Public Safety Radio Coverage - The Importance of Fire, Police, and EMS Radio Communications in Florida Healthcare Facilites
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Skilled Nursing Providers may not think they work directly with the Florida Fire Prevention Code (FFPC) that frequently, but the requirements in that code play a part in facility operations every day. The FFPC is made up of the NFPA 1, Fire Code, and the NFPA 101, Life Safety Code (LSC).
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Providers will be very familiar with the LSC, and the fact that it makes up half of the FFPC should impart just how frequently we work within its requirements. While AHCA surveyors do reference the FFPC from time to time, providers are more likely to have the local Fire Marshal’s office evaluate their facility for compliance with the FFPC.
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Part of the requirements from the 8th edition of the FFPC that the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) is now seeing enforced by the Fire Marshal’s office is chapter 11.10.2 which says:
In all new and existing buildings, minimum radio signal strength for emergency services department communications shall be maintained at a level determined by the AHJ, and based on the existing coverage levels of the public safety communication systems utilized by the jurisdiction, measured at the exterior of the building. -
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What does compliance with the FFPC 8th Edition 11.10.2 mean for health care providers?
The answer to that question will vary by jurisdiction, but a detailed answer requires information from several different sources. Local Fire Department, FCC (Federal Communications Commission) license holder, City, and County code requirements, as well as NFPA 1, NFPA 101, and NFPA 1221 code and standard requirements all come together to give providers the requirements of minimum radio signal strength in new and existing buildings. Navigating those requirements to have testing performed at the facility level has many steps to coming into compliance with 11.10.2, and this article hopefully gives some answers on how to take the first steps.
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Compliance with the minimum coverage requirements for public safety radio signal strength is essential for the local Fire Department, Police, and EMS to execute a well-coordinated in-building emergency response. Many people have likely experienced a loss of cellular phone service when entering a hospital or nursing home, and this same loss of service also exists with public safety radio coverage. While on-site, facility staff use cellular phones or commercial radios working on commercial frequencies; First Responder radios use specially allocated public safety frequencies. The signal strength of these public safety frequencies inside of skilled nursing facilities – and all new and existing facilities in Florida for that matter – is the main focal point of the requirements of FFPC 8th Edition 11.10.2.
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To highlight why these requirements are becoming a focus for Fire Marshal’s in Florida, we need look no further than a recent survey from the International Association of Fire Chiefs. This survey found that 98% of firefighters and 84% of EMS personnel experienced in-building communication problems, and 65% of First Responders stated they experienced an in-building communication failure within the past two years.
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The communication problems noted in the survey are due to insufficient in-building radio signal strength coverage while First Responders were inside a facility, and what 11.10.2 (FFPC 8th Edition) addresses.
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If a provider has not been contacted by the local Fire Marshal’s office about this radio signal strength testing requirement, they are encouraged to review their jurisdiction’s testing requirements and begin to research testing vendors. Once a vendor has been selected, the provider should be a part of the discussions and coordination of testing between the vendor and the local Fire Marshal’s office. Coordination between the provider, testing vendor, and local AHJ is critical for many reasons, but highlighting the importance of this coordination is the fact that each jurisdiction may maintain a specific list of public safety radio channels that are active for testing on a given day. Accurately determining the correct testing frequencies helps ensure that the resulting public safety radio coverage survey would be acceptable by the local Fire Department - AHJ, but this is not always done by the testing vendor. A coordinated approach with all parties can help avoid this pitfall, as well as ensure the testing is done in a fully compliant manner.
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Even with a code compliant survey, along with the Fire Department - AHJ’s written determination that your facility meets all First Responder radio coverage requirements, it can still take months to receive a certificate of radio coverage. This delay is due to the need for testing result evaluation, possible retesting, and the potential requirement for the certificate to be signed and stamped by a Radio Frequency Professional Engineer (PE).
Even with a code compliant survey, along with the Fire Department - AHJ’s written determination that your facility meets all First Responder radio coverage requirements, it can still take months to receive a certificate of radio coverage. This delay is due to the need for testing result evaluation, possible retesting, and the potential requirement for the certificate to be signed and stamped by a Radio Frequency Professional Engineer (PE).
The importance of this testing, from a First Responder standpoint, is clear: Ensuring public safety radio communications coverage within Florida’s health care facilities is more than just a code —it is a critical need.
If Florida Skilled Nursing Facility Ownership and Administration have questions or concerns about this process they can reach out directly to life safety consultant Holden Hirsch with BDA Systems Compliance Experts.
