[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.