Guide
ERRCS testing and annual inspection for owners
Passing the acceptance test is the start, not the end. The fire code requires a test every year, and many fire departments now track reports online with their own deadlines. Here is the owner's side of it.
What the model code requires every year
The owner, or the owner's authorized agent, must have the system inspected and tested annually, and again whenever structural changes (additions or remodels) could change the original results. At the end, a report verifying compliance goes to the fire code official (IFC 2021 510.6.1). The test itself is described step by step on BDA testing.
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.
Report deadlines and rules by city
| Jurisdiction | Who tests | Where the report goes | Deadline or extra rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Qualified testing company | Uploaded to SFD's vendor site (The Compliance Engine) | Within 7 calendar days; impaired or red-tagged systems by end of the test day | SFD CAM 5123, Section 3 |
| San Diego, CA | Installer's qualified tester or a third party | The Compliance Engine, without prior SDFD review | Test before the annual fire inspection unless tested in the past 9 months | SDFD guideline V.A and Appendix C |
| Los Angeles, CA | Holder of an LAFD Regulation No. 4 Certificate of Fitness | LAFD-approved F-340R report | Oscillation check each year | LAFD Requirement #105 |
| Palo Alto, CA | Qualified tester; results validated by an independent third party | Fire code official, copy kept on site | Owner pays for annual testing | PAFD 510.6.1 |
| San Francisco, CA | Certified ERCES vendor | Annual certification sticker on or near the BDA | Sticker records month and year tested, company, license and technician | SFFD AB 3.04 (2025) |
| Washington (state) | Owner's agent with required qualifications | Fire code official | Not required inside Group R dwelling units; updated grid diagram kept on site | WAC 51-54A-0510, 510.6.1 |
Where a fire department has not published a rule, its page on this site says "Not published; confirm with the fire marshal."
Records to keep on site
- The acceptance test report and the amplifier gain values. If they are lost, the owner must rerun the acceptance test (IFC 2021 510.5.4 item 6).
- Each annual test report, with the floor grid diagrams.
- Seattle requires the electrical permit, equipment location diagram, grid diagrams, spec sheets and certification letter to stay in the DAS cabinet for the life of the system (SFD CAM 5123).
When something breaks between tests
The system must be kept operational at all times (IFC 2021 510.6). Local rules add clocks:
- Los Angeles: service-affecting failure, evaluation within 24 hours and repair within five working days, and the owner notifies LAFD right away; non-service-affecting failure, evaluation the next business day and repair within 15 business days (LAFD Requirement #105). Based on LAFD Requirement #105 (approved 8/7/2018); confirm the current version with LAFD.
- Seattle and Palo Alto: a system out of service for more than 8 hours must be reported to the fire code official (SFD CAM 5123; PAFD 510.6.5). Seattle does not require a fire watch for an impaired BDA/DAS.
Re-assessments in Florida
Florida treats re-checks differently. The fire marshal may require a coverage assessment of an existing building no more than once every 3 years for a high-rise or a building over 12,000 total gross square feet, and once every 5 years for other buildings, with exceptions for major alterations, reconstruction, a reported radio failure inside, or an imminent life safety threat (F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2).
Stay ahead of the date
Put the annual test on the building calendar with a reminder at least a month out, so there is time to book a qualified tester and fix anything before the report is due.
This is guidance, not engineering advice. Confirm your test schedule with your fire marshal (AHJ).
Questions people ask
Is the ERRCS annual test the same as the fire alarm inspection?
They are separate requirements, but they meet. The ERRCS is monitored by the fire alarm system (IFC 2021 510.4.2.5), and Washington's annual test includes checking that the fire alarm panel supervises the ERRCS (WAC 51-54A-0510, 510.6.1 item 5). San Diego suggests timing the ERRCS test before the building's annual fire inspection.
What happens if the annual test fails?
The system has to be repaired and the failed items retested. Some cities set repair clocks; Los Angeles requires evaluation within 24 hours and repair within five working days for a service-affecting failure (LAFD Requirement
Does Florida law require an annual ERRCS test?
The Florida statute does not set an annual test. It limits how often the fire marshal can require a coverage assessment of an existing building (F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2). Annual testing rules come from the fire code and your local fire marshal.
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
- Client Assistance Memo 5123 (November 2024), Seattle Fire Department
- San Diego Fire-Rescue ERRCS guideline (9/22/23), City of San Diego
- Requirement, Los Angeles Fire Department
- PAFD Section 510, ERRCS Codes and Addendums (Rev. 06/25/2020), City of Palo Alto Fire Department
- Administrative Bulletin 3.04, ERCES Certification (2025), San Francisco Fire Department
- WAC 51-54A-0510, Emergency responder communication coverage, Washington State Legislature
- Florida Statutes 2026, section 633.202, subsection (18), The Florida Senate
Related
How a BDA system is tested
What happens in a BDA acceptance test and an annual BDA test under the fire code: grid testing, gain checks, battery load tests, oscillation checks and reports.
What ERRCS compliance costs an owner over time
The full cost of ERRCS compliance for a building owner, from the first signal test through installation, annual testing, repairs and frequency changes, 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.