NFPA 780 & EM385-qualified protection for municipal & federal facilities
Government and municipal facilities carry a different kind of lightning risk than commercial buildings. A courthouse that goes offline isn’t a revenue problem; it’s a public trust problem. A water-treatment plant that loses SCADA control isn’t a downtime cost; it’s a water-supply failure. An emergency operations center that’s unreliable on the day it matters most is a liability that doesn’t show up on a single balance sheet.
All South Lightning Protection designs and installs engineered lightning protection and surge suppression systems built specifically for government facilities: municipal buildings, county administrative centers, courthouses, emergency operations centers, public utilities, and federal installations across Florida. Every system is purpose-designed to NFPA 780 and UL 96A — not pulled off a shelf. Our crews are EM385-qualified for federal and Army Corps of Engineers projects. We have done this, and only this, for 40 years.
Florida is the lightning capital of the United States, with roughly 1.4 million cloud-to-ground strikes a year. If your facility sits here, the question isn’t whether it gets exposed. It’s whether it’s protected when it does and whether that protection can be documented to your AHJ, your insurer, and your RFP.
Most commercial facilities treat lightning protection as a cost center. Government facilities treat it as a responsibility — to the public, to continuity of operations, and to the documentation trail. Lightning protection for a government building isn’t about avoiding a single big bill; it’s about ensuring the building does its job on the day the storm hits.
Here’s what’s actually at risk when a strike or nearby surge reaches an unprotected government facility:
Most government RFPs for lightning protection either leave the spec too vague (allowing the low bidder to cut corners) or are written by someone who didn’t know what to ask for. Use the checklist below to evaluate proposals and confirm every contractor, including All South, can deliver what you actually need. Each item is a checkmark in the RFP; any contractor who can’t check it should not be a serious candidate.
| RFP Requirement | Why It Matters | What Contractors Must Provide |
|---|---|---|
| Designed to NFPA 780 by Rolling Sphere Method | Keeps the strike interception points optimally placed for your building geometry. Vague specs allow sloppy design. | Sealed engineering drawings with Rolling Sphere calculations, signed by a PE. Includes air-terminal placement, down-conductor routing, and grounding layout. |
| UL 96A Master Label required | Proves the system meets the national standard for LP systems. No Master Label = no proof of compliance. | Certificate of Compliance signed by an LPI-certified designer and installer. UL 96A label affixed to the building. |
| Sealed, permit-ready drawings | Your AHJ won’t issue a permit for hand-sketched plans. The drawings also become part of your building record and your insurance file. | PDF set: plot plan, roof plan showing air terminals and down conductors, foundation plan showing grounding layout, one-line diagram of surge protection. All sealed by a PE licensed in Florida. |
| Coordinated SPD submittal package | Surge protection isn’t an afterthought — it’s coordinated with the structural LP and the AHJ. Most contractors install SPDs without coordination, and the AHJ rejects it. | Submittal sheet for each SPD (Type 1, Type 2, Type 3) showing device rating, let-through voltage, coordination with other devices, and location. Signed by the designer. |
| Service-entrance SPD coordination with utility | The utility often has its own surge protection. If the two aren’t coordinated, they can fight each other. | A coordination letter or diagram showing the utility’s protection, the contractor’s Type 1 SPD, and the interaction. Proof that the system is safe and coordinated. |
| Grounding & equipotential bonding verification | After installation, the GC needs proof that grounding was done right. A bad ground = a failed system. | A grounding resistance test (earth electrodes), continuity test report for all bonded paths, and photos of grounding connections. Report sealed by the PE. |
| Inspection cycle and recertification schedule | After the system is installed, who inspects it? How often? Every government facility needs an ongoing inspection and recertification plan so the system stays compliant as the building changes. | Written inspection schedule (e.g., annual visual, full inspection every 3 years, UL 96A recertification every 5 years) with assigned responsibility. A maintenance contract option or a clear protocol for the facility to follow. |
| EM385-qualified contractor (federal projects only) | If this is a federal or Army Corps of Engineers project, the contractor must comply with EM 385-1-1 safety standards. EM385 qualification means the contractor has trained crews and documented safety protocols. | Proof of EM385 certification or qualification. Names and certifications of on-site crew leads. If the project requires it and the contractor doesn’t have it, they cannot work on federal jobs. |
Every All South government facility system is engineered and installed to the standards below. You receive sealed, permit-ready drawings and full documentation that satisfies the AHJ, your insurer, and any RFP audit.
| Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|
| NFPA 780 | Installation of lightning protection systems (the national standard) |
| UL 96A | Master Label requirements and inspection for LP systems |
| IEC 62305 | International lightning protection standard (global operators or multi-facility organizations) |
| LPI-175 / LPI-177 | Lightning Protection Institute design and installation certification |
| EM 385-1-1 | US Army Corps of Engineers safety standards (federal and government projects) |
| UL 1449 | Surge protective devices (SPD / TVSS) |
| NEC Art. 250 | Grounding and bonding requirements |
Are government buildings required to have lightning protection by code?
NFPA 780 is the national standard for lightning protection system design and installation. Many jurisdictions require it on critical facilities — courthouses, emergency operations centers, utilities, and other public buildings. Your AHJ will tell you if it’s required; many facilities install it anyway for operational continuity and insurance purposes. We design every system to be fully code-compliant and permit-ready.
What is EM385, and do your crews meet it?
EM 385-1-1 is the US Army Corps of Engineers safety standard for federal construction projects. If your facility is a federal project or Army Corps contract, the contractor and field crews must comply with EM385 training and safety protocols. All South has EM385-qualified crews available for federal and government work. We understand the documentation and training requirements.
Can you meet our prevailing-wage and sealed-bid requirements?
Yes. We have experience working on municipal and government projects with prevailing-wage requirements and sealed-bid procurement. We can provide a bonded quote, meet your spec, and deliver sealed engineering drawings and documentation that satisfy the AHJ and the project GC.
Do you provide sealed drawings and UL 96A certification for the AHJ?
Yes. Every All South government facility system is delivered with sealed, permit-ready engineering drawings (signed by a PE), a UL 96A Master Label, a coordination submittal package for surge protection devices, and a grounding verification report. You get the documentation your AHJ, your insurer, and your RFP require.
Can you retrofit existing municipal buildings or add protection to facilities we already operate?
Yes. We retrofit existing municipal, county, and federal facilities regularly. Retrofit work is planned to minimize disruption to operations; most structural work is external, and service-entrance surge protection can be installed during scheduled downtime. We provide a clear timeline with the quote.
Do you protect water-treatment plants, emergency operations centers, and other critical-systems facilities?
Yes. We specialize in protecting mission-critical facilities. SCADA and control lines require the same attention as power lines — a transient on a data line into the control room is just as destructive as one on the power side. Every facility is assessed as a complete system: structural LP, power surge protection, control-line protection, and grounding.
While our roots are firmly planted in Tampa, FL, Jacksonville, and Sunrise, we extend our services nationwide and even beyond borders. No matter where you are, we’re dedicated to bringing our exceptional protection solutions to you.
All South protects government and municipal facilities statewide from three Florida branches. Each office runs its own field crews, so you get local response backed by a single in-house engineering team. Tampa Bay & Central Florida (HQ), Jacksonville & Northeast Florida, Sunrise / Broward & South Florida
5307 N Falkenburg Rd bldg a, Tampa,
FL 33610, USA
Tampa 813-630-2757
Tampa Fax 813-630-2758
Our Tampa location is BBB Accredited.
