The Installation of Emergency Fire Rescue Victoria

Telephone and In-Building

Communication Systems Guideline No. 01
Author: FRV Fire Safety Strategy
& Policy
Sponsor: BCA & Audits
Authorised by: Director, Built
Approval level: Fire Safety Environment
First issued: September 1993
Review date: October 2020
Version number: 7

1. PURPOSE
This guideline has been developed to provide designers and installers with a
detailed specification of the Emergency Telephone System (ETS)
requirements and the requirement to install an in-building emergency radio
communications system (Leaky Cable) to provide effective radio
communications to firefighters in and around buildings, including major
community infrastructure.
An ETS should be provided where emergency warning systems are proposed
without warden intercommunication points or where the emergency services
radio communications network is likely to experience difficulties. The provision
of an ETS ensures that an appropriate level of redundancy exists for
emergency services communications throughout a building where current Fire
Rescue Victoria (FRV) or Country Fire Authority (CFA) radios may be
ineffective.
Note: FRV’s preference is for an in-building radio coverage solution to be
considered ahead of the installation of and emergency telephone system.

2. SCOPE
This guideline applies to all building solutions, including major community
infrastructure, which are proposed to be constructed that will utilise an ETS or
a Leaky Cable Communication System.

3. EMERGENCY TELEPHONE SYSTEMS

The ETS shall be self-contained and independent from all other systems and
shall be provided for the exclusive use of fire fighters. It shall operate with a
battery back-up and be capable of functioning if all other telephone systems or
electrical services fail.

3.1 MONITOR PANEL

A suitable supervisory monitor panel clearly labelled "Fire Services
Telephone System" shall be provided. The monitor panel shall supervise the
battery and give a visible and audible fault indication in the event of the battery
voltage falling below the operating voltage of the ETS.
The monitor panel shall:
Fire Rescue Victoria
 be located in either the fire control room or fire control centre, or where a
fire control room is not required, adjacent to the fire indicator panel or
other position approved by the Fire Rescue Commissioner of FRV or Chief
Officer of the CFA
 supervise the loop system and give a separate visible and audible fault
indication in the event of loss of continuity or short circuit in the loop

 include two 3-conductor 6.35mm diameter stereo panel sockets

 be designed so that a single short circuit or a single open circuit condition
shall not prevent more than one telephone point from not operating.
A list of all installed telephone points and their locations shall be provided
adjacent to the ETS monitor panel.

3.2 POWER SUPPLY

The ETS shall be energised from a reliable source of power supply and shall
be connected in accordance with the requirements for Fire and Smoke Control
Equipment and Lifts as detailed in AS 3000. A separate fuse or circuit breaker
shall be clearly and permanently marked:

Emergency Telephone System

The power supply shall have a sufficient rating to provide a continuous output
power at least equal to operate the monitor panel and ten telephones.
A visual green "power on" indicator connected to the secondary side of the
power supply transformer shall be provided on the monitor panel.
A multi-pole isolating switch appropriately labelled and within the monitor
panel enclosure shall be provided to isolate all active and neutral conductors
of the power source from the permanently connected power supply and
battery charger. Operation of this switch shall not disconnect the battery circuit
from the power supply.
The capacity of the battery shall be such that in the event of mains input
power failure the battery is capable of maintaining the ETS in normal working
(quiescent) condition for at least 24 hours, after which sufficient capacity shall
remain to operate ten telephones for 30 minutes. Sealed batteries designed
for continuous float charging conditions shall be used. Batteries shall be
secured from unauthorised persons by a locked door keyed to a standard 003
code.
3.3 SYSTEM WIRING
The wiring system shall be of the 3-conductor type and be adequately
protected against mechanical damage and fire. Insulated and sheathed cable
complying with AS 3013 and designated as WS2XW is deemed to comply with
this requirement. Wiring of the ETS shall be kept separate and distinct from all
other systems except for the lift trailer cables.
A return loop system of wiring shall be used with parallel connections at each
telephone point. Each incoming and outgoing conductor of the same potential
shall be twisted together and clamped under the one terminal. The loop route
shall be wired in separate paths to improve the system integrity. Both the
telephone speech wiring and associated battery wiring shall be wired in a
return loop to a suitable supervisory monitor panel.

