Public Safety Systems

Digitechx provides turnkey public safety and first responder systems for the enterprise customer. We design, engineer, and integrate BDA systems for hotels, malls, hospitals, commercial buildings, manufacturing facilities and public venues.

It is imperative that property owners of all types are required to have public safety systems to ensure in-building coverage for first responders. If the building does not inherently support local law enforcement and fire frequencies, then an in-building repeater or BDA system is required. Many states and municipalities have passed ordinances requiring new buildings to have systems to propagate their signal in building, with fire rated solutions, in order to get a certificate of occupancy. A Public Safety DAS system is a RF based wireless communications system used by first responders such as police, fire, emergency services, disaster response agencies and homeland security. These systems are either analogue or digital, and operate on frequencies allocated by the FCC for communication between fixed base stations and mobile transceivers. The VHF and UHF elements of the spectrum, (45MHz, 150MHz, 220MHz, 400MHz, 500MHz) are analog radio systems and were primarily designed for voice communications. Some new Public Safety frequencies utilize digital technology and operate in bands like 700Mhz or 800Mhz.

First responders require seamless communication to carry out their mission, including but not limited to in-building coverage. Bi-Directional Amplifiers (BDA) are utilized to propagate coverage within a structure that due to construction densities, may block RF signal. A Public Safety DAS is a distributed antenna system connected to a BDA to amplify a signal within the structure and allow transmit and receive signals to the base station. The internal array of antenna’s and BDA are connected to a donor antenna on the property that communicates to the transmitting base station antenna.

There are National, International and local codes that were modeled to bring standards to Public Safety Systems.  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and International Code Council (ICC) have model codes issued by the National Fire Code, National Electrical Code and International Building Code, which are adopted and modified by local counties and cities. The nomenclatures of ordinances and codes vary by city; however, the common features are:

  • A minimum Signal limit
  • A minimum area of coverage
  • A reliability & Installation standard
  • A monitoring and maintenance requirement
  • Provisions for compliance

The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), determines the code requirements and compliance of such. In many cases the AHJ is the Fire Department, and is the authority that insures compliance to the local code which is modeled around the National Code. In some jurisdictions, all cable is required to be run in 2 hour rated conduit where another jurisdiction only requires 24-hour battery back-up to all active network elements. Because all the compliance is on the local level, there has been a slow adoption rate and enforcement program. Some authorities have been quicker to implement policies than others, however most now have some program in place that has evolved over the years since the national codes were drafted.

Public Safety – ERRCS

Our company provides ERRCS and Public Safety systems to the commercial enterprise, multi-family developer,  commercial developers, education, hospitality, and health care industries. We provide turnkey solutions for design, integration, commissioning, and certification, of In-Building distributed antenna systems that are mandated by the AHJ. Our skilled staff and RF engineers are steeped in all aspects delivering cost-efficient systems that ensure code compliance. We are vertically integrated to handle all aspects of the design and integration of these complicated systems and attain certifications required for a certificate of occupancy.

Public Safety

  • Public Safety DAS has received more attention in recent years as municipalities pass mandates requiring property owners to comply with newly adopted standards. As the owner or operator, installing this type of system ensures peace of mind that during an emergency communication inside the facility is available to those that need it most.
  • An emergency responder radio communications system (ERRCS), also known as a public safety or first responder DAS (Distributed Antenna System), has become a mandate in-building requirement for many municipalities around the country. This network essentially re-transmits fire or police radio frequencies from outside a building, where the signal is presumably stronger, into the building, where it usually is weaker or non-existent. A DAS designed to enhance public safety communication is a system specifically engineered to ensure that first responders and building operators utilizing two-way radios can communicate clearly and effectively during all times, particularly during an emergency or time of crisis.
  • DigitechX Wireless designs code compliant ERRCSs, understanding the necessity of life safety communications for building occupants and first responders during emergency events. We promote early design of ERRCS systems to ensure that the cost of the associated protected cabling infrastructure is included in the initial scope of work budget. This early design helps to provide the project with a realistic projection of systems cost without the expense of adding this system after construction commences.
  • DigitechX Wireless has the tools, code understanding, and technology background to provide a code compliant system allowing first responder communication systems to work effectively when needed and keep building occupants safe.
  • People are turning to private LTE networks or Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) to improve their public safety systems. These strategies can supplement Wi-Fi, DAS, or other connectivity strategies by restricting the traffic on the network to authorized personnel. Both methods have been proven to bring reliable and timely coverage to all parts of the property.
  • While our experienced installers working on your jobsite, we will make sure that our installation will not delay the critical path of your construction schedule. Our work will not cause conflicts with your other trades.
  • Our professional team will install the wireless system in a timely manner, conduct certified RF tests, and pass inspections prior to completion of the building.
  • We will issue a certified final DAS-ERRCS report for you to submit to the Fire Department.
  • We will also offer a maintenance contract and an annual inspection report to ensure that the equipment is operating correctly and complies with 510 fire code requirements.