City of Burbank California
Signal Booster Ordinance

The following ordinance is the earliest example I have of an ordinance requiring signal boosters to resolve critical in-building communications coverage problems. This ordinance was ground breaking in it's simplicity while including elements necessary to serve the intended purpose as well as methods to test and validate continued performance of the installations.

City of Burbank
Building Code Section 7-616.1
Public Safety Radio Amplification System.

(a) GENERAL
Except as otherwise provided, no person shall maintain, own , erect or construct any building or structure or any part thereof or cause the same to be done which fails to support adequate radio coverage for City emergency service workers, including but not limited to firefighters and police officers. For purposes of this section, adequate radio coverage shall include all of the following:

1) a minimum signal strength of one (1) microvolts ( - 107 dBm) available in 85% of the area of each floor of the building when transmitted from the City of Burbank Communications Systems;
2) a minimum signal strength of one (1) microvolts ( -107dBm) received at the City of Burbank Communications Systems when transmitted from 85% of the area of each floor of the building;
3) the frequency range which must be supported shall be 470.0 MHz to 473.5 MHz; and
4) a 90% reliability factor.

(b) TESTING PROCEDURES.
(1) Initial Tests. Initial tests will be performed by City employees. A Certificate of Occupancy shall not be issued to any structure if the building fails to comply with this section.
(2) Annual Tests. Annual tests will be conducted by the City Fire Department in conjunction with inspection procedures.

(c) AMPLIFICATION SYSTEMS ALLOWED.
Buildings and structures which cannot support the required level of radio coverage shall be equipped with any of the following in order to achieve the required adequate radio coverage: a radiating cable system or an internal multiple antenna system with or without FCC accepted bidirectional UHF amplifiers as needed. If any part of the installed system or systems contains an electrically powered component, the system shall be capable of operating on an independent battery and/or generator system for a period of at least twelve (12) hours without external power input. The battery system shall automatically charge in the presence of an external power input.

(d) FIELD TESTING.
Police and Fire Personnel, after providing reasonable notice to the owner or his representative, shall have the right to enter onto the property to conduct field testing to be certain the required level of radio coverage is present.

(e) EXEMPTIONS.
This sections shall not apply to: buildings permitted in the R-1 and R-2 zones; any building constructed of wood frame; any building thirty five feet high or less; as long as none of the aforementioned buildings make use of any metal construction or any underground storage or parking areas. For purposes of this section, parking structures and stairwells are included in the definition of " building" and stair shafts are included in the definition of "all parts of a building" but elevators may be excluded.

[Added by Ord. No. 3265, eff. 9/21/91]

NOTE: TX RX Systems has a Signal Booster specifically designed to be 100% compliant to the City of Burbank specifications and frequency requirements in effect as of September 28, 2002.

Last Update: September 11, 2005
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