PETITION OF:

By Mr. Rush of Boston, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2373) of Michael F. Rush and Thomas M. Menino relative to emergency radio systems in buildings for public safety personnel. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act Relative to Firefighter Communication in Buildings.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 148 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following new section:-

Chapter 148: Section 26B 1/2. Emergency radio systems in certain buildings

Any building of more than 120 feet in height shall install a bi-directional amplifier system to provide adequate radio coverage in building for emergency radio systems including but not limited to fire, police and emergency medical services radio systems. Plans for installation of the bi-directional system must be submitted within 6 months of approval of this section to the head of the local fire department for approval, who shall be responsible for enforcing the provisions of this section. The bi-directional amplifier system shall be installed within six months after approval of the local fire department.

For purpose of this section, adequate radio coverage shall include all of the following:

(1)A minimum signal strength of one microvolt (-95dBm) available in 95% of the area of each floor when transmitted from the Public Safety Agency. (2) A minimum signal strength of one microvolt (-95dBm) received at the Public Safety Agency from 95%

of the area of each floor of the building. (3) The frequency range must support the emergency radio systems including but not limited to fire, police and emergency medical services radio systems and have a 95% reliability factor.

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 type accepted bi-directional 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.