Signal that holds when lives depend on it

Pass ERCES inspection the first time

ERCES designed, installed, and certified to IFC 510 and NFPA 1225, 150+ systems delivered, with first-pass AHJ approval to date.

Get a grid test quoteGet the inspector's checklist
General coverage at benchmark (FAIL)
33%
General coverage at benchmark (FAIL)
General coverage at acceptance (PASS)
98%
General coverage at acceptance (PASS)
Critical-area coverage at acceptance (PASS)
99%
Critical-area coverage at acceptance (PASS)
Sq ft brought into ERCES compliance
15M+
Sq ft brought into ERCES compliance

The grid test

From dead zones to code-compliant coverage

Every ERCES project starts and ends with the same test: the building is divided into measurement grids, each one passes or fails, and compliance is the share that passed.

BENCHMARK GRID TESTWhat the AHJ would have seen51%OF TEST GRIDS PASSINGFAIL100 GRIDS · EACH SQUARE IS 1% OF THE BUILDINGACCEPTANCE GRID TESTWhat the AHJ signed100%OF TEST GRIDS PASSINGPASS100 GRIDS · EACH SQUARE IS 1% OF THE BUILDINGIFC 510 and NFPA 1225 require 95% of grids passing in general areas, 99% in critical areasClawson Manor, 15 stories: 51% to 100% in four days

Grid passingGrid failingNot yet testedThe test walk

The process

How the ERCES process works

  1. Site Survey

    Benchmark grid test

    We divide your building into a measurement grid and test the existing public-safety signal floor by floor against the code standard of 95% coverage in general areas and 99% in critical areas.

    Why it matters: A documented failing test is what legally triggers an ERCES, and it pinpoints exactly where signal dies so nothing is guessed.

    Outcome: a baseline coverage map of your building's dead zones

  2. Design

    iBwave predictive modeling

    Your building is modeled in iBwave and a system is engineered to hit code coverage with margin. We set the head-end location, antenna placement, and signal balancing across every floor and zone.

    Why it matters: Predictive modeling means we know the design passes before a single component is installed.

    Outcome: a sealed design package with predicted coverage heat-maps

  3. AHJ Submittal

    Permit & fire-marshal review

    We file the permit set and coordinate the design up front with your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (the fire marshal).

    Why it matters: Pre-approval coordination is why every system to date has passed on the first inspection, with no surprises on the day.

    Outcome: an approved, permitted plan ready to build

  4. Installation

    Code-built & monitored

    The system is installed to the approved design, in fire-rated pathways, with battery backup and fault monitoring tied to your fire alarm panel.

    Why it matters: A clean, code-built installation is what survives both inspection and a real emergency.

    Outcome: a fully installed, continuously monitored system

  5. Acceptance Testing

    Prove it passes

    We repeat the same grid test on the finished system to prove 95% / 99% coverage, and verify backup power and monitoring.

    Why it matters: Objective, documented proof the system meets code, in writing, before inspection.

    Outcome: an AHJ-ready acceptance report with RSSI coverage maps

  6. Certification

    Signed off & occupied

    The AHJ inspects, signs off, and certifies the system, which clears the public-safety requirement on your Certificate of Occupancy.

    Why it matters: This is the approval that lets you legally occupy and operate the building.

    Outcome: certification plus an annual-test plan to stay compliant

Free checklist

Before you fail inspection

A two-minute risk check and the one-page ERCES checklist the inspector works from. For developers, architects, GCs, and property managers who are not at inspection yet, and would rather not get there unprepared.

Check my buildingGet the checklist

The problem

Your building is blocking emergency signals

Modern construction materials such as low-E glass, concrete, and metal cladding kill up to 80% of public-safety radio signal. Without a code-compliant ERCES, first responders cannot communicate inside your building, and the fire marshal will not clear your Certificate of Occupancy.

  • Low-E glass

    Loss:
    30 dB
    Note:
    per pane

  • Concrete floor

    Loss:
    15 dB
    Note:
    per level

  • Metal cladding

    Loss:
    40 dB
    Note:

  • Parking garage

    Loss:
    50 dB
    Note:
    below grade

  • Elevator shaft

    Loss:
    Total block
    Note:
    dead zone

Passive DAS

  • Up to 250,000 sq ft
  • One amplifier
  • Alerts the fire panel

Red = no radio for firefighters.

