Use Pre-Incident Planning

The Pre-Incident Planning solution delivers a set of capabilities that help fire agencies inventory pre-incident plans, conduct routine assignments, collect site considerations, and understand hazards and risks that affect responding personnel and building occupants.

In this topic, you’ll learn how to use the solution by assuming the role of a user and performing the workflows below.

Manage plans

In communities that have many at-risk buildings, it can be difficult to know which buildings are assigned to each crew and when they need to be inspected. Fire agencies need to efficiently assign and conduct pre-incident planning inspections throughout the entire service area. As pre-incident plans are completed and reviewed, they can then be used by firefighters responding to structure fires and other emergencies.

Assign pre-incident plans

The Pre-Incident Plan Manager application can be used by pre-incident plan program managers to identify which structures need to have a pre-incident plan and then assign and notify fire stations to collect pre-incident plan information on site.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a pre-incident plan program manager who needs to assign pre-incident plans to firefighters in each fire station.

1. In a browser, open the Pre-Incident Plan Manager application.
2. Click Filter Assignments in the Plans banner at the top of the application window.

   The Pre-Incident Plan Manager application displays a list of all buildings on the left panel.

   Note:

   If you have not assigned any buildings yet, the graph at the bottom will be empty until the assignments have been made to each station.

3. Choose the Unassigned filter.

   Note:

   You may filter the list choosing any filter. When you first load your buildings, all listed plans may be listed as unassigned.

Assignment information

This section describes assignment information.

1. If necessary, open the Assignment Information panel.
2. Click the first unassigned building in the list on the left panel.

   The Assignment, Building, Contact, and Fire Safety Information for the selected building appear in the panel on the right side of the application window.

3. Verify that the assignment date is updated to today's date.
4. Change the Status to Assigned and enter the date that you are making the assignment.
5. Select the Assigned Station and Assigned Shift from the drop-down lists.
6. Enter the number of days for the Plan Review Cycle.

   If this will be an annual pre-incident plan assignment, enter 365 days.

7. Enter the date you expect the plan to be completed.
8. Collapse the Assignment Information panel.

Fire safety information

This section describes the fire safety information.

1. If necessary, open the Fire Safety Information panel.
2. Select the Fire Load (High, Medium, Low) from the drop-down list.

   Note:

   Fire Load refers to the potential severity of combustible material in a building.

3. Select the Construction Type, Roof Type, Roof Cover, Wall Type from the drop-down lists.
4. Select Yes or No for Basement, Sprinkled, Key Box, Water Supply, and Hazardous Material parameters.
5. Collapse the Fire Safety Information panel.

Building information

This section describes the building information.

1. If necessary, open the Building Information panel.
2. Enter the Building Name and name of the Complex (for example, shopping center or campus) if there is one.
3. Enter the Full Address.
4. Enter the Building Area, Building Height, Number of Floors and Year Built.

   Note:

   Some of the building information may come from the building assessor's database.

5. Select the Property Use Type from the drop-down list.

   Note:

   The recommended list of Property Use Types comes from the NFIRS Complete Reference Guide, chapter 3.

6. Collapse the Building Information panel.

Contact information

This section describes the contact information.

1. If necessary, open the Contact Information panel.
2. Enter the Contact Name, Contact Phone, and Contact Email.
3. Collapse the Contact Information panel.
4. When finished filling out all information, click Update to save the updates to the pre-plan.

Notify fire station

The Pre-Incident Plan Manager application can be used by pre-incident plan program managers to notify personnel when a fire station is assigned a pre-incident plan. This email notification contains assignment information and links to the Pre-Incident Plan Site Visit map and Pre-Incident Plan Dashboard.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a pre-incident plan program manager who needs to notify personnel when a fire station is assigned a pre-incident plan.

1. Ensure that one of buildings is selected in the left panel.
2. Click Assign Plan in the lower left panel.

   An email template opens in your default email application. The assignment information for the selected building are included, along with instructions on how to complete the assignment.

3. Enter an email address and send the email notification.

Create new plans

You will continue the role of the pre-incident plan manager to create new buildings and assign pre-incident plans to firefighters in each fire station.

Note:

This workflow is only available within the Pre-Incident Plan Manager if you complete the Add new pre-incident plans topic.
1. Click Plans in the upper right of the Pre-Incident Plan Manager application.

   The application displays the Editor tool.

2. Zoom in to an area on the map where would like to create a new building feature.
3. In the Editor panel, click the Assigned red symbol and draw a building polygon around a building in the map.

   The Create features panel appears, allowing you to enter the assignment information.

4. Enter the Assignment Information, Fire Safety Information, Building Information and Contact Information, and then click Create.

   The new building with all the attribute information appears on the map.

5. Click the Assignment tab in the banner at the top of the application window, and then click Email assignment to station to notify the station of the new assignment.

