Gamewell-FCI Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA) Brochure

Bi Directional Amplifiers BDA In Building Public Safety Radio Coverage to Emergency Responses depend on Public Safety Coverage In building with a Life BDA system your trusted Life Provider reliable path of communication crucial during an emergency weak radio signals could a loss of communications Emergency Responders the Honeywell Bi Directional BDA emergency system designed enhance in building radio RF signal coverage public safety use to Code with Insufficient Radio Coverage Compliant with Sufficient Radio Coverage Approvals and Requirements Radio Communication Enhancement Systems ERCES were first in the 2009 International Building Code The ERCES requirement was to address the performance of emergency responders portable radios buildings because building construction building size construction features other elements can absorb or block radio communications a building does not meet the required signal strength 95dBm the only effective is the installation of a signal booster BDA codes and standards like the IBC 2015 Section 916 IFC 2018 Section NFPA 72 2010 NFPA 1221 2016 and UL2524 require all buildings to have radio coverage for emergency responders within the building based the existing coverage levels of the public safety communication systems the jurisdiction at the exterior of the building to Problems or metal construction larger buildings and underground structures a negative impact on the in building signal strength required for reliable Buildings that use low E glass windows will attenuate the signal public safety radio systems Many design professionals are not aware of the requirements If ERCES is not referenced on a building submittal the fire should immediately notify the building official and design professional writing that the ERCES must be evaluated If the existing radio coverage not been maintained then ERCES must be provided Gamewell FCI Class B Bi Directional Amplifiers are a high gain high power signal booster Bi Directional Amplifier that have been specifically from the ground up for UL2524 In building 2 Way Emergency Radio Enhancement Systems NFPA and IBC IFC standards compliance become the best choice for public safety and other mission critical applications Single portfolio to meet any application across US with all Public Safety bands supported various models available for UHF VHF 700MHz MHz and multi band An all inclusive and fully integrated BDA with UL2524 In building 2 Way Radio Communication Enhancement Systems listing CSFM listing 72 2010 Edition NFPA 1221 2016 Edition and IFC 2018 compliance dual power supply and battery charger with intelligent battery saves cost and space Wider bandpass allows using a single BDA to cover multiple sub bands Built In Gamewell FCI Addressable Monitor Modules saves wiring installation cost RF resiliency oscillation prevention and automatic uplink squelch support safe operation and non interference with public safety radio system Modular design for easier troubleshooting and field component replacement 3 are NFPA requirements for annunciator at FACP is FACP monitoring adequate dedicated annunciator panel must be located in the fire center or other location designated by the AHJ BDA status must also be monitored by the building alarm system the Building Code require BDAs for Police and Departments code requires coverage for Emergency Responders AHJ will determine which Emergency Responder agencies to be included in the system Generally it includes Fire Mutual Aid Police and EMS determines what public safety agencies are to be under the provisions for Responder Coverage AHJ will determine which agencies will need coverage does a system designer or system engineer what frequencies are to be supported AHJ is required to maintain a document of technical specific to these requirements multiple agencies are required to be supported is agency responsible for accepting or approving their system or is that the sole responsibility of the Official is usually the fire marshal AHJ who provides the technical and information on permitting and testing and requirements for the jurisdiction more information Gamewell FCI Clintonville Road CT 06472 Rev 03 2018 Honeywell International Inc skills education or experience must a technician to install commission and service a BDA system depends on the jurisdiction but typically FCC GROL or equivalent and manufacturer certification does one determine whether existing radio coverage adequate or justify whether an Enhancement System warranted RF Survey must be performed Typically performed by FCC GROL certified technician and some fire radio personnel a RF Survey is accomplished measuring the Downlink Uplink signal strengths in dBm using special measuring devices survey can be determined before the building starts with a signal survey on the building site by software simulated radio propagation modeling results in heat maps that show predicted signal coverage are submitted to AHJ to determine if a BDA is or if a waiver is appropriate is the difference between the two BDAs A Channelized vs Class B Band Selective BDA amplifies a specific frequency range or bandwidth A Classification Bandwidth less than 75 KHz categorizes the BDA by the FCC as Class A BDAs that can amplify multiple 75 KHz channels are called Channelized Signal Boosters The disadvantage is that they introduce signal delay which in turn introduces signal distortion in signal overlap areas They must be used with caution under special consideration B Classification Bandwidth higher than 75 KHz categorizes the BDA by the FCC as Class B Class B amplifiers are more common and can cover all channels within 800 and 700MHz public safety bands at the same time