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1,500+ Systems Designed
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Why Facilities Teams and Code Officials Choose UberSignal
- 30+ years and 1,500+ systems designed. Our RF engineers have designed in-building coverage for Fortune 100 companies and government agencies, so they know what your local fire marshal, an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), looks for and how to give it to them.
- Built to pass inspection. We design to NFPA 72, NFPA 1221, and IFC 510, document the design for your fire marshal, and walk-test the finished system so it clears acceptance.
- Brand-agnostic engineering. We spec the right bi-directional amplifier and antennas for your building, not whatever one manufacturer happens to sell, across FCC-certified and carrier-approved equipment.
- One team from design to sign-off. Site survey, system design, installation, and acceptance testing, with monitoring and annual testing available once the system is live.
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1. Site Survey and Signal Test
We measure your building's existing public-safety radio coverage grid by grid, note the construction materials and the problem areas, and locate where the donor antenna and interior antennas need to go. This is the data your fire marshal wants to see.
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2. System Design and Documentation
Our engineers model the system in iBWave and produce the design package and drawings your AHJ reviews, sized to NFPA 72, NFPA 1221, and IFC 510. You get a clear scope and a fixed quote before any equipment is ordered.
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3. Installation and Acceptance Testing
Our installation team runs the cable, mounts the bi-directional amplifier and antennas, and brings the system online, then walk-tests the coverage grid the way the fire marshal will. We coordinate the inspection so the building passes and clears its certificate of occupancy.
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4. Monitoring and Annual Testing
Public-safety code requires the system to be monitored and tested on a schedule. We offer remote monitoring and the annual inspection and report, so the system stays compliant long after the install is done.
Overview
Why Buildings Need ERRCS and Public Safety Coverage
The fire marshal will not sign off on a building where a firefighter's radio goes dead in a stairwell, and that is the problem an ERRCS solves. Concrete, metal, Low-E glass, and below-grade levels all block the 700 and 800 MHz public-safety bands, so radios that work fine in the parking lot go quiet in the basement, the elevator, and the building core.
An ERRCS captures the public-safety signal outside, amplifies it through a bi-directional amplifier, and rebroadcasts it through antennas placed across the building, so first responders keep clear radio contact everywhere they have to go. Most jurisdictions now require it for a certificate of occupancy, which is why it usually arrives as a deadline rather than a wish-list item. If you are staring at one of those deadlines, that is exactly the call we take.
How It Works
How an Emergency Responder Radio Communication System (ERRCS) Works
Basic Concept of ERRCS
An ERRCS keeps first-responder radios working in the parts of a building that normally kill signal, the stairwells, basements, elevators, and the dense concrete core. Here is what the system is made of and how the pieces fit together.
Components of an ERRCS
- Donor Antenna: An external antenna, usually on the roof or another elevated spot, that captures the public-safety radio signal from the responder network outside the building.
- Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA): The donor antenna feeds the captured signal to the BDA, which amplifies it and sends the stronger signal back into the building. This is the heart of the system.
- Distributed Antenna System (DAS): A network of interior antennas, placed across the floors, that broadcasts the amplified signal into every corner, including the basements, stairwells, and shielded rooms that block it otherwise.
- Battery Backup: A code-required backup that keeps the system running during a power loss, so coverage holds through the emergencies the system exists for.
How It All Comes Together
- The donor antenna captures the public-safety radio signal from outside.
- The signal goes to the bi-directional amplifier, which boosts it to the level needed to cover the building.
- The DAS broadcasts the boosted signal through its network of interior antennas, reaching the basement, the stairwell, and the shielded rooms that normally go dead.
- If the building loses power, the battery backup takes over, so communication continues even when the main power is down.
Benefits and Considerations
- Safety: First responders keep clear radio contact anywhere in the building, which is the whole point and the reason the code exists.
- Compliance: Most jurisdictions now require a working ERRCS before they issue a certificate of occupancy, so the system is what stands between the building and its sign-off.