Review site considerations

After site visits are completed, site considerations will be reviewed to ensure spatial accuracy and that all information is collection.

1. Click Site Considerations in the upper right of the Pre-Incident Plan Manager application.

   The application displays the Editor tool.

2. Zoom in to an area on the map where would like to review site considerations.
3. In the Editor panel, click Select and select a site consideration on the map, and then either move the location or update the attributes.
4. Click Update.
5. In the Editor panel, click a site consideration icon below and click the map to add it.
6. Click Update.

Conduct site visits

The Pre-Incident Plan Site Visit map can be used by firefighters to collect site considerations. When a firefighter receives an email notification, the firefighter can open it on a mobile device. The map used to collect building, occupancy, and fire protection information can then be opened on-site.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a firefighter who is assigned to complete a pre-incident plan.

Note:

To continue this workflow with your actual data, you will need to go on-site to building location as indicated in the email notification.

1. Download ArcGIS Field Maps onto your mobile device.
2. Open ArcGIS Field Maps and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
3. Open the email on your mobile device, and then tap the link for the assignment to open ArcGIS Field Maps application.

   ArcGIS Field Maps opens, and the map zooms to the assigned address.

4. Tap the address in the list of assigned Pre-Incident Plans.
5. Tap the attribute information and swipe up to see the remaining information.

   Below the attribute information is a list of related fire protection features, such as Alarm Control Panels, Fire Suppression Systems, Key Boxes and so on. These fire protection features will be added to the map in the next step.

   Note:

   If you need directions to the assigned address, click the Directions link toward the bottom and select an app such as Navigator to route you to that location.

6. Tap Add, and then scroll down to Key Boxes section and tap Box.
7. Tap Edit.
8. Swipe up on the form, and then tap Floor Number and enter 1 for the floor number field.
9. Enter some text for the Location Description and Comments fields.
10. When you're finished, at the top right, tap the check mark or Submit.

    Note:

    Your interface may vary depending on the type of mobile device that you use.

11. Repeat the steps above for each fire protection feature that you wish to add to the assigned location.
12. Use the map to locate additional pre-incident plans, and tap one of the features on the map to see details and additional options.
13. When finished collecting site considerations, tap the pre-plan that you just completed.
14. Click Edit.
15. Change the status to Site Visit Completed and enter any comments.

    You must complete the last step indicating you have completed the site visit has been completed so your pre-plan manager can monitor appropriate progress.

16. Click Submit.

Monitor plans

The Fire Incident Dashboard map can be used by fire operations staff to monitor a pre-incident plan program and site visits. When a firefighter receives an email notification, the firefighter can open it on a mobile device. The map used to collect building, occupancy, and fire protection information can then be opened on-site.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of fire operations staff who must monitor the status of pre-incident plans while firefighters are conducting site visits and the overall effectiveness of your pre-incident plan program.

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Fire Incident Dashboard.
2. Review the number of Average Days to Completion in the left panel of the dashboard and notice the number of assignments for each station in the graph.

   This graph can help you determine if the number of assignments is consistent for all stations and which stations may need help to complete their assignments.

3. Review the Station and Shift chart to compare the number of Assignments to the number of completions by each station and shift.
4. Review the list of Pre-Incident Plans on the right panel of the dashboard.

   Each item in the list contains the address and status. It also indicates how long it has been since the last completion.

5. Click one of the assignments in the list.

   The map zooms to the assigned location.

6. Click the Reinspection tab in the bottom right to review the list of pre-incident plans due for reinspection.
7. Use the filters in the banner at the top of the dashboard to explore assignments for each station, shift, and assignment date.

Access pre-incident plans

The Pre-Incident Plan Viewer can be used by firefighters to view pre-incident plan information during an incident.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a firefighter who must access pre-incident plan information during an emergency incident.

1. Verify that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization and browse to the Pre-Incident Plan Viewer app.
2. In the search box, type the site address for a pre-incident plan and press Enter, or click a location on the map.

   Note:

   If you are using a mobile device and you have an internet connection, you can click Find my Location on the left side of the map when you arrive on scene. Then click the pre-incident plan for the building.

3. Review the Building Information, Safety Information, and Building Contact information.

   If a pre-incident plan has been completed for the selected location, all the fire protection features that have been collected will be displayed on the map.

4. Click any fire protection feature, such as a Key Box, Alarm Control Panel, Utility Shut Off, and other site considerations.

   A pop-up window opens with details on the selected fire protection feature.

5. Click Print or export as PDF in the banner in the upper right corner to connect a web app with a printing service to allow the current map to print.
   The Print window opens with a map and details for the specified area.
6. Scroll down the page in the print window to see any detail below the map.
7. Change Print Destination, Pages, Layout, or other settings as desired.

   Note:

   You can change the Destination to print to a PDF file for hard-copy if desired.

8. Click Print.
9. Close the print window when you are done printing.