  • Radio works
  • Dead spot
How a passive DAS fixes radio dead spots, building front viewFront view of a 7-floor building. Before the system, red dead spots cover much of each floor, worst on the upper floors and around the central stair and elevator core. A roof antenna catches signal from an emergency radio tower 1.35 miles away. An amplifier with battery backup in a top-floor equipment room boosts it. One cable runs down through every floor, and ceiling antennas on each floor turn the dead spots green.GF2F3F4F5F6F7Radio towerRadio towerRoof antennaRoof antennaAmplifier
A real WZC system, 7-floor hotel. Not to scale.
  1. Ground floor: radio works in about 78% of the floor before, 100% after.
  2. Floor 2: radio works in about 58% of the floor before, 100% after.
  3. Floor 3: radio works in about 41% of the floor before, 100% after.
  4. Floor 4: radio works in about 27% of the floor before, 100% after.
  5. Floor 5: radio works in about 16% of the floor before, 100% after.
  6. Floor 6: radio works in about 8% of the floor before, 100% after.
  7. Floor 7: radio works in about 4% of the floor before, 100% after.

How it works

What it costs you

  1. 01No occupancy permitThe fire marshal won't sign off.
  2. 02Daily finesBilled every day until it passes.
  3. 03LiabilityOn you if responders can't communicate inside.
  4. 04Denied claimsInsurers can contest a known gap.
  5. 05Stop-work ordersRenovations halt until it's fixed.

The difference

What a grid test changes

A failing benchmark test is the legal trigger for an ERCES. The building starts at 33% general coverage (FAIL). A donor antenna on the roof, a bi-directional amplifier, and a coax riser then carry public-safety signal to every floor, the outcome we engineer and then prove with an on-site grid test.

Every ERCES project starts and ends with the same test: the building is divided into measurement grids, each one passes or fails, and compliance is the share that passed.

General coverage at benchmark (FAIL)
33%
General coverage at benchmark (FAIL)
General coverage at acceptance (PASS)
98%
General coverage at acceptance (PASS)
Critical-area coverage at acceptance (PASS)
99%
Critical-area coverage at acceptance (PASS)
Sq ft brought into ERCES compliance
15M+
Sq ft brought into ERCES compliance

  1. Benchmark grid test

    The building is divided into measurement grids and the existing public-safety signal is tested floor by floor. Each grid passes or fails.

  2. Design, install, validate

    The system is engineered, built to the approved design and validated on site.

  3. Acceptance grid test

    The same grid test is repeated on the finished system. Compliance is the share of grids that passed.

  • F7

    Before (dBm):
    −122
    Before coverage:
    4%
    After (dBm):
    −78
    After coverage:
    95%

  • F6

    Before (dBm):
    −118
    Before coverage:
    8%
    After (dBm):
    −74
    After coverage:
    96%

  • F5

    Before (dBm):
    −110
    Before coverage:
    16%
    After (dBm):
    −70
    After coverage:
    97%

  • F4

    Before (dBm):
    −104
    Before coverage:
    27%
    After (dBm):
    −67
    After coverage:
    99%

  • F3

    Before (dBm):
    −96
    Before coverage:
    41%
    After (dBm):
    −63
    After coverage:
    98%

  • F2

    Before (dBm):
    −88
    Before coverage:
    58%
    After (dBm):
    −60
    After coverage:
    99%

  • G

    Before (dBm):
    −72
    Before coverage:
    78%
    After (dBm):
    −58
    After coverage:
    99%

  • Whole building

    Before (dBm):
    Before coverage:
    33% (FAIL)
    After (dBm):
    After coverage:
    98% general, 99% critical (PASS)

Code minimum: at least 95% general and 99% critical coverage at or above −95 dBm, per IFC 510 and NFPA 1225. Illustrative, modeled on a real 7-floor project. This building: 81,706 sq ft.

The system types, in detail

Passive and hybrid DAS

Passive and hybrid DAS, how each one is built, and which size of building each one suits.

Technical specifications

Passive vs. Hybrid at a glance

Two proven approaches. Different strengths. Same mission: reliable coverage where it matters.

