BDA testing, Florida
How often Florida can require a radio coverage re-test
Florida's statute limits how often the fire marshal can require a new assessment of your building's radio coverage. Here is the schedule, the exceptions, and what one county asks for at acceptance.
The schedule in the statute
Florida's fire marshals may require an assessment of a building's interior radio coverage and signal strength, to decide whether it needs a radio enhancement system, but not more often than:
| Building | Most frequent routine assessment | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Existing high-rise building | Once every 3 years | F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2 |
| Existing building over 12,000 total gross square feet | Once every 3 years | F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2 |
| All other existing buildings | Once every 5 years | F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2 |
When the limit does not apply
The fire marshal may assess sooner if the building undergoes a Level III alteration or rehabilitation, undergoes reconstruction, a public safety agency reports that its radios failed inside the building because of poor signal coverage, or the building is found to be an imminent life safety threat to first responders (F.S. 633.202(18)(c)2a to d).
If a re-test leads to a retrofit
If the fire marshal requires an existing building to retrofit its system after the statutory deadlines, the owner gets at least one year, starting from the notice of code violation (F.S. 633.202(18)(g)). If the county or city changes its public safety radio system in a way that forces changes to existing systems, owners get at least 180 days' notice (F.S. 633.202(18)(f)).
What an acceptance test looks like: Miami-Dade example
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue publishes its process. For the acceptance test the contractor submits the BDA permit number, commissioning documents, screenshots of the system programming, separate downlink grid maps for its 450 MHz and 800 MHz systems, the FCC registration and a retransmission agreement. The installer must be on site for the whole test, and the inspection stops if coverage misses 99% of critical areas or 90% of general areas. Miami-Dade also requires a service contract with runner service that responds within four hours of a trouble signal. Other counties set their own steps; check yours.
What to keep on file
- Every test or assessment report, with the date and the vendor.
- The permit and the fire marshal's acceptance letter.
- The frequency license holder's written consent for the system, which Florida requires for any new system or change (F.S. 633.202(18)(d)).
- Your service contract, if your county requires one.
Set a free reminder so the next date does not slip. Confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ) before you schedule work.
Questions people ask
Does Florida law require an annual BDA test?
F.S. 633.202(18) does not set an annual test. Ongoing testing schedules come from the Florida Fire Prevention Code and your local fire marshal, so ask yours what it requires and keep every report.
Can the fire marshal re-test us sooner than 3 years?
Yes, in four cases the statute lists: a Level III alteration or rehabilitation, reconstruction, a public safety agency reporting that its radios failed inside the building because of poor coverage, or the building being found an imminent life safety threat to first responders.
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- Florida Statutes 2026, section 633.202, subsection (18), The Florida Senate
- General Guidelines for the Deployment of Two-Way Radio Communication Enhancement System (BDAs), Miami-Dade County Fire Prevention Division