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Save Time and Money with Properties & Inspections

Posted on April 2, 2020
Categories: Best Practices
Tags: Fire

Property pre-planning and inspections software allows fire departments to better serve their communities by streamlining the pre-planning and inspection process and improving situational awareness during an emergency through access to pre-plan data. In doing so, properties and inspections software helps fire departments save time and money that can be reinvested in their agency.

What Should Properties and Inspections Software Look Like?

Effective pre-planning and inspections software provides value for fire departments through a unique set of features specifically designed for those tasked with performing inspections. These features include:

  • the ability to create configurable checklists,
  • access to unlimited fire code sets and historical data,
  • CAMEO and NFIRS integration,
  • a user-friendly interface,
  • scheduling capabilities, and
  • the ability to add attachments and capture signatures.

 

How Does Properties and Inspections Software Help Fire Agencies?

So, what do innovations in the development of properties and inspections software mean for fire departments? Let’s take a look at ESO’s Properties and Inspections software to see. The software gives users the flexibility they need to create pre-plans and perform inspections on their terms while giving inspectors access to their data at any time regardless of their location.

ESO’s Properties module allows users to capture more data during the pre-planning stage to improve their agency’s operational and tactical decisions. The pre-plan data provided by Properties improves situational awareness during an emergency and the platform’s building hierarchy allows users to easily see how properties, buildings and occupants relate.

Integrations with other platforms provide fire departments with useful information that help them do their jobs better. CAMEO integration provides users with historical chemical record tracking and provides first responders with potentially life-saving information on dangerous chemicals at a specific property. Properties’ integration with ESO’s NFIRS reporting platform provides inspectors with key property history information, such as fire, arson and loss of life. NFIRS integration also cuts down on data entry for report writers by providing helpful information like property value.

With Inspections, fire departments now have the flexibility they need to tailor inspections to their agency’s unique processes and systems. The ability to create agency-defined checklists, having access to an unlimited number of code sets, and the option to add violations not listed in the code set provide inspectors with the freedom to complete inspections on their agency’s terms. No two fire departments are alike, so it makes sense that each department’s inspection software is flexible to its needs.

With ESO’s step-by-step process, you no longer have to track inspection information on paper and then go back to the station to type it up. The module is also easier to use than Excel or an editable PDF, because the software walks you through each step and allows users to add notes and photos throughout, ensuring that records are useful and provide easy-to-access information for the future.

ESO’s Inspections module makes the administrative side of inspections easier. The platform allows users to schedule re-inspections onsite and even makes scheduling inspections over multiple days a breeze. It also allows users to collect contact information, capture signatures, document violations, and print onsite. All of this works to make interactions with building and property managers a smoother process for everyone involved and keeps your inspectors on track to complete all assignments efficiently and effectively.

Inspections also allows users to track accurate data on how much time is spent performing inspections, including travel time. This data can then be used to justify the need for more inspectors and that a larger portion of the budget be allocated to inspections. Being able to back up your claims with data goes a long way when convincing decision-makers that you need more resources.

Finally, a user-friendly interface across all modules ensures that you do not miss a thing regardless of whether you are developing the pre-plan at the station or recording violations onsite. The system’s workflow intuitively guides users through the pre-planning process or an inspection, allowing them to document everything they need in their report. The ability to accurately complete inspections due to the easy-to-use interface means that fewer man hours are spent on inspections, which saves money for your agency.

Thanks to evolving properties and inspections software, fire departments are able to effectively plan and execute inspections, improve situational awareness during an emergency, and use data to show how inspections impact their agency. Ultimately, fire departments using ESO’s Properties and Inspections are able to keep their communities safer without breaking the bank.

Discover the next generation of fire department software by signing up for a demo here.Â