Bill Text: FL S1902 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Public Safety Emergency Communications Systems
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2021-04-30 - Died in Banking and Insurance, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/CS/HB 1209 (Ch. 2021-113) [S1902 Detail]
Download: Florida-2021-S1902-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1902 By Senator Rodrigues 27-01483-21 20211902__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to public safety emergency 3 communications systems; amending s. 633.202, F.S.; 4 requiring the State Fire Marshal to adopt design 5 criteria for minimum radio coverage for public safety 6 emergency communications systems and standards for 7 minimum interior radio coverage and signal strength 8 within certain buildings; requiring that a local 9 jurisdiction’s public safety emergency communications 10 system be certified as meeting or exceeding certain 11 criteria before new and existing buildings are 12 required to install, or to be assessed for, two-way 13 radio communications enhancement systems; authorizing 14 a local authority that has jurisdiction to require 15 certain coverage assessments or system installations; 16 requiring local jurisdictions to produce radio 17 coverage heatmaps under certain circumstances; 18 prohibiting local jurisdictions from withholding 19 certificates of occupancy under certain circumstances; 20 revising provisions related to the implementation 21 schedule; providing exceptions; defining the term 22 “apartment occupancy”; providing rulemaking authority; 23 providing applicability; providing an effective date. 24 25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 26 27 Section 1. Subsection (18) of section 633.202, Florida 28 Statutes, is amended to read: 29 633.202 Florida Fire Prevention Code.— 30 (18)(a) The State Fire Marshalauthority having31jurisdictionshall adopt within sections of the Florida Fire 32 Prevention Code provisions that establishdeterminethe 33 following criteria and standards: 34 1. Design criteria for minimum radio coverage for public 35 safety emergencysignal strength for fire department36 communications systems. 37 2. Standards for minimum interior radio coverage and signal 38 strength withinin allnewhigh-riseand existinghigh-rise39 buildings. 40 (b) Before a local authority having jurisdiction may 41 require installation of a two-way radio communications 42 enhancement system in a new or existing building, or require 43 assessment of the need for a two-way radio communications 44 enhancement system in a new or existing building, a qualified 45 third party must certify that the jurisdiction’s public safety 46 emergency communications system meets or exceeds the design 47 criteria for minimum radio coverage provided in the current 48 published edition of the National Fire Protection Association’s 49 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency 50 Services Communications Systems, NFPA 1221. Such certification 51 remains valid until the next triennial adoption of the Florida 52 Fire Prevention Code which incorporates changes to NFPA 1221. 53 (c) Within a jurisdiction whose public safety emergency 54 communications system has a valid radio coverage design 55 certification under paragraph (b), the local authority having 56 jurisdiction may: 57 1. Require assessment of a new or existing building’s 58 interior radio coverage and signal strength, for purposes of 59 determining the need for a two-way radio communications 60 enhancement system within the building, no more frequently than: 61 a. For a high-rise building, once every 3 years; or 62 b. For any other building, once every 5 years. 63 2. Require installation of a two-way radio communications 64 enhancement system in a new or existing building if the interior 65 of the building does not meet the minimum radio signal strength 66 as required in the Florida Fire Prevention Code. 67 (d)1. In jurisdictions in which new buildings are required 68 to install two-way radio communications enhancement systems, the 69 local authority having jurisdiction must produce a radio 70 coverage heatmap of the coverage area to assist design 71 professionals in determining the projected need for installation 72 of two-way radio communications enhancement systems in proposed 73 new buildings. The heatmap must model at least three radio 74 signal strength building penetration conditions for a portable 75 radio worn on the hip: light building, medium building, and 76 heavy building. 77 2. When assessment of a new building’s interior radio 78 coverage and signal strength determines that installation of a 79 two-way radio communications enhancement system is required, the 80 local authority having jurisdiction may not withhold issuance of 81 a certificate of occupancy for the building if the professional 82 engineer or architect who is licensed in this state and designed 83 the building projected, in his or her professional judgment and 84 based on the available evidence of radio coverage, determines 85 that a two-way radio communications enhancement system would not 86 be necessary to meet the standards for minimum interior radio 87 coverage and signal strength. The local authority having 88 jurisdiction may not require installation of the two-way radio 89 communications enhancement system until at least 90 days after 90 completion of the building’s interior radio coverage and signal 91 strength assessment report. 92 (e)1. Standards forExisting buildings are not required to93comply withminimum interior radio coverage and signal strength 94for fire department communicationsand requirements for two-way 95 radio communicationssystemenhancement systems do not apply to 96 existing buildings other than apartment occupancies 97communications as required by the Florida Fire Prevention Code98 until January 1, 2022. However, by December 31, 2019, an 99 existing building other than an apartment occupancy which is out 100 ofbuilding that is not incompliance with such standards and 101therequirementsfor minimum radio strength for fire department102communicationsmust apply for theanappropriate permit for the 103 required installation with the local authoritygovernment agency104 having jurisdiction and must demonstrate that the building will 105 comply with the standards and requirementsbecome compliantby 106 January 1, 2022. If a permit applied for under this subparagraph 107 is issued, it remains valid until at least January 1, 2022. 108 2. Standards for minimum interior radio coverage and signal 109 strength and requirements for two-way radio communications 110 enhancement systems do not apply to existing apartment 111 occupanciesbuildings are not required to complyuntil January 112 1, 2025. However, by December 31, 2022, an existing apartment 113 occupancy that is out of compliance with such standards and 114 requirements mustbuildings are required toapply for the 115 appropriate permit for the requiredcommunicationsinstallation 116 with the local authority having jurisdiction and must 117 demonstrate that the apartment occupancy will comply with the 118 standards and requirements by January 1, 2025December 31, 2022. 119 If a permit applied for under this subparagraph is issued, it 120 remains valid until at least January 1, 2025. 121 (f) If a jurisdiction modifies its public safety emergency 122 communications system such that modifications to existing two 123 way radio communications enhancement system installations are 124 required, the local authority having jurisdiction must give 125 owners of the two-way radio communications enhancement systems 126 at least 180-days’ notice before requiring any modifications. 127 (g) Notwithstanding paragraph (e), a local authority having 128 jurisdiction that requires an existing building, regardless of 129 whether the building is an apartment occupancy, to retrofit its 130 two-way radio communications enhancement system must give the 131 building owner at least 1 year to complete the retrofit. The 1 132 year period begins when the local authority having jurisdiction 133 cites the building owner with a notice of code violation in 134 accordance with chapter 162. 135 (h) In lieu of requiring two-way radio communications 136 enhancement systems in new and existing buildings, a local 137 authority having jurisdiction may approve the use of mobile 138 radio repeaters in emergency service vehicles. 139 (i) As used in this section, the term “apartment occupancy” 140 has the same meaning as defined in the Florida Fire Prevention 141 Code. 142 (j) The State Fire Marshal shall incorporate this 143 subsection within sections of the Florida Fire Prevention Code 144 and may adopt rules to implement, interpret, and enforce this 145 subsection. 146 (k) The provisions of s. 633.208 and this section which 147 authorize local adoption of more stringent requirements than 148 those specified in the Florida Fire Prevention Code and minimum 149 firesafety codes do not apply to the requirements of this 150 subsection. 151 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.