Frequently Asked Questions - Inspections – First Due

Purpose Statement

This article answers common questions about configuring, scheduling, conducting, and managing inspections in First Due. It also covers occupancy records, violations, reinspections, reports, permits, invoicing, and troubleshooting.

Inspections Setup

What is an Inspection Type?

Inspection Types determine how different inspections are configured and conducted within First Due.

Each Inspection Type can have its own settings, including:

Inspection checklists
Inspection result options
Associated code items
Standard Remarks
Inspection report forms
Reinspection requirements
Billing and invoicing settings
Business Portal settings

Inspection Types allow departments to standardize inspection workflows based on the type of inspection being performed.

What is the difference between an Inspection Type and an Inspection Form?

An Inspection Type determines the inspection workflow, including the checklist, available responses, and associated settings.

An Inspection Form controls how the information collected during an inspection is displayed on the completed inspection report.

Inspection Forms are configured through the Inspections Form Builder and can include components such as:

Occupancy information
Inspection checklist results
Violations
Inspector information and signatures
Photographs and attachments
Associated invoice information

Can different Inspection Types have different checklists?

Yes. Each Inspection Type can have its own checklist sections, questions, and available responses.

This allows departments to create inspection workflows for different activities, such as annual fire inspections, operational permit inspections, maintenance inspections, and reinspections.

What are Standard Remarks used for?

Standard Remarks provide predefined language that inspectors can select when documenting violations or inspection findings.

They help departments maintain consistent documentation and reduce the need for inspectors to manually enter the same information repeatedly.

Standard Remarks can be associated with specific checklist items and code references.

Can an Inspection Type be configured without requiring a physical address?

Yes. First Due supports three location modes for inspections that do not require a traditional street address or existing occupancy record.

These include:

Standalone: Used for inspections involving a unit or space.
Pre-Development: Used for projects that have not yet been assigned a physical address.
Special Event: Used for inspections associated with temporary events or activities.

The appropriate Location Mode is selected when configuring the Inspection Type.

What are Inspection System Options used for?

Inspection System Options allow departments to configure how certain inspection workflows operate across the system.

Examples include:

Transferring open violations to new inspections
Requiring reinspections for open violations
Displaying previous inspections when starting a new inspection
Enabling the Will Call option for reinspections
Displaying original inspection time on reinspections
Enabling the Inspector Scheduled To field
Resetting annual inspection dates based on reinspection completion
Requiring contact verification before completing inspections

These settings help departments establish consistent workflows based on their operational requirements.

How do I add new “Construction Types” to my drop-down list in the occupancy record?

Verify that your role has “Field Management – Manage Permissions” from the “Pre-Planning” permissions area active and verify that “Manage Construction Type” from the “Others” permissions area is active too.

Repeat for all the data fields from field management. There is an “Others” permission for each of these.
manageBasementAttribute
manageBasementType
manageFlooringMaterial
ManageFloorType
etc.

Inspection Organizer and Navigation

What is the Inspection Organizer used for?

The Inspection Organizer provides a centralized location for locating occupancies and organizing inspection activities.

Users have to select an Inspection Type to display applicable occupancies and use available search and filtering options to locate specific records.

The Inspection Organizer also provides access to occupancy information and related inspection activities.

What is the difference between the Inspection Organizer, Inspections List, and My Inspections?

These areas provide different ways to locate and manage inspections.

Inspection Organizer: Used to locate occupancies and organize inspection workloads.
Inspections List: Provides access to inspection records, including scheduled and completed inspections.
My Inspections: Displays inspections assigned to the current user or their team, depending on configuration.

Each area supports different inspection management activities.

How can I search for a specific occupancy?

Occupancies can be located using search and filtering options within the Inspection Organizer.

Users can search by information such as:

Partial street address
Business name
Available advanced search criteria

Selecting an occupancy opens the associated occupancy record.

What are Saved Views used for in Inspections?

Saved Views allow users to save commonly used filters and return to specific groups of inspection records without rebuilding the search each time.

Examples include:

Inspections assigned to a specific inspector
Inspections scheduled for a particular time frame
Overdue inspections
Inspections requiring follow-up
Inspections within a particular area

Saved Views help inspectors and supervisors organize workloads more efficiently.

Scheduling and Assignment

How do I schedule a new inspection?

Users can schedule inspections by navigating to Inspections → Inspections List → Schedule an Inspection.

During scheduling, users select the appropriate Inspection Type, identify the occupancy or applicable location information, and enter the required scheduling details.

The inspection is then saved and becomes available within the applicable inspection workflow.

Can an inspection be scheduled directly from a permit?

Yes. Inspections can be scheduled from an existing permit when the applicable Inspection Type and permit workflow support that functionality.

This allows the inspection to be associated with the permit without requiring the user to begin from the Inspections List.

Can inspections be reassigned to another inspector?

Yes. Users with the appropriate permissions can update inspection assignments.

