Guide
NFPA 1225 and in-building radio systems
For years, ERRCS design rules pointed to NFPA 1221. NFPA has folded that standard into NFPA 1225, Standard for Emergency Services Communications. Fire departments are switching their references at different speeds, so you will see both numbers.
What changed
NFPA reorganized its emergency response standards under a document consolidation plan approved by its Standards Council. As part of it, NFPA 1225 combines NFPA 1061 and NFPA 1221, and NFPA 1221, the old Standard for the Installation, Maintenance and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems, became part of NFPA 1225, Standard for Emergency Services Communications (NFPA 72 A2024 committee statements). NFPA's own committee working on NFPA 72 updated its pointers from NFPA 1221 to NFPA 1225, noting the definition in the 2022 edition of NFPA 1225 matched what NFPA 72 already said.
For building owners the practical point is simple: the design rules your installer follows may be labeled NFPA 1221 or NFPA 1225 depending on which code edition your fire department enforces.
Who cites what
| Document | Standard named | Source |
|---|---|---|
| International Fire Code 2021, Section 510 | NFPA 1221 | IFC 2021 510.4.2, 510.5 |
| Washington fire code amendments (effective 2024) | NFPA 1221 | WAC 51-54A-0510, 510.4.2, 510.5 |
| San Diego Fire-Rescue ERRCS guideline (2023) | NFPA 1221 (2019 edition) | SDFD guideline, Section I |
| San Francisco Fire Department bulletins (2025, effective 2026) | NFPA 1225 (2022 edition), Chapter 18 and Chapter 13 | SFFD AB 2.01 Addendum G; AB 3.04 |
| Phoenix Fire Department policy (effective January 1, 2026) | NFPA 1225 (2022 edition), with some NFPA 1221 references remaining in the text | Phoenix Explanatory Policy |
What San Francisco ties to NFPA 1225
San Francisco's 2025 bulletin is the most detailed NFPA 1225 reference we have read. It requires:
- Design, installation and testing to NFPA 1225 Chapter 18, and wiring to Chapter 13 (AB 2.01 Addendum G, II.F).
- 99 percent coverage of signal strength and DAQ in all critical areas, including all elevator cars, citing NFPA 1225 Section 18.8.3 (II.R).
- A dedicated annunciator that monitors the signal booster conditions in NFPA 1225 Section 18.14.2, including passive indoor antennas and pathways (II.J and II.L).
- Communication coverage tests with a grid test under the 2025 California Fire Code and NFPA 1225, showing signal strength and DAQ in each grid (I.E).
What NFPA 1225 itself says
We read NFPA 1225 Chapter 18 and section 20.3.10 as posted by the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. Key numbers in the 2022 edition:
| Requirement | NFPA 1225 (2022) | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Critical areas (fire command center, fire pump rooms, exit stairs, exit passageways, elevators, elevator lobbies, standpipe cabinets, sprinkler sectional valves) | 99 percent floor area coverage | 18.8.3 |
| General building areas | 95 percent floor area coverage | 18.8.4 |
| Minimum downlink signal | Enough for DAQ 3.0 throughout the coverage area | 18.9.1 |
| Secondary power | 12 hours at 100 percent operation, or a 2-hour battery plus a generator that can carry the system for 12 hours | 18.13.2 |
| Testing | A documented test at acceptance and once every 12 months, signed by a person the AHJ approves | 20.3.10 |
Your fire code may adopt a different edition or amend these numbers (Florida's proposed 9th edition fire code, for example, points to NFPA 1225 for the signal rule in its draft section 11.10.2), so the local fire marshal's document still decides.
What owners should ask
- Which edition of the fire code and which standard (NFPA 1221 or NFPA 1225) does my fire department enforce for this permit?
- Does the fire department have its own technical criteria document? The model code requires one (IFC 2021 510.4.2.2).
- Does my installer's design and test report name the same standard?
Find your fire department's rules on our requirements pages. Confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
Questions people ask
Is NFPA 1221 still in effect?
NFPA has combined NFPA 1221 into NFPA 1225 (NFPA committee statement, NFPA 72 A2024 cycle). Whether your building is held to NFPA 1221 or NFPA 1225 depends on the edition your fire code adopted. Several codes still in force, including the 2021 International Fire Code and Washington's amendments, still name NFPA 1221.
Which chapter of NFPA 1225 covers ERRCS?
San Francisco's bulletin cites NFPA 1225 Chapter 18 for the design, installation and testing of these systems, and Chapter 13 for wiring (SFFD AB 2.01 Addendum G, II.F).
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- NFPA 72 (A2024 revision cycle), public input and committee statements on replacing NFPA 1221 references with NFPA 1225, National Fire Protection Association
- Administrative Bulletin 2.01 (2025), Addendum G, San Francisco Fire Department
- Fire Prevention Section Explanatory Policy Manual 2026, Emergency Responder Radio Coverage (effective January 1, 2026), City of Phoenix Fire Department
- 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
- NFPA 1225, Standard for Emergency Services Communications, 2022 Edition: Chapter 18 and section 20.3.10, Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner (reproducing NFPA text)
- Florida Fire Prevention Code, 9th edition: draft Florida amendments to NFPA 1 (2024 edition), June 15, 2026, Florida Division of State Fire Marshal
- Administrative Bulletin 3.04, ERCES Certification (2025), San Francisco Fire Department
Related
IFC Section 510, section by section
A plain-English walk through International Fire Code Section 510 (2021) on emergency responder radio coverage, plus Section 1103.2 for existing buildings.
ERRCS and BDA requirements in San Francisco, California
San Francisco ERRCS (ERCES) rules from SFFD AB 2.01 Addendum G and AB 3.04: coverage tests, high-rise rules, 3-year retrofit window and system certification.
ERRCS and BDA requirements in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix Fire Department radio coverage policy (2026): benchmark RF test, exemption criteria, F128 permit, PE-sealed compliance certificate and RWC rules.