April 26, 2022
The 2022 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1225 standard for emergency services communications is complete and has been officially issued. Among the changes from the requirements of NFPA 1221 (2019 edition) is the testing and inspection of in-building emergency responder communications systems. This creates technical challenges for in-building coverage mapping. Understanding these changes and implementing new test processes is essential for public safety professionals to effectively communicate in mission critical situations.
Installers, contractors, facility management, and the entire public safety community need to understand how the Emergency Responder Communications Enhancement System (ERCES) is impacted by the new NFPA 1225 standard. This is true for more than the testing aspect. ERCES is an essential life safety tool that enables necessary and vital communication between responders in and around buildings during an emergency situation.
Repeaters, transmitters, receivers, signal booster components, remote annunciators, operational consoles, power supplies, and battery-charging system components are all integrated in an ERCES. Ensuring each operates according to specification is necessary to maintain operation in the most compromising situations.
New ERCES Testing Requirements
Chapter 20 of the NFPA 1225 standard focuses on the testing requirements. Systems must be initially tested for acceptance and then periodically thereafter. How often testing is performed and its method is determined by the authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) and respective frequency license holder.
Tests that need to be conducted on an ERCES are listed in Annex A, Section A.20.3.10 of the standard. Among the key measurements are signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), bit error rate (BER), and perceptual objective listening quality analysis (POLQA).
The test challenges associated with the new NFPA 1225 standard is a key topic amongst public safety professionals. So much so that it was the focus of a presentation during the IWCE conference in March.
Meeting Standard Specifications
Professionals responsible for public safety networks will need a comprehensive test process and instruments with high-performing specifications to meet the standard. The inherent issues associated with in-building network mapping must also be effectively addressed.
Utilizing a dedicated land mobile radio analyzer, such as the LMR Master S412E (figure 1), can help field technicians effectively address the new standard. It combines a high-performance receiver/spectrum analyzer, vector network analyzer (VNA), and vector signal generator.
A built-in TETRA analyzer helps make the S412E the only handheld instrument that can perform TETRA base station receiver sensitivity measurements. It also has a P25 Phase 1 and 2 signal analyzer. In addition to TETRA and P25 Phase 1 and 2 systems, the S412E enables field testing and coverage mapping of all other major LMR standards.
The S412E’s internal VNA offers excellent transmission dynamic range performance of > 100 dB to view and adjust the RF performance of critical RF devices, including filters, duplexers, transmitter combiners, receiver multi-couplers, and tower-mounted amplifiers. Its excellent DANL of -152 dBm, combined with a third-order intercept of over +16 dBm, makes the analyzer ideal for identification and location of low-level signals that can interfere with land mobile radio systems, even in the presence of strong nearby transmitters.
Effective In-building Coverage Mapping
Field technicians and engineers can integrate mapping tools, such as the NEON® MA8100A Signal Mapper, into field analyzers to more than effectively monitor RSSI and ACPR levels in ERCES. BER mapping can be conducted to determine carrier-to-interference (C/I) ratio and ensure optimum network operation while also addressing the NFPA 1225 standard.
The NEON Signal Mapper integrates multiple elements to create a 3D in-building coverage mapping solution. The NEON Tracking Unit collects and processes sensor data that delivers 3D location information. The NEON Signal Mapper Application provides an intuitive Android user interface so minimally trained users can map signal and sensor information within buildings. The NEON Command Software enables creation and visualization of 3D building maps and provides centralized access to the NEON Cloud Service, which has stored maps and measurement data.
Complete packages allow easy coverage mapping of single or multi-story buildings (figure 2). The solution overcomes a major challenge of doing an in-building coverage exercise, as it does not require a GPS signal to test. It provides coverage mapping of traditionally difficult areas, such as stairwells, elevators, and other areas critical to public safety requirements.
Simple Operation, Accurate Results
Aiding in the effectiveness of the solution is the ability to create and use coverage based on RF measurements from handheld spectrum analyzers. The tool can deliver location and mapping of measurement data inside buildings, underground, and in other GPS-denied areas. It eliminates the need to manually perform "check-ins" at each test point, provides more data than what can be gathered manually, and removes data recording errors caused by "guesstimating" locations in large buildings.
It is extremely easy to operate. A tracking unit is worn by the operator on his/her belt. Equipped with a gyroscope, accelerometer, barometric pressure sensor, and other sensors, the tracking unit communicates with an Android smart phone via a Bluetooth® link. Measurements are sent from the analyzer to the device for sharing and saving via a USB interface.
Now that the NFPA 1225 standard is in place, those responsible for public safety networks must re-evaluate their testing processes and equipment. By implementing a high-performing dedicated LMR analyzer and advanced in-building mapping, network operation can be ensured and the standard can be met.
You can learn more by visiting a coverage and interference mapping technologies page.