requirement #105).
For the owner's side of testing (calendars, report deadlines, records and what to do when a test fails), read ERRCS testing and annual inspection.
Confirm the test procedure with your fire marshal (AHJ) before you book a tester.
Questions people ask
How long does a BDA battery test take?
Under the model code the backup batteries and power supplies are tested under load for 1 hour. If the battery shows signs of failure, the test continues in 1-hour periods until its condition is clear (IFC 2021 510.6.1 item 3).
Is there a five-year BDA test?
The model code text we read sets an acceptance test and an annual test. Washington's amended code refers to "full five-year test results" when it allows a shorter annual coverage test, but we have not found the rule that schedules that five-year test (WAC 51-54A-0510, 510.6.1.1). Ask your fire marshal.
Can the fire department test my system without notice?
The model code says agency personnel may enter the property at any reasonable time to field test radio coverage (IFC 2021 510.6.4).
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- International Fire Code 2021, Section 510 (text as published by the City of Eaton), City of Eaton, reproducing the ICC International Fire Code
- WAC 51-54A-0510, Emergency responder communication coverage, Washington State Legislature
- San Diego Fire-Rescue ERRCS guideline (9/22/23), City of San Diego
- PAFD Section 510, ERRCS Codes and Addendums (Rev. 06/25/2020), City of Palo Alto Fire Department
- ERRCS Handout (effective 11/15/2022), Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau
- Fire Prevention Section Explanatory Policy Manual 2026, Emergency Responder Radio Coverage (effective January 1, 2026), City of Phoenix Fire Department
- Requirement, Los Angeles Fire Department
Related
ERRCS testing and annual inspection for owners
What owners must do to keep an ERRCS compliant every year: when tests are due, where reports go, deadlines by city, records and failed tests.
BDA systems for firefighter radio coverage
What a BDA (bi-directional amplifier) system is, the parts it needs, the FCC and fire code rules it must meet, and how owners find their local requirements.
What a BDA system costs, part by part
What drives the cost of a BDA system for firefighter radio coverage, which code rules add cost, and one reported high-rise price, with sources.
ERRCS requirements by state and jurisdiction
Source-cited emergency responder radio coverage rules by state, county and city: exemptions, signal levels, testing, permits and deadlines.