California ERRCS Requirements Under the 2025 Fire Code

The statewide baseline: CFC Section 510

The 2025 CFC (based on the 2024 International Fire Code) requires an approved ERCES in all new buildings, with exceptions for small one-story buildings without below-grade areas and buildings the fire code official exempts. Existing buildings are covered by Chapter 11.¹ Key statewide numbers:

• Coverage: 95% of all areas and 99% of critical areas on each floor.
• Audio quality: DAQ 3.0 minimum, inbound and outbound.
• Design standard: NFPA 1225; equipment listed to UL 2524.
• Secondary power: 12 hours at 100% capacity.
• Enclosures: NEMA 4 for signal boosters, NEMA 3R+ for batteries.
• Permits: a construction permit to install or modify the system.
• Licensee authorization: written approval from the frequency license holder before activation.

Source: CFC Section 510.¹

Local amendments: where projects actually get held up

The CFC lets the fire code official designate critical areas and approve the system, and most departments publish their own ERRCS standard. Two recent examples show how much stricter local rules can be:

Burbank (effective September 1, 2025)

• Applies at 2+ levels above grade, any below-grade level, or 12,000 sq ft and up.
• −95 dBm minimum uplink and downlink, DAQ 3.4, BER ≤ 2%.
• 24-hour dedicated battery, or generator plus 12-hour battery.
• 2-hour minimum pathway survivability; plenum cable in EMT.
• GROL and NICET IB-PSC certifications for designers, installers, and testers; C-7 or C-10 contractor license.
• An annual Permit to Operate from the frequency licensee.

Source: Burbank ERRCS Regulations.²

San Diego (Standard C-1)

• Required in new high-rises; low-rises evaluated at 3+ stories, 20,000+ sq ft, or a basement over 2,500 sq ft.
• −95 dBm inbound with DAQ 3.4; downlink SINR ≥ 20 dB.
• Backbone fire rating tied to construction type (2-hour, 1-hour, or none for small sprinklered buildings).
• Acceptance testing by a third party unrelated to the installer; testers need GROL and NICET IB-PSC Level II.
• Annual testing plus semiannual visual inspections.

Source: San Diego Fire-Rescue Standard C-1.³

Los Angeles area

Requirements in the LA basin depend on which fire department has jurisdiction. The City of Los Angeles publishes Fire Prevention Requirement #105 for emergency responder radio coverage; LA County Fire, Culver City, Monterey Park, and other departments publish their own specifications.⁴ Plan review and acceptance go through that local AHJ, not the state.

Project checklist for California GCs

1. Identify the AHJ and the frequency licensee early — they can be different agencies.
2. Get the local ERRCS standard and note DAQ, dBm, battery hours, survivability, and tester qualifications.
3. Run a feasibility assessment during design to budget for a system before bids are final.
4. Coordinate pathways with the architect: riser space, rated enclosures, roof donor location.
5. Request licensee authorization before activation, and schedule third-party acceptance testing ahead of the C of O.