Departments can also enable the Scheduled To field, which provides an additional way to identify the inspector scheduled to conduct an inspection separately from the Assigned To field.

This is useful when inspections need to be temporarily reassigned while maintaining the original assignment information.

Can multiple inspectors participate in the same inspection?

Yes. Team Inspections allow departments to coordinate inspection activities involving multiple inspectors.

This can be useful for larger facilities, specialized inspections, or inspections requiring personnel from multiple areas of the department.

What is the difference between Assigned To and Scheduled To?

The Assigned To field identifies the inspector responsible for the inspection assignment.

The Scheduled To field provides a separate way to identify the inspector scheduled to perform the inspection.

For example, an inspection may remain assigned to one inspector while another inspector is scheduled to conduct it.

The Scheduled To field must be enabled in Inspection System Options before it can be used.

Occupancy Record

Where can I view and update an occupancy record?

Occupancy records can be accessed from several areas within First Due, including:

Inspection Organizer
Inspections List
My Inspections
Pre-Plan Organizer
My Assigned Pre-Plans

Once the occupancy is opened, authorized users can review and update the available information.

Where can I update an occupancy address?

Address information must be updated within the Occupancy Information section of the occupancy record.

This is where authorized users can make changes to the address, including adding or updating suite information.

Changes should be saved before leaving the occupancy record.

Can I add or update contacts associated with an occupancy?

Yes. The Contacts section of the occupancy record allows authorized users to add, edit, or delete contacts.

Keeping contact information current helps ensure inspection reports, notifications, and other communications reach the appropriate individuals.

Is occupancy information shared between Inspections and Pre-Planning?

Yes. Occupancy information, contacts, and pre-plan information are shared across the Inspections and Pre-Planning modules.

Changes made to this shared information are reflected across the applicable modules, helping departments maintain consistent property records.

Can I view permits, invoices, and previous inspections from an occupancy record?

Yes. The occupancy record provides access to several types of associated information.

Depending on permissions and available records, users can review:

Permits
Scheduled and completed inspections
Violation history
Invoices
Attachments
ITM reports
Incident documentation
Investigations
Logs

This allows users to review important occupancy-related information from one location.

Conducting Inspections

How do I begin an assigned inspection?

Navigate to Inspections → My Inspections and locate the inspection assigned to you.

Open the inspection to review occupancy information, contacts, previous inspection history, and the applicable checklist.

Inspectors can then document findings and complete the inspection using the available workflow.

Can I review previous inspections before starting a new inspection?

Yes. Previous inspections can be reviewed from the occupancy record.

Departments can also enable the system option to display previous inspections when starting a new inspection.

This allows inspectors to review previous findings and identify conditions that may require follow-up.

What is the Inspection Timer used for?

The Inspection Timer allows inspectors to document the time spent conducting an inspection.

This information can support inspection activity tracking, workload analysis, and departmental reporting.

Can photographs and attachments be added to an inspection?

Yes. Inspectors can add photographs and supporting attachments to document inspection findings.

Attachments may include photographs of violations, supporting documentation, or other information relevant to the inspection.

Can contact verification be required before completing an inspection?

Yes. Departments can enable Contact Verification within Inspection System Options.

When enabled, inspectors can be required to indicate whether occupancy contact information has been verified before completing the inspection.

Available verification responses include:

Contacts Verified
N/A
Not Recorded

This helps departments maintain accurate contact information.

Violations and Inspection Results

How are violations documented during an inspection?

Inspectors document violations using the checklist and available result options configured for the Inspection Type.

Depending on configuration, inspectors can select an applicable code item, add Standard Remarks, and include supporting documentation.

The violation information becomes part of the inspection record.

What is the difference between Fail, Citation, Corrected, and Resolved?

These result options allow inspectors to document different outcomes associated with inspection findings.

Fail: Identifies a condition that does not meet the applicable requirement.
Citation: Records a citation-related result.
Corrected Indicates the condition was corrected during the inspection.
Resolved: Indicates the violation has been resolved.

Available result options and their behavior depend on the Inspection Type configuration.

Can open violations transfer to a new inspection?

Yes. Departments can enable the Transfer Open Issues on New Inspections system option.

When enabled, unresolved violations can be carried forward into subsequent inspections.

This helps inspectors track outstanding issues until they have been addressed.

Where can I review violation history for an occupancy?

Open the occupancy record and navigate to the Violations section.

This section provides access to the occupancy's violation history and associated inspection records.

Users can also open the related inspection report to review additional information.

Can violations be associated with specific fire codes?

Yes. Inspection checklist items can be associated with code references during Inspection Type configuration.

This allows inspectors to identify applicable code requirements when documenting violations.

Reinspection

What is a reinspection?

A reinspection is a follow-up inspection conducted to determine whether previously identified violations or deficiencies have been corrected.

Reinspections allow departments to document corrective actions and track unresolved conditions.

Can First Due require a reinspection when violations remain open?

