Emergency Responder Radio Communication System (ERRCS) 101

What is an Emergency Responder Radio Communication System (ERRCS)?

Technology spills over into every aspect of business and that is very apparent when it comes to public emergency responses. Modern commercial buildings are constructed with a network of fire protection equipment that communicates with occupants and emergency responders during fire, weather, or armed intruder events while suppressing or extinguishing fires. This complex network also communicates with emergency personnel before they leave their base and while they are attempting to enter the facility from several entries.

Emergencies produce significant chaos, so maintaining communication is essential to saving life and property. Keeping strong communication open often needs interior reinforcement. Public safety radios must work inside all areas of commercial property to ensure proper communication remains viable at all times. If any structure cannot demonstrate a strong radio signal in all locations, this creates a public safety issue.

In 2010, the National Fire Protection Association developed guidelines that became fire codes for large commercial structures, requiring the installation of an Emergency Responder Radio Communication System (ERRCS). Several types of building materials, such as thick concrete, block or absorb telephone and radio signals. Rescuers moving through an unfamiliar maze of hallways and stairwells must stay in communication in the presence of smoke and confusion.

ERRCS provides a minimum level of coverage for public safety communications, both inside and outside of the structure. This is crucial when responders are locating trapped occupants in hazardous situations; it is truly life-saving technology.

Buildings that may require ERRCS include apartment buildings, large hotels, office buildings, warehouses and manufacturing facilities, and college and university facilities. All buildings with three or more stories and all buildings with more than 50,000 square feet under the roof must have an ERRCS. All structures with underground parking garages will also need boosted communication, since the thick concrete hampers electronic communications. ERRCS enhances the function of cell phones and 2-way radios for occupants and first responders.

Necessary Components

The ERRCS attempts to achieve seamless communication for everyone involved in public emergencies. The system includes four key pieces of technology to enhance communication:

  1. The donor antenna is attached to an exterior wall or roof and receives transmissions from firehouses, police stations, and other emergency personnel.
  2. The distributive antenna system is a network of interior antennas, signal splitters, and coax cables that evenly spread receptivity throughout the structure. These overcome the problems of distance, thick concrete walls, and the layers of materials in multi-story structures.
  3. Bidirectional amplifiers connect the two antennas and boost both incoming and outgoing signals.
  4. A battery backup system continues to provide the low-voltage electricity necessary to the power network after the building’s electrical grid is shut off.

These systems are remarkable, picking up a variety of phone and radio frequencies. Each ERRCS is customized for each facility, due to unique designs and diverse building materials. The technology of the local public safety stations will also impact the hardware selections for a building’s system.

If your facility has received notification of a requirement for ERRCS, it must be installed within three years of the notification.

Have a question about ERRCS?

Call Fire Safe Protection Services today at 713-722-7800 or visit our online form and we will be in contact as soon as possible about your Emergency Responder Radio Communication System (ERRCS) questions.