DAS FAQ

General Questions

What is DAS?

See the DAS Equipment page for an overview.

When will the DAS Migration occur?

King County public safety radio users are all now using PSERN. Properties with public safety DAS should complete migration to PSERN as soon as possible, with the assistance of a DAS vendor. See the DAS Migration Process and DAS Vendors pages for more information.

How many properties in King County have public safety DAS that will be affected by the transition to PSERN?

There are over 900 properties in King County that have public safety DAS and will need to participate in the DAS migration. Additionally, any new construction or retrofits that includes public safety DAS will also need to participate.

Who can I talk to about DAS and the transition to PSERN?

Please contact DAS Coordinator, Creighton Watley at das@psern.org.

Property Questions

Does my property need a public safety DAS?

The requirement for emergency communications capability of public safety DAS is in Section 510 of the Washington Fire Code with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1221 as the reference standard and any local amendments.

The requirements for your building may involve the fire code cycle your building was permitted under, whether your building was included in the Seattle retroactive requirements issued in 2015, and also other criteria. Please contact your local Fire Marshal to determine the exact needs of your property.

What are the general requirements for a public safety DAS?

Please see the DAS Requirements page.

Did the PSERN Project send properties notification of the transition to PSERN?

Yes, all DAS Properties were sent this official notice in November 2020 and in the fall of 2021, the PSERN Project contacted all DAS Properties on record to confirm their contact information.

Who is the PSERN Project communicating with at my property?

The PSERN Project has contacted all the property contacts on record that the Fire Marshals use for annual inspection and is continuing updating information based on property requests. Please contact das@psern.org if you need to learn more about your property contacts.

How do I know if I need to hire a DAS Vendor?

If your property does not have a professional on staff that meets the recommended criteria for selecting DAS Vendors, your property will need to hire a DAS Vendor.

My DAS already passed the annual inspection, do I have to do anything else for the transition to PSERN?

Yes, you still need to participate in the transition to PSERN to meet all DAS requirements.

How do I know if my building has a public safety DAS?

Consult your construction and permitting records. DAS are sometimes permitted and inspected as their own system, but other times as a subsystem grouped under the electrical permit. The terms DAS (Distributed Antenna System) and ERRCS (Emergency Responder Radio Communication System) are used interchangeably, although it is possible to have DAS that are for cellular enhancement, not public safety radio.

What does DAS equipment look like in a building?

A qualified DAS Vendor can help you identify equipment in your property. For your reference though, there are a variety of types of DAS. To get an impression of what you might see, conduct an internet search for “DAS antenna” to view images of what may be visible on ceilings in your building or the most common style of donor antenna “Yagi antenna” to view images of what you might see on a roof.

DAS Vendor Questions

How can I obtain the technical information about the new PSERN System?

All DAS Vendors working with properties, will need to contact das@psern.org to obtain access to secure technical information, such as broadcast tower locations, donor sites, and frequencies.

When I can I begin testing signals on the new PSERN System?

PSERN is in normal operation, testing can be performed at any time.

Can I be added to the DAS Vendor list to express that I am available to provide services?

To be added to the DAS Vendor list, please contact das@psern.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION

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