E-Comm Public Safety Radio Compliance in Surrey
City of Surrey’s Public Safety Radio Building Amplification System Bylaw, 2017, No. 19108
The City of Surrey’s Public Safety Radio Building Amplification System Bylaw, 2017, No. 19108 sets requirements for in-building public safety radio communications support. Surrey’s bylaw defines the public safety communications service provider as E-Comm.
Fraser Valley RF Solutions supports Surrey projects with coverage verification, design coordination, commissioning, acceptance testing, and annual testing documentation — so you have a clear path to compliance.
Key Dates (Bylaw 19108)
Surrey’s bylaw came into force upon final adoption (the consolidation shows final adoption on February 20, 2017).
The City’s consolidated copy notes it was amended by By-law No. 19698 (dated “12/03/18” in the City’s consolidation).
Does This Bylaw Apply to My Building?
Surrey Bylaw 19108 applies to new or renovated buildings and structures, unless exempt.
Common exemptions include:
Any single-family detached or semi-detached residence.
A building/structure that meets all of the following:
wood-frame construction,
no metal cladding,
no Low-E reflective glass,
no underground floor level (including basements/cellars/crawlspaces),
total floor area < 5,000 m², and
building height < 12 m.
A building/structure granted an exemption in writing by the Fire Chief or Building Official.
Not sure? A quick plan review or site assessment can usually confirm whether Surrey will require an in-building public safety radio amplification system.
Surrey requirements at a glance
Coverage performance (DAQ 3.4)
Adequate radio coverage includes Delivered Audio Quality (DAQ) of 3.4 or better and must meet:
90% coverage of each floor (including underground areas such as parking),
100% coverage in critical areas (fire command centres, stairwells, protect-in-place areas, lobby refuge areas, equipment rooms, and high-hazard areas),
90% coverage in defined “Shadowed Areas” where DAQ 3.4 could be achieved before the building was erected/modified.
Design target
As an aid to design, Surrey references a design target of -85 dBm for indoor coverage (DAQ 3.4 with margin).
Frequencies & coordination
The supported frequency range must cover the public safety communications service provider’s network frequencies, and amplifiers must include filters. Coordination with the public safety communications service provider is required when active amplification is used so outdoor network performance is not degraded.
Systems allowed
Systems may include passive antenna/radiating cable, DAS with uni/bi-directional amplifiers, voting receiver systems, or other systems acceptable to the Fire Chief.
Power, alarming, enclosures
If any portion is electrically powered, Surrey requires:
independent UPS for at least 4 hours,
monitored alarm signals (power/UPS/battery), notification to Surrey Fire Service within required timeframes, and critical alarm reporting,
NEMA Type 4 (or higher) enclosures for amplifiers/electronics,
a hard-wired system summary alarm to the building fire panel.
Licensing & equipment
Active systems must be licensed by ISED (renewed annually by the building owner), and radio equipment must be selected from the ISED Radio Equipment List.
Acceptance testing, annual testing, and documentation
Surrey’s bylaw includes detailed requirements for acceptance testing and annual testing at the building owner’s expense, with procedures acceptable to the Fire Chief.
Highlights include:
Grid-based testing rules (including grid sizing thresholds and critical-area testing), and DAQ 3.4 verification using portable radios and standardized test sentences.
Pass/fail criteria that limit the number of failing grid areas and define retest steps if coverage targets are not met.
Backup power testing under full load with a requirement that batteries do not fail within a four-hour continuous test period.
Annual testing of active components with records kept as part of the Fire Safety Plan.
Testing performed by (or under direct supervision of) a professional engineer registered in BC and qualified in radio communications; reports sealed by the engineer.
Permits and occupancy conditions
Surrey’s bylaw states that no Permit or Occupancy Permit shall be issued until the bylaw requirements are met to the satisfaction of the Building Official and the Fire Chief.
Surrey Building Permit: BDA Letter of Undertaking (required acknowledgement)
Surrey has a one-page BDA Letter of Undertaking that permit applicants may be required to sign. The letter states (in summary) that:
the applicant acknowledges Bylaw 19108 may apply,
the building is designed to accommodate BDA installation if required after site testing, and
occupancy may be withheld until installation is complete and passes site testing.
Official PDF (City of Surrey):
BDA Letter of Undertaking – Bi-Directional Amplification (BDA) System Installation
How Fraser Valley RF Solutions helps in Surrey
We support Surrey E-Comm compliance projects with:
Coverage surveys and verification testing
iBwave design support and implementation planning
Commissioning and optimization (including isolation and uplink-noise performance checks)
Acceptance testing and AHJ-ready documentation packages
Annual testing, troubleshooting, and ongoing compliance support
Official bylaw reference
(We link to the City’s official PDFs rather than reproducing the full text because Surrey’s website Conditions of Use restrict content reuse for commercial purposes.)
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