[Adopted 12-18-2018 by Ord. No. 18-2538]
A. 
Existing buildings that do not have approved radio coverage for emergency responders within the building, based upon the existing coverage levels of the public safety communication systems of the jurisdiction at the exterior of the building, shall be equipped with such coverage according to one of the following:
(1) 
Where an existing wired communication system cannot be repaired or is being replaced, or where not approved by the Fire Official.
(2) 
Where minimum signal strength measurements in 95% of all areas on each floor of the building do meet the signal strength requirements in Subsection A(2)(a) and (b) below.
(a) 
Minimum signal strength into the building. A minimum signal strength of -95 dBm shall be receivable within the building.
(b) 
Minimum signal strength out of the building. A minimum signal strength of -95 dBm shall be received by the agency's radio system when transmitted from within the building.
B. 
Exception: Where it is determined by the Fire Official or his designee that the radio coverage system is not needed.
A construction permit for the installation of or modification to emergency responder radio coverage systems and related equipment, for both newly constructed and existing buildings, is required as specified in IFC Section 105.7.5. Maintenance performed in accordance with this code is not considered a modification and does not require a permit.
A. 
Systems, components and equipment required to provide the emergency responder radio coverage system shall comply with the following:
B. 
Radio signal strength. The building shall be considered to have an acceptable emergency responder radio coverage when signal strength measurements in 95% of all areas on each floor of the building meet signal strength requirements in Subsection B(1) and (2) below.
(1) 
Minimum signal strength into the building. A minimum signal strength of -95dBm shall be receivable within the building.
(2) 
Minimum signal strength out of the building. A minimum signal strength of -95 dBm shall be received by the agency's radio system when transmitted from inside the building.
C. 
System design. The emergency responder radio coverage system shall be designed in accordance with the below sections.
(1) 
Amplification system allowed. Buildings and structures that cannot support the required level of radio coverage shall be equipped with a radiating cable system, a distributed antenna system with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certified signal boosters, or other system approved by the Fire Official in order to achieve the required adequate radio coverage.
(2) 
Technical criteria. The Fire Official shall maintain a document providing technical information and requirements for the emergency responder radio coverage system. This document shall contain, but not be limited to, the various frequencies required, the location of radio sites, and other supporting technical information.
(3) 
Standby power. The standby power supply shall be capable of operating the emergency responder radio system for a duration of not less than 24 hours.
(4) 
Signal booster requirements. If used, the signal boosters shall meet the following requirements:
(a) 
All signal booster components shall be contained in a National Electrical Manufacturer's Association (NEMA) 4 type waterproof cabinet.
(b) 
Battery systems used for the emergency power source shall be contained in a National Electrical Manufacturer's Association 4 type cabinet.
(c) 
The signal booster system shall be electrically supervised and monitored by a supervisory service, or when approved by the Fire Official or designee, shall sound an audible signal at a constantly attended location.
(d) 
Equipment shall have Federal Communications Commission certification prior to installation.
(5) 
Additional frequencies and change of frequencies. The emergency responder radio coverage system shall be capable of modification or expansion in the event frequency changes are required by the Federal Communications Commission or additional frequencies are made available by the Federal Communications Commission.
A. 
The installation of the public safety radio coverage system shall be in accordance with the following:
(1) 
Approval prior to installation. Amplification systems capable of operating on frequencies licensed to any public safety agency by the Federal Communications Commission shall not be installed without prior coordination and approval of the Fire Official.
(2) 
Minimum qualifications of personnel. The minimum qualifications of the system designer and lead installation personnel shall include both of the following:
(a) 
A valid Federal Communications Commission-issued general radio operator's license.
(b) 
Certification of in-building system training issued by a nationally recognized organization, school or a certificate issued by a manufacturer of the equipment being installed.
(3) 
These qualifications shall not be required where demonstration of adequate skills and experience satisfactory to the Fire Official or designee is provided.
(4) 
Acceptance test procedure. Where an emergency responder radio coverage system is required, and upon completion of installation, the building owner shall have the system tested to verify that two-way coverage on each floor of the building is not less than 90%. The test procedure shall be conducted as follows:
(a) 
Each floor of the building shall be divided into a grid of 20 approximately equal test areas.
(b) 
The test shall be conducted using a calibrated portable radio of the latest brand and model used by the agency talking through the agency's radio communication system.
(c) 
Failure of not more than two nonadjacent test areas shall not result in failure of the test.
(d) 
In the event that three of the test areas fail the test, in order to be more statistically accurate, the floor shall be permitted to be divided into 40 equal test areas. Failure of not more than four nonadjacent test areas shall not result in failure of the test. If the system fails the 40-area test, the system shall be altered to meet the 90% coverage requirement.
(e) 
A test location approximately in the center of each test area shall be selected for the test, with radio enabled to verify two-way communications to and from the outside of the building through the public agency's radio communication system. Once the test location has been selected, the location shall represent the entire test area. Failure in the selected test location shall be considered failure of that test area. Additional test locations shall not be permitted.
(f) 
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 measurement results can be verified during annual tests. In the event that the measurement results become lost, the building owner shall be required to rerun the acceptance test to reestablish the gain values.
(g) 
As part of the installation, a spectrum analyzer or other suitable test equipment shall be utilized to ensure spurious oscillations are not being generated by subject signal booster. The test shall be conducted at the time of installation and subsequent annual inspections.
(5) 
Federal Communications Commission compliance. The emergency responder radio coverage system installation and components shall also comply with all federal regulations including, but not limited to, FCC 47 CFR Part 90.219.
A. 
The emergency radio coverage system shall be maintained operational at all times in accordance with the following:
(1) 
Testing and proof of compliance. The emergency responder coverage system shall be inspected and tested annually or where structural changes occur including additions or remodels that could materially change the original field performance tests. Testing shall consist of the following:
(a) 
In-building coverage test as described in § 157-20A(4).
(b) 
Signal booster shall be tested to verify that the gain is the same as it was upon initial installation and acceptance.
(c) 
Backup batteries and power supplies shall be tested under a load of a period of one hour to verify that they will properly operate during an actual power outage. If within the one-hour test period the battery exhibits symptoms of failure, the test shall be extended for additional one-hour periods until the integrity of the battery can be determined.
(d) 
Other active components shall be checked to verify operation within the manufacturer's specifications.
(e) 
At the conclusion of the testing, a report, which shall verify compliance with Section 510.3, shall be submitted to the Fire Official.
(2) 
Additional frequencies. The building owner shall modify or expand the emergency responder radio coverage system at his expense in the event frequency changes are made by the FCC. Prior approval of a public safety radio coverage system on previous frequencies does not exempt this section.
(3) 
Field testing. Agency personnel shall have the right to enter onto the property at any reasonable time to conduct field testing to verify the required level of radio coverage.
Any person or entities found to be in violation of these requirements of §§ 157-18 to 157-23 shall, upon certification of said violation by the Borough of Bergenfield Fire Official, be subject to a penalty. Such penalties shall not exceed a rate of $1,000 a day per day for failure to abate the violation. If the violation is not remedied within three months, the certificate of occupancy for the building in violation may be revoked.
The applicant for a permit under this section shall be responsible for all fees for review and inspection of the radio amplification system incurred by the Borough's public safety radio engineer and shall be charged the hourly rate approved by the Borough.