Florida · county · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Broward County, Florida
In Broward County the fire official of each city decides whether a building needs an emergency responder communications enhancement system (ERCES, or BDA), using the state rules. A county building code section adds the permit steps: every AHJ and the radio license holder must approve the plans first.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with Your city's fire official, with Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals (BORA) rules and the radio system 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The local fire official tests a building to decide whether an ERCES is required, and tests a new ERCES for final acceptance. | Note | BORA ERCES Guidelines, FAQ 2021-3.6 | Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals |
| A certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion is not issued until the ERCES is approved by the building, electrical, fire and elevator AHJs and the FCC license holder. | Note | FBC Broward County Edition 118.1.4 | Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals |
| Work may not start until the permit is signed by every AHJ, and the system may not be switched on, even for testing, until the FCC license holder authorizes it in writing. | Note | FBC Broward County Edition 118.4 | Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals |
| 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 |
BORA's guideline says it is guidance only, not code. Broward has no county fire marshal for every city: Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach and other cities run their own fire prevention offices.
Signal and coverage
From BORA ERCES Guidelines, revised 2021-10-14 (archived copy; broward.org blocks automated access).
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum downlink signal | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Minimum uplink signal | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Delivered audio quality (DAQ) | 3.0 |
| Coverage, general areas | 90% of floor area |
| Coverage, critical areas | 99% of floor area |
| Critical areas named | Fire command center, Fire pump room, Exit stairs, Exit passageways, Elevator lobbies, Standpipe cabinets, Sprinkler sectional valve locations, Elevator hoistways and elevator cabs (Broward Section 118.2.1.9), Other areas the AHJ deems critical |
| Public safety radio bands | 700/800 MHz P25 (systems must be adaptable to both) |
The BORA plan review checklist asks for 90% coverage in general areas; its inspection checklist lists 95%. Both ask for DAQ 3.0 inbound and outbound. The fire official of your city sets the final levels.
Testing
| Test | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance test | The local fire official tests the new system for final acceptance, following NFPA 1221 A.11.3.9. Before that, the FCC license holder must pass its own initial inspection; the system is never energized before it. | BORA FAQ 2021-3.6; Guidelines 1.8 |
| Annual test | The BORA BDA committee's 2021 presentation states that the owner must have all active parts (signal boosters, power supplies, backup batteries) tested at least once every 12 months, with the AHJ notified in advance. It cites NFPA 72 14.4.9 and NFPA 1221 11.3.9. | BORA presentation, May 12, 2021 |
| 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 |
Maintenance and monitoring
- Secondary power: a battery or legally required generator able to run the system at 100% for at least 12 hours (the checklist also offers a 24-hour battery option).
- Supervisory signals to the fire alarm system for donor antenna failure, RF device failure, low battery (70% of capacity used) and component failure, plus a dedicated annunciator panel.
- An information binder is kept next to the BDA (Section 118.2.1.8).
Source: BORA ERCES Guidelines, revised 2021-10-14 (archived copy; broward.org blocks automated access)
Permit and inspection process
- Have a Florida professional engineer with electrical engineering training design the system; heat maps are prepared by or under that engineer. Guidelines 1.5
- Get written acceptance of the signed and sealed drawings from the FCC license holder (Broward County Regional Emergency Services and Communications, or the city licensee) before the other AHJs review them. Guidelines 1.4, 1.7
- Submit to the city's building, electrical and fire officials, and the county elevator AHJ where elevators are involved. Only a licensed electrical, fire alarm or BDA contractor can contract the installation. Guidelines 1.4, 1.6
- Pass the license holder's initial inspection before energizing, then the fire official's acceptance test. Guidelines 1.8, FAQ 2021-3.6
Fees, forms and test scheduling are set by each city.
Codes and standards referenced
| Code or standard | Edition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, Florida editions), in force statewide | 8th edition (NFPA 1, Florida 2021 edition), effective December 31, 2023 | rule |
| Florida Building Code, Broward County Edition, Chapter 1, Section 118 (two-way radio communication enhanced public safety signal booster systems) | Chapter 1 provisions voted on by BORA March 10, 2016 | borap |
| NFPA 72 and NFPA 1221 (as listed in the BORA guideline) | 2016 editions (the guideline predates the 8th edition Florida Fire Prevention Code) | bora |
Notes
Enforcement is active: a November 2025 Sun-Sentinel report counted 69 cited high-rises in Fort Lauderdale, 26 in Pompano Beach and 18 in Hollywood. The county guideline we could read is the 2021 revision; broward.org blocks automated downloads, so we read an archived copy. Ask BORA or your city for the current version.
Questions people ask
Who is the fire marshal for a BDA in Broward County?
The fire official of the city where the building is. Broward's guideline lists the city building, electrical and fire officials, the county elevator inspector where elevators are involved, and the radio system's FCC license holder as the AHJs.
Can a new building get its certificate of occupancy before the BDA is approved?
No. Section 118.1.4 of the Broward edition of the building code holds the certificate of occupancy or completion until every AHJ and the license holder approve the system.
Can our installer turn the system on to tune it before inspection?
No. The guideline says never to energize the system, for any reason, before the FCC license holder's initial inspection and written authorization.
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
- BORA ERCES Guidelines, revised 2021-10-14 (archived copy; broward.org blocks automated access), Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals
- Two-way radio communication enhancement systems (BDA): Broward Building Code Chapter 1, Section 118, presentation of May 12, 2021, Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals BDA Committee (hosted by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance)
- Fort Lauderdale cites 69 high-rises with weak radio signals (South Florida Sun-Sentinel via Firehouse, November 2025), Firehouse / South Florida Sun-Sentinel