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3.4 FIRE TELEPHONE JACK POINTS
Fire Rescue Victoria
Each telephone point shall consist of a 3-conductor 6.35 mm diameter stereo
panel socket mounted in a ‘pyrotenax’ type junction box or other similar metal
enclosure.
Each telephone jack point shall be labelled "Fire Telephone" in 15 mm
lettering contrasting to the surrounding background. In lift cars, smaller
lettering may be used in accordance with current lift standards. Where
lettering colour is not important to the aesthetics of the building, white letters
on red background is preferred.
Telephone jack points shall be installed in locations to avoid direct sound from
emergency warning speakers or noisy plant/equipment.
Telephone jack points shall be located in the following positions:
 adjacent to the Fire Indicator Panel (FIP) and/or mimic panel
 adjacent to the Emergency Warning and Intercommunication System (if
FIP is some distance away)
 outside pump rooms and sprinkler valve rooms (where sprinkler and
hydrant pumps are remote from each other, one point is to be located
outside each room)
 booster connections
 lift lobby of each level
 each major plant room where a firefighter may need to be in attendance
 roof level
 points nominated by the Victorian Lift Regulations
 any additional locations as reasonably determined by the Commissioner of
Fire Rescue Victoria or the Chief Officer of the CFA.
3.5 FIRE TELEPHONES
The ETS shall be provided with ten portable plug-in telephone sets placed in a
locked cabinet adjacent to the FIP or other position approved by the
Commissioner of Fire Rescue Victoria or the Chief Officer of the CFA. The
locking system shall use a standard 003 code key.
All telephone handsets shall be fitted with a 6.3 mm diameter ring-tip-sleeve
stereo jack plugs.
The portable telephones shall be housed in a metal carry case with shoulder
strap and labelled "Fire Telephone" in 15 mm lettering.
3.6 MAINTENANCE AND TESTING
The owner shall be responsible for the regular maintenance / testing of the
Emergency Telephone System, in accordance with the frequency and
requirements of AS 1851- 2005 Section 10.
Tests and associated maintenance shall be recorded and available on site
(either in log book or electronic format) and form part of the Essential Safety
Measures Maintenance regime for the building and be referenced as a
condition on the building’s Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection.

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4. IN-BUILDING EMERGENCY RADIO COVERAGE
Fire Rescue Victoria
Firefighters and first responders use portable radios as a critical
communication tool to ensure effective fireground command and control, for
personnel accountability, and to improve firefighter safety when operating
within buildings during a fire or other emergency.

FRV located in Metropolitan Melbourne uses the Metropolitan Mobile Radio

(MMR) Network for its emergency radio communications. FRV and CFA in
regional areas use the Regional Mobile Radio (RMR) Network.
Given the importance of portable radios to firefighter safety and ultimately
occupant safety, it is essential for these radios to operate reliably anywhere
within a building or major community infrastructure.

Modern construction techniques mean that communication for firefighters may

not only be impaired in high rise buildings or tunnels but in smaller commercial,
residential or retail developments.
This guideline provides the technical requirements of an in-building two-
frequency radio repeater system, known as a leaky cable system that
enhances the efficiency of hand held portable radios in buildings and major
community infrastructure.
Designers should seek advice from FRV Fire Safety Department whether a
leaky cable system may be required in a building or major community
infrastructure, regardless of whether a report and consent is required from the
FRV Commissioner or the CFA Chie Officer.
The following are examples were an in-building emergency radio
communications system may be required:
 buildings with basements
 alterations or additions to existing buildings where fire control rooms or fire
control centres located in basements
 shopping centres with mall areas
 retail, commercial or residential buildings over two storeys in height
 buildings with many rooms resulting in many walls that the rdio signal
needs to penetrate
 buildings incorporating glazing with metallic elements
 extensions or alterations to existing buildings may also require the
installation of a leaky cable to the entire building
 subterranean rail terminals and platforms
 other major community infrastructures such as road tunnels.
The in-building coverage capability must be provided via a Bi Directional
Amplifier (BDA) system connected to appropriate in-building leaky feeder
coaxial cables, and/or distributed internal antennas.
4.1 EMERGENCY SERVICES IN-BUILDING RADIO COVERAGE (FRV-
METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE)
4.1.1 DESIGN
The owner/developer must install an antenna system that is appropriate to the
design of the building and the nature of its construction, to provide coverage in
accordance with the requirements, as stated in Section 4.2.
FRV recommends that a suitably qualified communications consultant be
engaged to produce a design for the in-building coverage system.