Passive DAS architecture: a roof donor antenna feeds one amplifier, and a coax riser with a splitter on every floor feeds the ceiling antennas
Passive DAS (single amplifier over coax)
Hybrid DAS architecture: a master unit feeds a fiber backbone to a remote unit on every floor and on to the next building, with short coax runs to the ceiling antennas
Hybrid DAS (fiber backbone plus remotes)

  • Architecture

    Passive DAS (single amplifier over coax):
    All-RF passive over coaxial cable
    Hybrid DAS (fiber backbone plus remotes):
    Fiber backbone + coax distribution

  • Best fit

    Passive DAS (single amplifier over coax):
    Single buildings with short cable runs
    Hybrid DAS (fiber backbone plus remotes):
    Large or multi-building footprints: campuses, hospitals, high-rises

  • Coverage target

    Passive DAS (single amplifier over coax):
    95% general / 99% critical
    Hybrid DAS (fiber backbone plus remotes):
    95% general / 99% critical

  • Scalability

    Passive DAS (single amplifier over coax):
    Add coax runs, splitters, antennas
    Hybrid DAS (fiber backbone plus remotes):
    Modular fiber expansion

  • Redundancy

    Passive DAS (single amplifier over coax):
    Battery backup at the amplifier; redundant donor
    Hybrid DAS (fiber backbone plus remotes):
    Dual fiber paths; redundant power

  • Management

    Passive DAS (single amplifier over coax):
    Dry-contact alarms to the fire alarm panel
    Hybrid DAS (fiber backbone plus remotes):
    SNMP v3 + web monitoring

Code compliance

Every requirement for AHJ approval

Miss any one, and the system is rejected. We verify every requirement before installation, and every project to date has passed on the first try.

Requirements
8
Requirements
Must pass
100%
Must pass
Projects approved
150+
Projects approved
Rejections
0
Rejections

The eight requirements

Coverage

  • 95% General Coverage

    Minimum −95 dBm signal strength in all general areas.

  • 99% Critical-Area Coverage

    Stairwells, fire command center, pump rooms, exit corridors, elevator lobbies.

Equipment

  • UL 2524 Listed Equipment

    All signal boosters listed specifically for in-building public safety.

  • 2-Hour Fire-Rated Pathways

    Cable routes protected by 2-hour rated enclosures or CI cable.

Power

  • Battery Backup

    At least 12 hours of standby power under current IFC and NFPA editions (24 hours under IFC 2015 or where the AHJ requires it). We design to 24 hours.

  • Dedicated 20A Circuit

    GFCI protected, on emergency power where available.

Monitoring

  • FACP Monitoring

    System trouble and antenna malfunction alarms to the fire panel.

  • Annual Testing

    Recertification by a qualified vendor every 12 months.

  • IFC 510

    International Fire Code

    Mandates in-building public-safety radio coverage of 95% general and 99% critical area for first responders.

  • NFPA 1225

    Emergency Responder Communications

    The 2022 standard for ERCES coverage, survivability, and monitoring, which replaces NFPA 1221.

  • UL 2524

    In-Building Signal Boosters

    The listing standard every public-safety signal booster and BDA must meet under IFC 2021.

  • FCC Part 90

    Public-Safety Radio

    Federal rules that keep the system from interfering with other licensed bands.

What you receive

An AHJ-ready grid test report

Every project includes documented RSSI coverage maps and compliance paperwork your fire marshal can sign off on.

  • Detailed coverage maps
  • AHJ-compliant documentation
  • 24/7 emergency support
Area coverage per code-required grid testing
95%+
Area coverage per code-required grid testing
Minimum signal strength (per AHJ requirement)
−95 dBm
Minimum signal strength (per AHJ requirement)
Alarm monitoring
24/7
Alarm monitoring

Code-required grid test summary, formatted for fire-marshal sign-off. Pass: −95 dBm or stronger. Fail: weaker than −95 dBm.

Investment

One fixed price, certification included

ERCES Ready bundles every phase from survey to AHJ sign-off into one scoped price. No surprise change orders, and if the design passes on paper, it passes on the grid, or we fix it at our cost.

ERCES Ready is our complete turnkey compliance package, covering site survey, iBwave design, installation, AHJ certification, and a 1-year warranty. We provide a fixed-price quote after your site survey, with no hidden change orders.

