[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township
of New Garden 11-25-2013 by Ord. No. 203. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Alarm systems — See Ch. 47.
The Board of Supervisors finds that the ability of police, fire,
ambulance and other emergency providers and personnel to communicate
with each other within buildings and structures, and to communicate
from within structures and buildings to personnel and locations outside
the building and structure, is of vital public importance. A breakdown
in communications among emergency providers and personnel creates
a serious risk of harm to and is a serious threat to the safety and
welfare of emergency personnel, the citizens of New Garden Township
and the public in general. Therefore, pursuant to the police power,
the Board enacts this chapter to protect the public health, safety
and welfare.
The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this
chapter, have the meanings shown herein.
The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials
International.
The Chester County Department of Emergency Services.
The Federal Communications Commission.
The National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee.
A.
Except as otherwise provided, no person shall erect, construct, alter, refit, change the use of, or provide an addition of more than 20% of the existing floor area to, any building or structure or any part thereof, or cause the same to be done, which fails to support adequate radio coverage for CCDES, the Avondale Fire Department, and the New Garden Police Department. As provided for in Chapter 24 (2013 version) of National Fire Protection 72 guidelines and for the purposes of this section, adequate radio coverage shall include all of the following:
(1)
A minimum signal strength of - 95dBm available in 90% of the area
of each floor of the building when transmitted from the closest CCDES
radio communications system site;
(2)
A minimum signal strength of - 95dBm received at the closest CCDES
radio communications site when transmitted from 90% of the area of
each floor of the building;
(3)
The frequency range which must be supported shall be between 763
MHz and 861 MHz;
(4)
A 90% reliability factor;
(5)
Signal strength measurements, for the purpose of measuring the performance
of a bi-directional amplifier, shall be based on one input signal
adequate to obtain a maximum continuous operating output level.
B.
The provisions of this chapter shall become applicable upon notification
to the property owner that unacceptable performance levels exist.
The property owner shall have 90 days from date of notification, to
enhance radio coverage and bring it within the acceptable limits of
these provisions.
Buildings and structures which cannot support the required level
of radio coverage shall be equipped with either a radiating cable
system or an internal multiple antenna system with or without FCC-type
accepted bi-directional 700/800 MHz amplifiers as needed. If any part
of the installed system or systems contains an electrically powered
component, 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 charge in the
presence of an external power input.
A.
Acceptance test procedure.
(1)
When an in-building radio system is required, and upon completion
of installation, it will be 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 90%. Each floor of the
building shall be divided into a grid of approximately 20 equal areas.
A maximum of two nonadjacent areas will be allowed to fail the test.
In the event that three of the areas fail the test, in order to be
more statistically accurate the floor may be divided into 40 equal
areas. In such event, a maximum of four nonadjacent areas will be
allowed to fail the test. After the forty-area test, if the system
continues to fail the building owner shall have the system altered
to meet the 90% coverage requirement. The test shall be conducted
using the most current portable radio, or its equivalent, available
to the New Garden Township Police and/or Avondale Fire Department,
talking through the CCDES as specified by the authority having jurisdiction.
A spot located approximately in the center of a grid area will be
selected for the test; then the radio will be keyed to verify two-way
communications to and from the outside of the building through the
CCDES. Once the spot has been selected, prospecting for a better spot
within the grid area will not be permitted.
(2)
The gain values of all amplifiers shall be measured and the test
measurement results shall be 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.
B.
Annual tests. When an in-building radio system is required, the building
owner shall test all active components of the system, including but
not limited to amplifiers, power supplies and backup 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. Backup batteries and power supplies shall be tested under
load for a period of one hour to verify that they will properly operate
during an actual power outage. If within the one-hour test period,
in the opinion of the testing technician, the battery exhibits symptoms
of failure, the test shall be extended for additional one-hour periods
until the testing technician confirms the integrity of the battery.
All other active components shall be checked to determine that they
are operating within the manufacturer's specifications for the
intended purpose.
C.
Five-year tests. In addition to the annual test, the building owner
shall perform a radio coverage test a minimum of once every five years
to insure that the radio system continues to meet the requirements
of the original acceptance test. The procedure set forth above shall
apply to such tests.
D.
Qualifications of testing personnel. All tests shall be conducted,
documented and signed by a person in possession of a current FCC technician
license or a current technician certification issued by the APCO.
All test records shall be retained on the inspected premises by the
building owner, and a copy submitted to the Avondale Fire Company
and the New Garden Police Department via email in pdf format.
Police and fire 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 the required
level of radio coverage is present.
This chapter does not apply to structures in Use Groups R-3
and R-4, any building constructed of wood frame or any building 35
feet high or less, as long as none of the aforementioned buildings
make use of any metal construction or any underground storage or parking
areas. For the purposes of this chapter, parking structures and stairwells
are included in the definition of "building," and stair shafts are
included in the definition of "all parts of a building," but elevators
may be excluded.
Any nonexempt building or structure existing, under construction,
or for which a building permit application is pending or has been
approved as of the effective date of this chapter shall comply with
the requirements of this chapter if the CCDES, Avondale Fire Department
or New Garden Police Department determines that adequate radio coverage
as defined in § 83-3 does not exist in the building or structure.
The owner of the building or structure shall be notified in writing
of the inadequacy of the coverage and shall have a period of 90 consecutive
calendar days from the date of notice to comply with this chapter,
including but not limited to enhancing radio coverage and bringing
it within the acceptable limits of this chapter.
Any person who violates or commits the violation of any provision
of this chapter shall be subject to fine in the amount not to exceed
$1,000, plus all court costs. Each day that a violation of this chapter
continues or each section of this chapter which shall be found to
have been violated shall constitute a separate offense. In addition,
the Township, through its Solicitor, may institute injunctive, mandamus
or any other appropriate action or proceeding at law or in equity
for the enforcement of this chapter.
