Vancouver

01. Bylaw # 12511

CITY OF Vancouver BYLAW NO. 12511

A By-law to regulate the construction of buildings and related matters THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VANCOUVER

Read Bylaw

A-3.2.5.20. Radio Antenna System. Buildings of noncombustible construction or buildings that have glazing with a low emissivity rating can cause interference with radio signals that are necessary for emergency, firefighting and rescue operations. The installation of a radio antenna system should be shown on drawings submitted for building permit, and related permits. A complete design of the radio antenna system will be required on plans to be submitted for the building permit and should be design in accordance with the general specification provided by Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. See Fire Department publication “Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Specifications for Radio Antenna System Design, Installation and Acceptance Testing” as updated from time to time.

02. Amplification Requirements

–

Amplification is Required in the City of Vancouver
–

CIty of Vancouver Police, FIre & Ambulance use Ecomm 700 /800 MHZ system

System Minimum Specification

–

Minimum Signal Strength = -95db (Design threshold = -85db)
–

for a minimum of 90% of the area of each floor of the building, including underground areas such as for parking
–

for 100% of fire command centres, stairwells, protect-in-place areas, lobby refuge areas, equipment rooms and highhazard areas
–

in areas that are in the shadowed area of the applicable building

Find out about our Solution

Radio antenna systems for emergency responders are an integral component of the life safety equipment of a building or structure. The primary function is to provide reliable emergency responder communications at the required signal strength within the specified areas

Radio equipment shall only be selected from the Innovation, Science & Economic Development Canada (ISED) Radio Equipment List, and all active systems shall be licensed by ISED and shall comply with the applicable Standard Radio Systems Plan (SRSP). Any license required shall be renewed annually by the owner and the cost of the licensing borne solely by the owner.

03. Power Requirements

–
4 Hour battery backup is required

The system shall be equipped to operate on an independent "Uninterruptible Power Supply" (UPS), using a battery and/or generator system, for a period of at least four (4) hours without external input or maintenance. All amplifiers and electronics required by the system shall be protected by National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) type 4 enclosures with physical security. The UPS shall automatically charge the batteries in the presence of external power.

Find out about our Solution

04. Alarms System Requirements

–
The system must display an alarm fault on the building annunciator panel if:
–

Primary AC power to system fails (AC Fail)
–

Battery Backup fails (UPS Fail)
–

Any amplifier is in fault or is shutdown (Ecomm System Fail)

The UPS shall provide a monitored alarm signal to indicate failure of primary power, failure of the UPS system power output, and/or discharge of the batteries. Silencing of this alarm shall be the responsibility of the person maintaining the equipment.A system summary alarm for the radio amplification system, consisting of a relay contact closure or equivalent, shall be provided to the building fire alarm annunciator panel via a hard wired connection.

Find out about our Solution

05. Testing & Certification Requirements

–

Testing must be completed by an Approved Ecomm Installer and certified by an independant RF engineer (P eng)
–

Minimum signal strength of -95db must be observed in a 15' x 15' grid pattern for a minimum of 90% of the area of each floor of the building, including underground areas such as for parking
–

Minimum signal strength of -95db must be observed in a 15' x 15' grid pattern for a minimum of 100% of fire command centres, stairwells, protect-in-place areas, lobby refuge areas, equipment rooms and highhazard areas
–

Minimum signal strength of -95db must be observed in a 15' x 15' grid pattern for a minimum in areas that are in the shadowed area of the applicable building

5.2 System Verification Procedures 5.2.1. Tests shall be performed by RF technicians under supervision of a professional engineer registered in the Province of British Columbia. Test reports shall bear the seal of the engineer. 5.2.2. If required by the engineer, during the engineer’s acceptance test, portable handheld radios used for speech and coverage acceptance shall be the same type used by Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. 5.2.3. Acceptance tests and measurements shall be performed after completion of installation of the Radio Antenna System. Tests shall be performed using radio frequencies assigned by the public safety communications service provider, after proper coordination with an authorized representative of that system and with the Fire Chief. 5.2.4. Where the floor area of a critical location is greater than 4,500 m² the area shall be divided into a uniform grid of not more than 15 m on a side, or if the floor area is smaller than 4,500 m² it shall be divided into a uniform grid of approximately 20 equal areas, to a minimum of 9 m², and measurements shall be taken in each grid area. The size of the grids shall also be reduced, or the number of grids increased, upon recommendation of the Fire Chief or inspector in areas where special construction or other obstruction may significantly affect communications. 5.2.5. If the Radio Antenna System fails to provide acceptable communication in any of the critical locations as stipulated in the Building By-law, the building owner shall have the system rectified to meet the 98% coverage requirement for these areas; otherwise the Radio Antenna System will not be accepted

–

Anual compliance testing is required

Find out about our Solution

City of Vancouver
www.Vancouver.ca

Need to share information?

City of Vancouver www.Vancouver.ca

Need to share information?

City of Vancouver
www.Vancouver.ca