In-Building BDA / DAS

Public Safety:

It is absolutely crucial that when first responders enter a building, they are able to maintain constant communications both within and outside of the building.

Years ago, when many systems were operating in wideband analog and buildings were not required to be built to the newest LEED certifications, it was rare that a building needed coverage enhancements. Between narrowbanding, metallic solar windows, hurricane rated reinforced structures and garages, and a public safety band in the 800mhz range, It’s just about a certainty that any new residential building will require enhancement so that the first responders are safe. In fact, many jurisdictions will not grant TCO or CO until such systems are installed and tested. To this end, the State of Florida has adopted the NFPA standard formerly part of NFPA-72 which requires all buildings install a system capable of providing this coverage to our responders.

The Process:

The survey: Your facility is carefully evaluated for current performance in the public safety band referencing the required standard. Using plans as well as spectrum analysis, signal strength levels are evaluated and notated.

The design: Once your survey is complete, our engineers place this data into our wave modeling software and an RF heatmap is drawn to reflect both pre and post implantation of signal strength levels, which are then evaluated for compliance based on locations. It is from this information we base our formula of components to meet your exact needs.

Permitting

Once our RF design is complete, we then provide the drawings and related material to the Authority Having Jurisdiction for their approval. As a Florida State Certified Contractor, Enlight Communications will apply for your permit and will under all circumstances be the contractor on record for the complete installation.

Installation

The installation process will consist of:

  • Low Voltage wiring for power, RF and both single or multi-mode fiber

  • Donor Antenna Installation

  • Conduit Design and Installation

  • Antenna Installation

  • BDA Installation

  • Tie In for Fire Alarm System as well as NFPA standards for battery back up and reporting

***A Note About Permitting

BDA/DAS systems in many cases require extensive building wiring. Building wiring according to the State of Florida must be performed by a licensed contractor.

BEWARE that a contract written by a company without such licensure may be invalid in the State of Florida. Rest assured, we are licensed to write your contract to install your BDA/DAS system, perform your installation, and certify your system. Beware of companies who write a contract and only provide permitting placed under another entity.

Certification:

Once installed, we will perform the coverage survey, meet the electrical inspector, as well as the FCC licensee for system final approval signoff and commission.

Maintenance Certification:

It is required that we inspect this system yearly to recertify its performance. It is also required that any system outages greater than 24 hours be reported to AHJ. We can perform the necessary yearly system check to keep your facility compliant, and should there ever be a malfunction–we will respond quickly and appropriately.

Cellular:

The FCC estimates that 80% of 911 calls are made via cellular phones. We can provide a design which will give you the cellular coverage your facility needs. Having a robust cellular network is not only safe, but it’s business smart. Redundancy is one of the keys to life safety. By having a robust cellular service, you provide your customers, tenants or homeowners an extra measure of security in our hurricane prone area should landline service fail.

Site Radio Enhancement:

We represent Kenwood radio as some of the best radio equipment on the market, and design systems that perform better than the competition. Our company is also experienced enough to know that the new building codes and narrow banding have created some communications challenges. Occasionally, we are limited by aesthetics for placement of equipment for optimal signal coverage. We can design a BDA/DAS system to cover your facility’s radios to 100% coverage if needed when repeaters just aren’t enough.