Why You Need Public Safety DAS Installed.
Mar 23, 2018
Today's modern construction materials and building techniques can degrade or entirely block both internal and external wireless communications. Public Safety DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems) were developed to extend wireless coverage within buildings to enable the efficient operation of cell phones and radios, regardless of where they are located in the building.
All too often in the past, first responders experienced safety issues when unable to communicate with each other and other emergency services because of obstructed radio communication in buildings, which left both themselves and the public in danger.
Reliable Communication is Vitally Important for First Responders.
When unable to communicate effectively, first responders' jobs become difficult and dangerous, and the public is not adequately protected. People could be trapped in a burning building, located by firefighters, but then because of poor or no communication the first responders are left with no way of accessing help for the injured. These situations leave first responders and injured individuals in a very precarious situation.
It is simply not good enough for first responders to be hampered by inadequate signal coverage, particularly when lives are at risk. When there's an emergency, first responders are entirely dependent upon location information, voice communication, and video streaming. However, far too many buildings have areas with little or no signal coverage - areas such as garages, elevators, stairwells, and tunnels. It is these areas of limited or no wireless communication that present danger to first responders and the general public.
Public Safety DAS to the rescue.
Today, fortunately, codes are changing, and in order to achieve adequate signal coverage, building owners are now required to install a Public Safety DAS. In fact, in many US cities, a Public Safety DAS is now a legal requirement for securing a building occupancy permit.
International Fire Code and the NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code) have set the standards for Public Safety DAS, but unfortunately these codes are not always enforced, and the coverage requirements differ from location to location.
Building Owners to Take Full Responsibility for Their Buildings.
It should be the mission of all building owners to ensure their building has complete signal coverage. Instead of simply meeting minimum compliance standards, building owners must accept responsibility by ensuring that everyone in and around their building operates in a safe environment.
A Public Safety DAS should satisfy the following requirements:
- Because the system will only be used by first responders, it should not be on the same spectrum as the commercial wireless.
- The signal must cover entire building, which includes a minimum of 99% coverage of critical areas such as elevator lobbies, fire pump rooms, exit passageways, exit stairs, and so on.
- The system must have a backup power source, like a 24-hour battery, to ensure the system remains operational when there's a power outage.
- There must be a monitoring system which will alert building owners or managers to low power or system malfunction.
We strongly urge all building owners to work in conjunction with a qualified integrator to determine the right Public Safety communications system for your building. Not only will you potentially save lives, you will be assisting first responders receive the crucial support they desperately need as they put themselves in danger by working in life-threatening situations.
The knowledgeable professionals at SignalBooster.com are always available to discuss Public Safety DAS, so why not speak to one of our representatives today?
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5 comments
It’s not so much a question of why YOU need a public safety distributed antenna system installed but why first responders need one. They need to do their job if they’re called to your building and they can’t do that if their radio signals are hampered by the materials that make up your building. Sure, you may be legally required to put one in, but think of first responders man.
Now, can someone tell me how to pick the right 4G LTE Signal Booster to purchase?
The first thing you need to do is determine the size of your home/apartment because you don’t want to get a cell phone booster that isn’t powerful enough to boost the signal throughout the home. At the same time, you don’t want too much coverage because you’ll waste your money. Also, make sure you get a cell phone booster with a good customer service system. Cell phones boosters have become easy to install, but it’s still good to have support if you have questions. The last thing for getting a good cell phone booster is to check reviews (verified) to see what people like and dislike about brands.
I’m glad I know how these public safety boosters work. Now, can someone tell me how to pick the right 4G LTE Signal Booster to purchase?
So glad to hear this. Can you imagine being a first responder and going into a dangerous situation, only to lose contact with your colleagues? I’m glad emergency responder radio antenna/repeater systems are being required in buildings. I’m sure firefighters will appreciate having emergency responder radio coverage in buildings, confident they can get in touch with people. When it comes to public safety radio amplification systems, what kind of das requirements are there? I know the blog mentions building codes, but I’m curious about how often things like public safety das testing is required. Whatever the situation, it’s good to know public safety radio amplification systems are no longer the exception, but the rule.
Informative overview on in-building public safety radio enhancement systems. I’d like to think all building owners would put in a public safety radio amplification system because of how helpful they would be in the event of an emergency. Emergency responder radio antenna and repeater systems seem like an essential in any building whether it’s a case of complying with the law or just doing the right thing for anyone in your building. Unless you have no conscience, you want emergency responder radio coverage in your buildings that will provide clear signals for first responders. As the blog suggests, get a good professional to install it and check your building out because das requirements can be tricky for the layperson.