ERRS in 2020: Update on Public-Safety Radio Systems in Central Ohio

Will your building pass the code-required public-safety radio test?

Imagine the danger if first responders are called to an emergency, enter a building to help, and the signal from their handheld radios doesn’t work. Those first responders would be stranded in radio silence, unable to communicate their status or location for backup.

Fire and building codes now require public safety radio coverage to avoid this jeopardy.

When you’re putting ERRS systems in you will save a firefighter’s life one day, I promise you.
— Lt. Willie Loper, Columbus Fire Department

If a building fails the mandated radio-signal test, the owner may be required by local authorities to install an Emergency Responder Radio System (ERRS).

An ERRS is an enhanced public-safety radio system that ensures communication signals penetrate all areas of a building, especially dead spots like stairwells, basements, and mechanical rooms.

request your copy of the ERRS in 2020 report

To educate the design-build community about the latest ERRS requirements and enforcement in Central Ohio, Integrated Building Systems recently hosted a discussion with the following panelists:

  • Chip Chapman, President, Integrated Building Systems

  • Lieutenant Willie Loper, Fire Prevention Bureau, Columbus Fire Department

  • Scott Reifeis, Director of Design and Construction, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

  • Chris Daniels, Technology Designer, HAWA Engineers

These panelists addressed specific questions on:

  • When testing for public-safety radio coverage can be conducted, and the costs for testing and remediation systems

  • Design-stage best practices led by MEP engineers

  • The ERRS deployment at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

  • Inspection timeframes and impact on certificate of occupancy

Find out what they had to say and gain insights for your building project by reading the ERRS in 2020 report. Use the form above to request your copy.