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The BDA head end equipment is to be sourced from the FRV contractor via
consultation with FRV. Fire Rescue Victoria

The design will need to be produced in consultation with FRV, who will
coordinate the involvement of the FRV contractor as required.
4.1.2 IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING
The in-building coverage must be tested to demonstrate that it provides the
required levels of performance suitable for operation, in conjunction with the
MMR network. FRV will coordinate the involvement of the MMR contractor’s
participation in the in-building coverage tests as required.
4.1.3 SHARED USE OF THE INTERNAL ANTENNA SYSTEM
The internal antenna/distribution system may be shared with other
communications services within the building. This may be advantageous in
terms of cost saving, and/or providing additional services to the occupants of
the building.
Appropriate filtering and multi-coupling would need to be provided and
incorporated in the design of the internal distribution system.
4.1.4 INTERNAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
The internal distribution system shall provide the following:
 minimum signal strength of -90 dBm
 minimum coverage area of 95% of the area of each floor of the building
 coverage reliability of 95%
 delivered audio quality of DAQ4
 signal to noise ratio of better than 20 dB(A).
The Metropolitan Mobile Radio Network (the MMR Network) providing
emergency services’ radio coverage to the metropolitan and surrounding area
is a digital trunked APCO P25 system operating in the UHF radio BAND
between 403 to 470 MHz. This network is subject to change without notice
and it is the responsibility of the developer to determine the technical
specifications of the emergency services’ network prior to commencement of
building works. In other parts of Victoria outside of the coverage area of the
MMR Network, radio coverage is provided via the Regional Mobile Radio
Network (the RMR Network) which operates between 160-180 MHz in the
VHF radio band.
4.2 EMERGENCY SERVICES IN-BUILDING RADIO COVERAGE (FRV/CFA
REGIONAL AREAS)
Systems must be installed to the CFA specification titled “FUNCTIONAL
REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-BUILDING EMERGENCY RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM” and the internal distribution shall provide the
following:
 minimum signal strength of -85 dBm
 minimum coverage area of 95% of the area of each floor of the building
 coverage reliability of 95%
 delivered audio quality of DAQ4
 signal to noise ratio of better than 20 dB(A).

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The State of Victoria, on behalf of FRV, shall be the radio licence holder for
this repeater service and shall be responsible for obtaining the required Fire Rescue Victoria
licence. FRV will arrange the frequencies with their Victorian government
representatives and appropriate providers. The repeater shall have a label
attached in accordance with the requirements of the Australian
Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to indicate the approved
operating frequencies and class of emission.
4.2.1 IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING
A System Commissioning Report detailing radio coverage and a statement of
compliance to this specification is required to be submitted to FRV and or CFA.
FRV or CFA may organise on site testing by the responding fire station
personnel to test the adequacy of the installed system.
In addition, the developer shall make space available of typically two racks
with front and rear access, within a secure equipment room for the installation
of emergency services equipment. These racks will have access to essential
240 volt power via a dedicated and exclusive circuit. In the event that GSM
mobile telephone coverage is unavailable within the secure equipment room,
the developer shall ensure that there is access to a telephone line for the
remote monitoring of the emergency services’ equipment.

5. FURTHER INFORMATION
Further information regarding the installation of the leaky cable system can be
obtained from the Manager of the Building Codes and Audit Department on
(03) 9665 4478.

Note: This is a controlled document and may only be modified by authorised

FRV personnel.
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