Florida · county · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Hillsborough County, Florida
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue's Fire Marshal's Office is the fire AHJ for unincorporated Hillsborough County. Its published forms and contractor guide do not set BDA signal levels or test steps, so the state rules are the published baseline.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office before you design, permit or test a system.
Who must comply
State rules apply here too. See Florida statewide rules.
| 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 |
Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City have their own fire departments. See the Tampa page.
Signal and coverage
Not published by the county.
| 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) | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| 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 | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
Not published by the county.
Testing
| Test | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance test | Not published in the local documents we found; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| 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
- Call the Fire Marshal's Office at (813) 744-5541 and ask how it tests radio coverage and permits BDA systems. Inspections are called in before 3 PM. Fire Marshal's Office page
- Fire Marshal plan review and acceptance test request forms are on the county's applications page. Applications and forms
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 |
Notes
We will add the county's own rules when it publishes them.
Questions people ask
Does Hillsborough County publish BDA signal requirements?
Not in the Fire Marshal forms and contractor guide we reviewed. Call the Fire Marshal's Office at (813) 744-5541.
Is the county fire marshal the AHJ for a building in Tampa?
No. Inside Tampa city limits, Tampa Fire Rescue's Fire Marshal's Office is the AHJ.
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
- Fire Marshal's Office, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue
- Fire Marshal permits: applications and forms, Hillsborough County