ERCES projects delivered
150+
ERCES projects delivered
First-pass AHJ approval, every system to date
100%
First-pass AHJ approval, every system to date
Design to grid test
3–6 wk
Design to grid test
Warranty included
1 yr
Warranty included
Hidden change orders
$0
Hidden change orders

  • Site Survey

    RF grid testing of existing conditions.

  • Design

    iBwave model and full system specification.

  • Installation

    Professional installation and setup.

  • Acceptance

    Grid testing and compliance verification.

  • Certification

    AHJ inspection and final sign-off.

Get a grid test quote

WZC Compliance Care

Passing is day one. Staying compliant is every year after.

WZC Compliance Care covers the annual re-test that IFC 510 and NFPA 1225 require, and the report most AHJs want on file: annual grid re-test and recertification, 24/7 BDA and FACP alarm monitoring, battery replacement on schedule, the AHJ documentation package, and priority emergency response. Available for systems we installed and systems we did not: one accountable partner, from the first grid test to every recertification after it.

Already have an ERCES? Annual recertification is due every 12 months: schedule yours.

  • Annual grid re-test and recertification
  • 24/7 BDA and FACP alarm monitoring
  • Battery replacement on schedule
  • The AHJ documentation package
  • Priority emergency response
Set up annual recertification

Recent ERCES installations

Buildings we brought into compliance

Related services

ERCES FAQs

How long does installation take?

Typically 3–6 weeks end to end. An emergency fast-track is available in about 2 weeks for citation or CO-pending situations.

Will it interfere with cellular or Wi-Fi?

No. ERCES operates on dedicated public-safety frequencies (VHF, UHF, 700 MHz, and 800 MHz) and is FCC Part 90 compliant, so it does not interfere with cellular or Wi-Fi.

What maintenance is required?

NFPA 1225 and IFC 510 require annual testing and recertification by a qualified vendor. Plan on periodic inspections and battery replacement every 3 to 5 years. We offer maintenance contracts that cover all of it.

What happens if we fail AHJ inspection?

Every ERCES project to date has passed AHJ inspection the first time, through pre-approval coordination with the fire marshal. If an inspection finds a deficiency in our design or installation, we resolve it at no additional cost.

Do you work with existing fire alarm systems?

Yes. We integrate with the major fire alarm control panel brands, coordinating the supervised alarm connections with your fire alarm contractor as part of the design.

What frequencies are supported?

VHF (150–174 MHz), UHF (450–470 MHz), 700 MHz public safety, and 800 MHz public safety bands.

How much does a passive DAS cost?

Cost depends on building size, layout complexity, construction materials, and local AHJ requirements. We provide a fixed-price quote after a site survey, with no hidden change orders.

Can we upgrade to hybrid later?

Yes. Passive systems can be expanded, and we design with future growth in mind so you can scale to hybrid/active as needs change.

Who is responsible for ERCES: owner, tenant, or the GC?

The building owner, in almost every jurisdiction. A general contractor carries it through construction and hands it over at closeout, and a tenant fit-out can break coverage the owner is still answerable for. A few jurisdictions word it differently, so confirm it with your AHJ before the lease or the contract is signed rather than after.

What does annual recertification involve, and what does it cost?

A qualified vendor re-tests the building on the same grid the AHJ accepted, verifies the BDA, the alarms and the standby batteries, and files a report. Cost is quoted per building, because a fifteen-story high-rise and a single-story store are not the same visit. Tell us the building and the system and you will have a figure within one business day.

Can WZC take over a system another vendor installed?

Yes, and it is a large part of what WZC Compliance Care is for. The first visit is a full benchmark grid test against the original acceptance criteria, so both sides know exactly where the building stands before anyone commits to anything longer than a year.

Which Michigan jurisdictions enforce IFC 510?

Most that have adopted the International Fire Code, which in Michigan is the majority of municipalities, but adoption dates, amendments, and the coverage threshold differ from one AHJ to the next, and a neighboring city can enforce a different edition. We confirm the adopted code and the local amendments with your AHJ as the first step of a grid test, before anything is designed.

Get the same results for your building

Tell us about your building and timeline. Our ERCES experts will assess your situation and recommend the most cost-effective path to compliance.

  • Engineered for compliance
  • Built for reliability. Designed for you.
  • Response within one business day
Get a grid test quoteSet up annual recertification