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Broward County BDA Compliance: Annual Requirements for Building Owners
Building owners in Broward County have an important responsibility when it comes to maintaining a compliant Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA) system. Public safety radio systems must remain operational and properly authorized so firefighters, police, and other emergency personnel can maintain reliable communications throughout a building.
In Broward County, BDA compliance falls under the Office of Regional Communications and Technology (ORCAT) – Radio Administration, which oversees the county’s public safety radio infrastructure. ORCAT maintains specific requirements for BDA systems, including annual authorization, inspection, maintenance, and equipment requirements.
For building owners and property managers, staying ahead of these requirements is important. An expired authorization, missed inspection, or outdated BDA system can create unnecessary compliance issues and potentially interrupt the building’s public safety communications.
What Is Required for Broward County BDA Compliance?
Each year, building owners should ensure the following requirements are completed and current.
1. Ownership Acknowledgment Agreement
The building owner must complete and sign the required BDA Ownership Acknowledgment documentation.
This confirms the owner’s responsibility for the BDA system and establishes the appropriate ownership information with the county.
ORCAT’s current BDA information resources specifically include an annual BDA Ownership Acknowledgement and Retransmission Authorization application.
2. Annual Retransmission Agreement
A current Annual Retransmission Agreement/Authorization is required for the BDA system to continue operating on the applicable public safety radio system.
This authorization is an important part of maintaining the connection between the building’s BDA system and the public safety communications infrastructure.
Building owners should make sure their authorization is renewed before it expires rather than waiting until the system is already out of compliance.
3. Annual BDA Inspection
The BDA system must undergo an annual inspection and testing process to verify that the system continues to operate properly.
Broward County documentation identifies annual testing and reporting requirements for BDA systems, including testing performed by a qualified company with appropriate RF installation and testing knowledge.
Depending on the building and applicable requirements, a more extensive inspection may also be required on a five-year cycle.
An inspection can identify problems such as:
- Coverage deficiencies
- Equipment failures
- Alarm problems
- Battery or backup-power issues
- Damaged cabling
- Changes to the building that affect radio coverage
- Other system performance issues
Regular testing helps identify these problems before they become a larger compliance or public safety concern.
4. Current BDA Maintenance Agreement
The building should also maintain a current BDA Maintenance Agreement, sometimes referred to as an SLA (Service Level Agreement), with a qualified BDA service provider.
A maintenance agreement provides the building owner with a designated company responsible for servicing and supporting the system when repairs, troubleshooting, inspections, or other service needs arise.
Broward County inspection documentation also identifies a maintenance contract as part of the information maintained with the BDA system.
5. FirstNet Band 14 Filter
One of the more important recent changes to Broward County BDA requirements involves FirstNet Band 14 filtering.
Effective October 8, 2025, ORCAT stated that all Class A and Class B BDAs must have a physical internal or external FirstNet Band 14 filter, regardless of whether the BDA already uses internal software-based filtering. ORCAT also stated that equipment specifications must document the physical filter.
The requirement applies to new projects under plan review, as well as existing operating BDAs whose retransmission authorization expires on or after January 1, 2026. Those systems must have the required filter installed before their next annual maintenance and inspection in order to receive renewed retransmission authorization from Broward County.
For building owners, this means a routine annual inspection may also identify an equipment upgrade that needs to be completed before the system can receive renewed authorization.
Fort Lauderdale May Have Additional Requirements
Broward County is not the only authority that may be involved.
Certain municipalities within Broward County have their own public safety radio requirements and FCC licensing responsibilities. Broward County documentation identifies ORCAT as well as municipalities including Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Hollywood, and Plantation among the applicable authorities/licensees for BDA systems.
For buildings located in Fort Lauderdale, property owners may need to address requirements with both Broward County and the City.
This makes it especially important to understand which authorities apply to a specific building before completing the annual renewal process.
What Happens If a BDA System Falls Out of Compliance?
ORCAT’s requirements are not simply paperwork requirements. The BDA system is part of the public safety communications infrastructure used by emergency personnel.
If a building’s authorization, inspection, maintenance, or equipment requirements are not current, the owner may be contacted regarding the deficiency and given a timeframe to correct the issue.
ORCAT has emphasized that unauthorized operation of BDA systems can create interference and affect larger public safety radio systems. Broward County guidance also requires appropriate authorization before systems are placed into operation.
For this reason, building owners should not wait until they receive a compliance notice to determine whether their BDA system is current.
A Simple Annual BDA Compliance Checklist
For Broward County building owners, the annual process can be summarized as:
- Ownership: Complete the required ownership acknowledgment.
- Authorization: Maintain current retransmission authorization.
- Inspection: Complete the required annual BDA inspection and testing.
- Maintenance: Maintain a current BDA maintenance agreement/SLA.
- Band 14: Verify the required physical FirstNet Band 14 filter is installed.
- Municipal Requirements: Determine whether an additional city authorization or agreement applies.
- Documentation: Keep current system documentation and inspection records available.
Why Work With an Experienced BDA Company?
BDA compliance involves more than simply testing the equipment once a year. A qualified BDA company can help building owners identify problems, maintain required documentation, coordinate testing, and address equipment issues before they interfere with the renewal process.
This is particularly important for older buildings where the BDA system may have been installed years ago and may no longer reflect current equipment or requirements.
CellAntenna provides BDA inspection, testing, maintenance, troubleshooting, and compliance support throughout Broward County. Our team can help property owners determine the current condition of their system, identify deficiencies, and prepare for the annual compliance process.
Keep Your Broward County BDA System Compliant
BDA compliance should be treated as an ongoing building responsibility rather than an annual last-minute task. Staying ahead of inspections, retransmission authorization, maintenance requirements, and equipment updates can help prevent unexpected compliance problems and keep the system ready when emergency communications matter most.
If your Broward County BDA inspection or retransmission authorization is coming due, CellAntenna can help evaluate your system and assist with the inspection, testing, maintenance, and compliance process.
Keep Your Building Code-Compliant
Contact CellAntenna to schedule a Broward County BDA inspection or discuss your building's compliance requirements.
Requirements can change and may vary by municipality and building. Building owners should confirm current requirements directly with ORCAT and the applicable local authority having jurisdiction.