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Town of Dedham, MA
Norfolk County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (5) Index
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Dedham as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 5-19-2008 ATM by Art. 32]
The Superintendent of Fire Alarm or department Marshall under Dedham Police with a fire alarm order has the authority to waive the "Department communication system" and substitute a radio communications system to achieve effective Fire Department radio communications throughout the protected premise. Voluntary adoption of this alternative is subject to the specifications contained within this document.
For purpose of this section, adequate radio coverage shall include all of the following:
A. 
A minimum signal strength of -95 dBm available in 95% of the area of each floor when transmitted from the Dedham Fire Department.
B. 
A minimum signal strength of -95 dBm received at the Fire Department System from 95% of the area of each floor of the building.
Buildings and structures shall be equipped with any of the following, in order to achieve the required radio coverage: a radiating cable system or an internal multiple antenna system with FCC Type Accepted Bi-Directional UHF Amplifiers as needed to encompass Dedham frequencies Channels. The system shall be capable of operating on an independent battery and/or generator system for a period of at least 12 hours without external power input. The battery system shall automatically charge in the presence of external power input. There shall be no connectivity between the amplification system and fire alarm system.
A. 
Acceptance testing for an in-building radio amplification system is required, upon completion of installation. It is the building owner's responsibility to have the radio system tested to ensure that two-way coverage on each floor of the building is a minimum of 95%. Each floor of the building shall be divided into a grid of approximately 20 equal areas.
B. 
A maximum of one area will be allowed to fail the test per floor. A spot located approximately in the center of a grid area will be selected for the test. Once the spot has been selected, prospecting for a better spot within the grid area will not be permitted: Field strength testing instruments are to be recently calibrated (one year) and of the frequency selective type incorporating a flexible antenna similar to the ones used on the hand held transceivers. All compliance testing to be done with 50 ohm loads in place of the antenna to avoid interference to Fire Alarm. The Town is to be notified prior to any testing. Talk back testing will be conducted by radio personnel during sample testing of the accuracy of the compliance test report. All test results and as-built drawings to be supplied at the time the sample testing is requested.
C. 
The gain values of all amplifiers shall be measured and the results kept on file with the building owner so that the measurements can be verified each year during the annual tests. In the event that the measurement results become lost, the building owner will be required to rerun the acceptance test to reestablish the gain values.
When an in-building radio system is installed, the building owner shall test all active components of the system, including but not limited to amplifier, power supplies, and back-up batteries, a minimum of once every 12 months. Amplifiers shall be tested to ensure that the gain is the same as it was upon initial installation and acceptance. Back-up batteries and power supplies shall be tested under load for a period of one hour to verify that they will operate during an actual power outage. All other active components shall be checked to determine that they are operating within the manufacturers specifications for the intended purpose.
In addition to the annual test, the building owner shall perform a radio coverage test a minimum of once every five years to ensure that the radio system continues to meet the requirements of the original acceptance. The procedure set forth above shall apply to such tests.
All tests shall be conducted, documented and signed by a person in possession of a current FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License. All test records shall be retained at the inspected premises by the building owner and a copy submitted to the Dedham Fire Department.
Fire Department Radio personnel, after providing reasonable notice to the owner or his representative, shall have the right to enter onto the property to conduct field testing to be certain that the required level of radio coverage is present.
At final acceptance, the applicant shall supply a letter to the Superintendent of Fire Alarm, Dedham, MA 02026, accepting the property owner's responsibilities. These responsibilities are as follows: upgrades to system as directed by the Dedham Fire Department, maintenance contract in place with name of contractor, who will provide a twenty-four-hour by seven-day emergency response within two hours after notification, and contact personnel with phone numbers. This letter is to be on company letterhead signed by the property owner or a legal representative.
A. 
A waiver from the Superintendent of Fire Alarm or Dedham Fire Department Fire Marshall is required for radio equipment usage in lieu of a telephone system in high rise occupancies. The applicant shall make a formal request in writing to the Superintendent of Fire Alarm, Dedham, MA 02026. The request shall state address of property, property owner (responsible party), radio equipment vendor, contract personnel with telephone numbers, radio system drawings with technical parameters, and equipment specifications shall accompany the waiver request. Applicants will receive a written reply within 30 days. This waiver is the initial step in this procedure and required before proceeding.
B. 
Voluntary adoption of this specification for buildings not covered by Dedham Fire Department, Fire Alarm Order 93-1 also requires a waiver.
All required forms can be obtained from the Dedham Fire Department or Police Department.
The cabinet shall be a NEMA four painted steel cabinet. The color will be fire engine red and bear the lettering as follows: Dedham Fire Department radio in bright yellow. The maintenance vendor telephone number will be marked on the cabinet. The cabinet will have a lock mechanism to keep the unit secure.
Connection to primary power can be done in two manners. The first, a cord set with twist lock plug and receptacle or with metallic conduit. Each bi-directional amplifier shall be powered by its own twenty-ampere circuit.
Each amplifier unit will have a monitoring system that monitors amplifier operations and primary power. A failure will activate an audible device and white strobe light. The audible signal may be silenced but the strobe light will be located in a public space authorized by the DFD Radio Supervisor. A sign will be located at the strobe light with the name and telephone number of the equipment maintenance contractor. The Fire Department is to be notified of any failures that extend past the two-hour time limit. All rules apply for Police and Fire Departments.
[Adopted 5-18-2009 ATM by Art. 30]
The Chief of Police shall possess the discretion to determine the appropriate level of police service in the Town to ensure public safety. If the Chief of Police in the exercise of his discretion, determines that a paid detail is needed for any work to be done on or within the limits of or impacting traffic on a public way or road or a private way that is open to or is otherwise used for public vehicular travel within the Town, or for any related construction, maintenance or related work or at any public function in the Town, the Chief shall possess the authority to require the presence of a sworn police officer or officers on a paid detail basis. All costs incurred will be the sole responsibility of the party engaged in the work, construction and/or maintenance or host of the public function that created the public safety need for a sworn police officer on a paid detail basis except as may be preempted by state law with respect to state public works projects. The Chief shall have the further discretion to determine the number of officers assigned in any such instance necessary to maintain public safety. The Chief or his designee shall review all situations which may require details on a case by case basis and shall confer with the authorized representative designated by the Town to implement a public works project prior to exercising his discretion with respect to such project. When the Chief or his designee decides that a paid detail is required, the detail shall first be offered to members of the Dedham Police Association and Dedham Police Patrolmen's Association.