Owner help
Something is up with your building's BDA system. Start here.
Annual test coming up, a failed test, or a trouble light on the fire panel? Each guide below walks through the fix in order, and ends with a short form that reaches up to 3 licensed installers near you.
Pick your situation
| What happened | Read this | Typical next step |
|---|---|---|
| The annual test is due or overdue | Annual BDA test coming due | Book a qualified tester and pull last year's report |
| The annual test failed | Your BDA failed its annual test | Read the deficiency list, repair, re-test |
| The fire alarm panel shows a BDA trouble signal | BDA trouble signal on the panel | Call the monitoring or fire alarm company, log it |
| The building has no system and failed a coverage test | ERRCSCheck: failed a coverage test | Designs from 2 or 3 installers |
Never miss the next test
Set a free test reminder. It emails you before the annual and five-year dates and keeps a test log; it never shares your details with installers unless you ask for quotes.
What the fire department will ask you for
Whatever brought you here, the fire department usually wants the same papers, so gather them once:
- The last test report, annual or acceptance, with the floor grids and the amplifier gain values.
- The tag or label on the equipment showing the last test date and the company that did it.
- The radio license holder's written consent for the system, which any change to it also needs.
- The monitoring record: which fire alarm panel watches the BDA, and the company that services that panel.
- Any open notice from the fire department, with its deadline and the inspector's name.
Missing papers do not stop you from booking a test or a repair, but a tester or installer can price the job faster with them. The inspection checklist lists what a tester checks on the day.
Free for owners, boards and managers
Get quotes from up to 3 licensed BDA installers
About two minutes. Tell us about the system and the deadline; testers who already work with your fire department reply.
- Your request goes to no more than 3 licensed installers or testers who work in your county.
- They write to you by email. They call only if you pick phone calls on the form.
- Nobody sends you text messages or robocalls, and your details are never sold to a list.
- Free for building owners and managers. The installers pay BDACheck for each introduction.
- No installer in your area? We say so within 2 business days and send what your local rules ask for.
BDACheck is a private company, not a government agency or fire department.
Request received
Thank you. Up to 3 licensed installers who serve your area will contact you, usually within 2 business days.
Free test reminder
Never miss the next BDA test
Add your building once and we email you before the next test is due. It is free, and setting a reminder never shares your details with an installer. Need a new system or a repair? Ask ERRCSCheck for up to 3 quotes.
Questions people ask
What does it cost to send a BDA request?
Nothing for the building. The installers or testers who receive it pay BDACheck, and at most 3 of them get it. They email you, and call only if you picked phone calls.
Is BDACheck part of the fire department?
No. BDACheck is a private company. Test dates, deficiency deadlines and what counts as a pass are set by your fire department and the fire code, not by us.
Related
Annual BDA testing, from the building side
What happens on BDA / ERRCS test day, what the tester measures, what passes and fails under IFC 510 and NFPA 1225, and how a facilities team gets ready.
Five ways a BDA system fails, and how each gets fixed
Five BDA / ERRCS failures the fire codes test for - weak batteries, oscillation, a moved donor antenna, renovations, radio system changes - with causes and fixes.
Free BDA test reminders
Add your building and the date of its last BDA / ERRCS test. We email you before the next one is due and keep the building's test history. Free.
BDA inspection checklist for building managers
A printable BDA / ERRCS checklist for building managers - records to keep, a monthly look, test prep, what the tester must do and follow-up - with code references.