[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of East Goshen 6-18-2019 by Ord. No. 129-C-2019. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this
chapter, have the meanings shown herein:
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International.
Chester County Department of Emergency Services.
Federal Communications Commission.
The Goshen Fire Company or Malvern Fire Company, or their
respective successor fire companies who provide fire protection services
to the Township. The term includes any other fire company or other
emergency medical services unit providing intermittent coverage to
the Township.
A person in possession of a current FCC technician license
or a current technician certification issued by the APCO.
National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee.
The police department operating under the direction of the
Westtown-East Goshen Police Commission.
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 Fire Department, and the Police Department.
For the purposes of this section, adequate radio coverage shall include
all of the following:
(1)
A minimum signal strength of -95 dBm 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 -95 dBm 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; and
(5)
Signal strength measurements, for the purpose of measuring the performance
of a bidirectional amplifier, shall be based on one input signal adequate
to obtain a maximum continuous operating output level.
B.
The provisions of this § 119-2 shall become applicable upon issuance of a building and/or zoning permit by the Township for the erection, construction, alteration, change of use, or addition of more than 20% of the existing floor area to an existing building or structure. Within 30 days after the proposed construction or change of use is completed, the property owner shall perform or cause to be performed, by a licensed technician, a test conducted in accordance with the testing procedures in § 119-4A herein to determine if the entire building or structure has adequate radio coverage as defined herein. The property owner shall provide a copy of the test results to the Township. If the test results reveal that the entire building or structure does not have adequate radio coverage, the property owner shall have 90 days from the date of written notification from the Township to enhance radio coverage and bring it within the acceptable limits of the provisions of this chapter.
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 bidirectional 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 Police Department and/or 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, and the radio will then 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, at a
minimum of once every 12 months, the building owner shall test all
active components of the system, including but not limited to amplifiers,
power supplies, and backup batteries. 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 tests, the building owner shall perform a radio coverage test at a minimum of once every five years to ensure that the radio system continues to meet the requirements of the original acceptance test. The procedure set forth in § 119-4B shall apply to such tests.
D.
Qualifications of testing personnel. All tests shall be conducted,
documented, and signed by a licensed technician. All test records
shall be retained on the inspected premises by the building owner
and a copy submitted to the Township.
Police and fire personnel, after providing reasonable notice
to the owner or the owner's representative, shall have the right
to enter the property to conduct field testing to be certain the required
level of radio coverage is present.
This chapter does not apply to the following:
A.
Buildings in Use Groups R-3 and R-4 (as defined in the Township Building
Code);
B.
Any building constructed of wood frame;
C.
Any building with a building height of 35 feet or less (as measured
in accordance with the Township Building Code);
E.
For the purposes of this chapter, parking structures, stairwells
and stair shafts are included in the definition of "building" or "any
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. Within 120 days of written notification from the Township, the property owner shall perform or cause to be performed, by a licensed technician, a test conducted in accordance with the testing procedures in § 119-4A herein to determine if the existing building or structure has adequate radio coverage as defined herein. The property owner shall provide a copy of the test results to the Township. If the test results reveal that the existing building or structure does not have adequate radio coverage, the property owner shall have a period of 18 months from the date of written notification from the Township to enhance radio coverage and bring it within the acceptable limits of the provisions of this chapter. Upon completion of the installation of a booster or other radio enhancements to the building to provide adequate radio coverage, the property owner shall send written notice to the Township. The Township may conduct its own field tests pursuant to § 119-5 to confirm compliance. Upon good cause shown, the Township may approve an extension of time to bring the existing building or structure into compliance and provide adequate radio coverage.