Yes. Departments can enable the system option requiring reinspections for open violations.

This helps ensure unresolved violations receive the appropriate follow-up before the inspection process is considered complete.

What is the Will Call option for reinspections?

The Will Call option allows a reinspection to be identified for future scheduling without immediately assigning a specific inspection date.

This is useful when the property owner or responsible party must complete corrective work before arranging the reinspection.

Can the original inspection time be displayed on a reinspection?

Yes. Departments can enable the system option to display the original inspection time on reinspections.

This allows inspectors to reference the time recorded during the original inspection.

How does a reinspection affect the next annual inspection date?

Departments can enable Annual Inspection Date Reset within Inspection System Options.

When enabled, the completion date of the final reinspection determines the next annual inspection date rather than using the original inspection completion date.

This helps align the annual inspection cycle with the final completion of the inspection process.

Inspection Reports and Forms

How do I generate an inspection report?

Open the inspection and use the available report or print option.

The report is generated using the Inspection Form associated with the Inspection Type.

The information displayed depends on the components configured within the form.

Can inspection reports be emailed to occupancy contacts?

Yes. Inspection reports can be distributed by email using the available report distribution options.

Inspectors should verify that the appropriate contacts are selected before sending the report.

Can inspection reports include checklist results and violations?

Yes. Inspection Forms can be configured to display checklist results and documented violations.

The Inspection Checklist Block allows departments to include inspection checklist information directly on the completed inspection report.

Can invoice information be displayed on an inspection report?

Yes. The Invoice Number Table component within the Inspections Form Builder allows departments to display invoice information associated with an inspection.

This provides a way to include related invoice details directly on the inspection report.

Can inspection reports be created in multiple languages?

Yes. The Inspections Form Builder supports French and Spanish language options in addition to English.

Departments can configure language settings and language sets to display inspection information in the selected languages.

This helps make inspection reports more accessible to businesses and property owners who speak different languages.

Permits and Invoicing

Can permits be viewed from an occupancy record?

Yes. The Permits section of the occupancy record allows authorized users to review associated permits.

Depending on permissions, users may also be able to print, edit, delete, or add permits from this section.

Can invoices be created during an inspection?

Yes. When invoicing is configured, authorized users can create invoices associated with inspection activities.

Examples may include:

Inspection fees
Reinspection fees
Citation fees
Operational permit fees

Available invoice options depend on departmental configuration.

Can inspection fees be collected through the Business Portal?

Yes. Departments can configure supported Inspection Types to allow inspection requests and associated invoicing through the Business Portal.

Depending on configuration, businesses may be required to provide information, upload attachments, or complete payment during the request process.

Where can I view invoices associated with an occupancy?

Open the occupancy record and navigate to Invoices.

This section displays invoices associated with the occupancy and provides available management actions based on user permissions.

Business Portal and Community Connect

Can businesses request inspections through the Business Portal?

Yes. Departments can configure eligible Inspection Types to accept requests through the Business Portal.

Businesses can select an available inspection type, provide the required information, and submit the request to the department.

Can businesses request inspections that do not require a physical address?

Yes. Supported Inspection Types using Standalone, Pre-Development, or Special Event Location Modes can be configured for Business Portal inspection requests.

This allows businesses to request inspections for locations or activities that do not have a traditional street address.

Can departments require attachments when an inspection is requested?

Yes. Departments can configure inspection request settings to allow or require supporting attachments.

This helps ensure the department receives the necessary documentation before processing the inspection request.

Troubleshooting

Why can't I see an inspection assigned to me?

Several factors may affect whether an inspection appears in My Inspections.

Review the following:

Verify the inspection is assigned to the correct inspector or team.
Check the selected filters and Saved Views.
Confirm the inspection status.
Verify that the user has the appropriate permissions.

If the inspection still does not appear, contact your department administrator.

Why can't I edit information on an occupancy record?

Some occupancy information requires specific permissions or must be edited within a designated section.

For example, address information must be modified within the Occupancy Information section of the occupancy record.

If editing options are unavailable, verify your permissions with a department administrator.

Why isn't an Inspection Type available when scheduling an inspection?

The Inspection Type may not be available because of its configuration or the selected scheduling workflow.

An administrator should verify:

The Inspection Type is active and available.
The appropriate Location Mode is configured.
The Inspection Type supports the intended workflow.
The user has the required permissions.

Why aren't previous violations appearing on a new inspection?

Previous violations may not appear automatically if the appropriate Inspection System Options are not enabled.

Administrators should review the settings for transferring open issues and displaying previous inspections.

Inspectors can also review the occupancy's violation history to locate previous findings.

Why is information missing from an inspection report?

Inspection reports display information based on the configured Inspection Form.

If expected information is missing, an administrator should review the associated form in the Inspections Form Builder.

The form may need additional components or configuration changes to display the desired information.

Why can't I complete an inspection?

An inspection may have required information or workflow conditions that must be addressed before completion.