What is it? |
An emergency responder radio coverage system or ERRCS consists of one or more antennas which point toward radio "tower" sites identified by the local jurisdiction. These antennas feed signals to and from a bidirectional amplifier or BDA. The BDA is the heart of the ERRCS, as it is the component which increases the strength of radio signals entering and exiting the building to ensure they can travel from the radio system to and from the user's radio. (The BDA is also the most potentially dangerous part of the ERRCS, because if it is not designed, installed, and adjusted, properly, it can cause severe interference, making the jurisdiction's entire public safety radio system unusable.) To distribute the amplified signals throughout the building, there is a network of antennas distributed around the building. This is the distributed antenna system or DAS.
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Why do I need one? |
When an agency builds a radio system, they design it to cover the agency's area of responsibility as completely as possible. While this is the goal, funding is not endless, radio sites can be hard to find, and expensive, and it's impossible to know all the materials within an area, or within every building, which will affect the way a radio signal travels. In response to the deaths of emergency responders due to their inability to communicate from within buildings, the California Legislature addressed this issue by enacting law which mandates building owners ensure they have reliable radio communications throughout structures which can be defined as "new construction."
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Why should I care? |
Because ERRCS/BDA/DAS systems, when done properly, do save lives and property.
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