- Fit: Every building blocks signal differently, so the design changes with the construction, the size, and where the dead spots are. Smaller buildings often use a passive system, where coax feeds the interior antennas. Larger or more complex buildings use a hybrid system, where fiber feeds powered remote units across the floors, which is what the diagram above shows. The site survey and the grid test tell us which your building needs.
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE
Public Safety Radio (ERRCS) vs Cellular Coverage
| Public Safety Radio (ERRCS) | Cellular Coverage | |
|---|---|---|
| Who It Serves | Firefighters, police, paramedics | Your staff, tenants, and visitors |
| Device Support | First responder two-way radios | Phones on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, FirstNet |
| Frequency Bands | 700 and 800 MHz public safety | Commercial carrier bands |
| Inspected By | The fire marshal, your AHJ | No inspection required |
| When It Is Required | Code mandate, tied to your certificate of occupancy | Not required, but expected by occupants |
| Battery Backup | Required by code | Optional |
| Do We Install It | Yes | Yes, often in the same project |
Most Buildings Need Both
A building that fails its public-safety radio test usually has weak cellular coverage too, so we can design both systems in one project and only have to run cable once.
Get a Free System DesignFrequently Asked Questions
What is an ERRCS, and is it the same as an ERCES?
What is an ERRCS, and is it the same as an ERCES?
Yes, they are two names for the same thing. ERRCS (Emergency Responder Radio Communication System) is the term used in the International Fire Code, and ERCES (Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement System) is the term used in the NFPA codes. Both describe a system that keeps first-responder two-way radios working everywhere inside a building.
Does my building actually need an ERRCS?
Does my building actually need an ERRCS?
It depends on your local fire code and whether responder radios already work throughout the building. New construction and major renovations usually trigger the requirement, and your AHJ, the local fire marshal, makes the final call based on a radio signal test. If first responders cannot hold clear contact in stairwells, basements, or the building core, you almost certainly need one. We can run the test that answers it.
Which codes apply, NFPA 72, NFPA 1221, or IFC 510?
Which codes apply, NFPA 72, NFPA 1221, or IFC 510?
Usually a combination, depending on what your jurisdiction has adopted. IFC Section 510 is the building-code mandate, NFPA 72 Chapter 24 and NFPA 1221 (now consolidated into NFPA 1225) cover the design and performance requirements, and your AHJ decides which edition applies. We design to whichever set governs your project and document it for the inspector.
What is in an ERRCS, and how does it work?
What is in an ERRCS, and how does it work?
Four main parts. A donor antenna on the roof captures the public-safety signal from outside, a bi-directional amplifier boosts it, a distributed network of interior antennas rebroadcasts it through the building, and a battery backup keeps the system running during a power loss. The section above walks through how the pieces fit together.
How is the system tested and approved?
How is the system tested and approved?
The building is divided into a grid, and a technician measures public-safety radio signal strength in every grid square. General areas and critical areas have different pass thresholds set by code. We walk that grid the way the fire marshal will, fix any weak squares, and hand over the test documentation your AHJ needs to sign off.
What does an ERRCS cost?
What does an ERRCS cost?
It depends on building size, construction, how weak the existing signal is, and how many antennas the design requires, so a 20,000 sq ft office and a 200,000 sq ft hospital are very different projects. The honest answer is that we scope it from your floor plans and a signal test, then give you a fixed quote with no obligation to buy.
How long does it take?
How long does it take?
A typical design and installation runs a few weeks from first call to acceptance test, depending on building size, equipment lead times, and your AHJ's inspection schedule. If you are against a certificate-of-occupancy deadline, tell us the date and we will tell you honestly whether it is workable.
Do we have to test it every year?
Do we have to test it every year?
Yes. Public-safety code requires the system to be monitored and inspected on a schedule, usually annually, with the results documented for the AHJ. We offer remote monitoring and the annual testing and reporting so the building stays compliant.
Is an ERRCS the same as a cell phone signal booster?
Is an ERRCS the same as a cell phone signal booster?
No, and this trips a lot of people up. An ERRCS covers the two-way radio bands first responders use, and it is a life-safety system the fire marshal inspects. A cell phone booster or cellular DAS covers Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and FirstNet for the people in the building. Many buildings need both, and we design both, often in the same project.