NFPA Compliance for Florida Private School
Posted by Dennis Findley on 25th Mar 2019
About Divine Savior Academy
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Delray Beach, Florida[/caption]
Divine Savior Academy’s Delray Beach Campus is a new construction 41,600 square foot building in the Delray Beach, Florida area. The Delray Beach campus’ modern building includes a library and media center, an auditorium, a small indoor play area, offices and classrooms.
Before receiving their certificate of occupancy, the Academy needed to pass building inspections. One inspection required NFPA 72, 1221 compliance for having reliable two way radio signals throughout the building.
The Challenge
Educating students for more than 165 years and ranking as one of the Top 10 Best Cristian High Schools in Florida, the Delray Beach campus was eagerly awaited by many families in and around the Delray Beach area. As the new campus sought to open their doors, they first needed their Certificate of Occupancy, which meant meeting certain building requirements. The list of provisions the building needed to meet included a satisfactory Delivered Audio Quality (DAQ) and alarming and building survivability requirements.
What is NFPA 72 and 1221?
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has outlined a variety of different codes and standards that will ensure the safety of first responders. The NFPA codes ensure the proper installation and performance of fire alarm systems, fire warning equipment, and emergency communications systems (ECS).
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Guide to Public Safety Signal Boosters and NFPA Compliance[/caption]
The emergency communication systems section of this code requires buildings to have reliable service for first responder and public safety communications throughout the structure. This means the FirstNet Ready (700 MHz, Band 14) and Specialized Mobile Radio Service (800 MHz) both need to be reliably usable throughout all areas of the building, which NFPA outlines as a 95 dB RSSI signal, 3.0 DAQ or better.
The Solution
Averaging a signal strength of -97 dB for the FirstNet and SMR bands meant the building required a solution that would improve first responder signals throughout the building before it would be granted a Certificate of Occupancy.
The Academy contacted solutions integrator, Lance Luck at Dream Vision, to find a solution that would improve the FirstNet and SMR service inside the building. The SureCall Responder came in highly recommended from multiple sources and he contacted a SureCall solutions expert to request a quote and free building system design.
“I didn’t know much about SureCall but they came highly recommended for both performance and price,” said Lance Luck, System Integrator at Dream Vision.
The customer needed a cost-effective solution that would be reliable, installable in a short timeframe and was sure to meet NFPA 72.
The Results
Luck took detailed RF signal readings outside and inside the building before and after the installation. The outside signal was a -80 dB, which is very healthy and indicative that the in-building issue could be solved with an NFPA compliant signal booster. The inside signal before installing the Responder averaged -97 dB, which was -2 dB below the NFPA required signal strength of -95 dB. After installing the Responder signal booster the inside signal averaged -91 dB throughout the building.
Shortly after becoming NFPA compliant, the Divine Savior Academy’s Delray Beach campus received their certificate of occupancy and opened their doors! Overall, they were very pleased with the performance of the Responder and the service they received from SureCall and Dream Vision.
“In his words, the Palm Beach Radio Inspector told us ‘It’s perfect. I’ve inspected seven buildings this month and this is the best one I’ve seen.’ This was great news and the customer and I couldn’t be more pleased with SureCall,” explained Luck.
SureCall Responder
SureCall’s Responder is a NFPA compliant signal booster that has helped building owners across the US satisfy NFPA 72, 1221 and IFC 510 in-building coverage requirements for first responder and public safety signals. Responder is a powerful 80 dB, FirstNet ready signal amplifier that features a NEMA-4 amplifier housing and remote monitoring software built directly into the booster.
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About Dream Vision
Dream Vision provides clients with technology products and services with a mission to provide honest and genuine value and a real professional service that goes the extra mile and pays strict attention to the details. www.DreamVisionHE.com.
About SureCall
SureCall is the multi-patented industry leader in cell phone signal boosters, combining high quality technology with innovative designs to create award-winning boosters that dramatically improve cell phone reception, including voice or 4G data, for homes, cars and businesses.