Printable checklist
BDA inspection checklist for building managers
Print it, tick it, file it with your BDA records. Items marked with a code reference come from the fire code or FCC rules. Items marked "suggested" are good practice from us, not a legal requirement.
Building details
Building name
Address
Fire marshal (AHJ) and phone
BDA permit number
BDA service vendor and phone
Monitoring company and phone
FCC booster ID (Class B)
Last annual test date
Next test due
Records on file
Monthly look
These are suggested checks for facilities staff. No code we cite requires them monthly, but each one catches a problem the annual test would otherwise find.
Before test day
Test day, stop by stop
What happens on BDA test day
What the tester does, what you do and what to have ready. Use the arrow keys to move between stops.
1. 2 weeks before
Book the tester and send the records
What happens. You book a tester your fire marshal approves, or one with the credentials it requires.
What you do. Send the tester the last annual report, the acceptance test gain values and a list of renovations, roof work and window replacements since the last test.
Have ready
NFPA 1225 20.3.10; IFC 510.5.3; IFC 510.5.4 item 6; IFC 510.6.1
2. Day before
Clear the way
What happens. Open trouble signals are fixed so they do not hide a real failure on test day.
What you do. Tell the monitoring company to expect BDA trouble signals during the battery test. Line up keys, cards and an escort for every area, and make the elevators available.
Have ready
Suggested; Miami-Dade requires access to all areas for its tests
3. Arrival
Walk the plan with the tester
What happens. The tester reviews the as-built drawings and the last report and confirms which areas need an escort.
What you do. Have the as-built drawings on hand and name one person who can open every door all day.
Have ready
IFC 510.4.2.7; NFPA 1225 20.3.10.1.3
4. Equipment room
Check the amplifier
What happens. The tester compares amplifier gain with the acceptance values, checks every active component against the manufacturer's specifications and looks for oscillation with a spectrum analyzer.
What you do. Open the BDA and battery cabinets. Keep the room clear; it should not be used for storage.
Have ready
IFC 510.6.1 items 2 and 4; IFC 510.5.4 items 6 and 7
5. Grid walk
Test every floor
What happens. A grid coverage test on every floor, 20 areas per floor, with a calibrated radio through the agency's system.
What you do. Keep the escort moving ahead of the tester so no floor is skipped for lack of a key.
Have ready
IFC 510.6.1 item 1; IFC 510.5.4
6. Critical areas
The places firefighters work from
What happens. The fire command center, pump room, exit stairs, elevators, elevator lobbies and standpipe and valve locations are tested to their higher standard.
What you do. Make sure each of these is unlocked and reachable, including the elevator cars.
Have ready
NFPA 1225 18.8.3
7. Radio check
Signal checks on the public safety system
What happens. Every radio system your fire marshal lists has to work in the building. Some fire departments check it themselves; Miami-Dade, for example, tests both its 450 MHz fire and 800 MHz police systems.
What you do. Ask your fire marshal's office ahead of time whether it will attend or wants its own test.
Have ready
MDFR General Guidelines for BDAs (Miami-Dade)
8. Battery and alarms
Prove it runs on backup
What happens. Batteries and power supplies are tested under load for at least 1 hour, longer if the battery shows signs of failure. Trouble and supervisory signals are confirmed at the fire alarm panel and the annunciator.
What you do. Watch the fire alarm panel with the tester and note every signal that comes in.
Have ready
IFC 510.6.1 item 3; signals per NFPA 1225 18.14 (suggested check)
9. Report and sign-off
Close it out on paper
What happens. The test is documented and signed by the approved tester, and the report goes to the fire code official.
What you do. Get the full written report with results per floor, gain readings and the battery test. Any failure gets a written repair scope and a retest date. File it, and set the next reminder.
Have ready
NFPA 1225 20.3.10; IFC 510.6.1
What the tester should do
The model fire code's annual test. Ask for each item to appear in the report.
Test day
How the coverage grid is walked
- 20 roughly equal areasThe tester divides each floor into a grid and walks it, using a calibrated radio of the type the agency uses.IFC 510.5.4
- A test at each centerOne spot near the center stands for the whole area. Trying again a few feet away is not allowed.
- One failure allowedMore than one failed area fails the floor. With exactly two, the floor can be re-divided into 40 areas and passes with no more than two non-adjacent failures.IFC 510.5.4
- Critical areasStairs, elevators and elevator lobbies need 99 percent. General areas need 95 percent in the IFC and NFPA 1225; Miami-Dade uses 90.IFC 510.4.1; NFPA 1225 18.8.3, 18.8.4
After the test
Signatures
Checked by (name, title)
Date
Tester (name, company)
Notes
Rules vary by state and county. Confirm what your fire marshal (AHJ) requires, and look up local rules on ERRCSCheck.
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
Is this checklist an official inspection form?
No. It is a working list for the building side. Your fire marshal may have its own annual test report form, and the tester's report is what gets submitted (IFC 510.6.1). Use this to make sure nothing is missed.
Can I save it as a PDF?
Yes. Use the Print button and choose "Save as PDF" as the printer. The site menu and footer are left off the printout.
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- International Fire Code Section 510, Emergency Responder Communication Coverage, City of Eaton, Ohio (reproducing ICC model code text; edition not stated in the document)
- NFPA 1225, Standard for Emergency Services Communications, 2022 Edition: Chapter 18 and section 20.3.10, Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner (reproducing NFPA text)
- 47 CFR 90.219, Use of signal boosters, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- Florida Statutes 2026, section 633.202, subsection (18), The Florida Senate
- Two-Way Radio Communications Enhancement Systems: BDA Installation and Testing, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
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.
How a BDA system is monitored, and what to do when it alarms
The trouble signals a BDA must send to the fire alarm, the 12-hour battery rule and the annunciator panel, from NFPA 1225 and IFC 510, with a response plan.
FCC registration and licensee consent for your BDA
Which BDAs must be registered with the FCC, what the registration asks for, and why you need the radio licensee's written consent, from FCC primary sources.
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.