Does Your Condo Tower Have Adequate Emergency Radio Signals if There’s a Fire?

The firm’s latest Miami Herald “Real Estate Counselor” column was authored by Niurys Robaina and appears in Sunday’s edition of the newspaper. The article, which is titled “Does Your Condo Tower Have Adequate Emergency Radio Signals if There’s a Fire?”, focuses on the provision of the Florida Fire Prevention Code addressing fire department radio coverage inside buildings, which may have dead zones due to concrete walls, impact-resistant windows, and fire-rated barriers. Her column reads:

. . . For firefighters and police, losing communication inside a burning building can be deadly. To prevent this, state law requires properties with weak signal penetration to install Emergency Radio Communication Enhancement Systems, which are specialized boosters designed to ensure first responders can communicate throughout the building.

The urgency of this requirement was underscored in a recent South Florida Sun-Sentinel report detailing how Fort Lauderdale and other Broward County cities have cited more than 110 buildings for inadequate radio coverage. Bill Brown, a retired fire chief and chair of Fort Lauderdale’s Fire-Rescue Advisory Committee, indicated that many condominium associations are struggling to absorb the cost of compliance. He noted that buildings are already facing steep increases for milestone inspections and mandatory reserves following the Surfside collapse, along with soaring insurance premiums. Adding a costly radio booster system, which are often priced at $250,000 or more, can become impossible without further raising monthly fees.

But as the chair of Fort Lauderdale’s Fire-Rescue Advisory Committee, Brown warns that the stakes are too high to ignore. Without a strong radio signal, first responders and condominium residents are at risk, and firefighters inside buildings may be unable to receive messages alerting them about trapped residents.

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman, whose own condo building was cited, argues the city should help cover the cost of installing the radio booster systems. But Fire Chief Stephen Gollan pushed back, likening the expense to repairing a broken pipe that is a repair and maintenance responsibility which falls squarely on the building and its residents.

Glassman also pointed out a twist: Some buildings fail inspections because they installed high-impact windows that inhibit radio signals.

“You make your building stronger, and now you’re told you need to spend $200,000 because radios don’t work. It’s a crazy catch-22,” Glassman said during a recent city commission meeting.

During the meeting, Vice Mayor John Herbst floated the idea of using developer permit fees to fund the boosters as a potential solution. Glassman called the idea promising, noting that residents already pay taxes and fire fees.

Currently, Florida high-rise buildings that fail to meet minimum radio signal strength after inspection must install systems that deliver 99% coverage in critical areas (such as fire command centers, stairwells, and elevator shafts) and 90% coverage throughout the rest of the building. Permits for these installations were due by Jan. 1, 2024, and the systems must have been operational by Jan. 1, 2025. Specific exemptions apply to smaller structures, including low-rise apartments, single-family homes, and certain wood-frame buildings.

Designing and installing these emergency radio signal booster systems is no small feat.

The designs can vary significantly depending on the building’s construction materials, floor plans, and the radio frequencies used by local fire departments. Plans must be approved by local authorities and often involve antennas, amplifiers, cables, and splitters tailored to each building’s layout and construction.

Failure to meet the stringent standards can have severe consequences. Buildings that do not provide adequate radio coverage face risks to life and public safety, as well as potential legal liabilities. Fire safety enforcement authorities have the power to issue citations, impose fines, and even order the evacuation of non-compliant properties until they pass inspection. For condominium associations and property managers, the stakes are high.

Given the strict requirements and the serious repercussions of non-compliance, associations that are unsure of their building’s status should act immediately. The first step is to contact local fire code officials to confirm the exact requirements for their jurisdiction. From there, they should arrange for an inspection and, if deficiencies are found, work with a qualified provider to design and install a compliant system. This process includes applying for the necessary permits and ensuring that the installation meets all technical and safety standards. . .

Niurys concludes her article by noting that for properties under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County, the process is straightforward. Inspection applications can be submitted online at www.miamidade.gov/fire, or property managers can call 786-331-5000 for assistance. She advises that taking these steps now can prevent costly penalties later and, more importantly, ensure that residents and first responders are protected when every second counts.

Our firm salutes Niurys for sharing her insights into this critical aspect of the state’s fire code with the readers of the Miami Herald.  Click here to read the complete article in the newspaper’s website.

Our South Florida community association attorneys write about important matters for associations in this blog and our Miami Herald column, which appears every two weeks on Sundays, and we encourage association directors, members and property managers to click here and subscribe to our newsletter to receive our future articles.