Purpose Statement
The "Inspector Scheduled To" feature allows Fire Prevention Managers to assign inspections to a scheduled performer while maintaining the original assigned owner. This dual-assignment system enables tactical reassignments for workload management while preserving original assignment responsibility for next year's inspection generation and ensuring clear accountability throughout the inspection lifecycle.
Background Information
Fire prevention departments often need to reassign inspections due to extended leave, workload balancing, or last-minute staffing changes. Previously, the system only tracked a single assignee, creating confusion when reassignments occurred and causing next year's inspections to be automatically assigned to the wrong person. The "Inspector Scheduled To" field solves this by separating ownership (who is responsible for the district/area) from performance (who will physically conduct the inspection), enabling flexible resource management while maintaining long-term assignment consistency.
Common Use Cases:
- Reassigning inspections due to inspector illness or leave
- Balancing workloads across districts during peak periods
- Managing temporary staffing changes
- Maintaining district responsibility for multi-year inspection cycles
Prerequisites:
- Active Fire Prevention module
- Existing inspection records with assigned owners
- User accounts for both original assignees and scheduled performers
Required Permissions
To use the Inspector Scheduled To functionality, users need the following permissions:
- Fire Prevention Manager: Full access to assign and reassign both "Assigned To" and "Inspector Scheduled To" fields
- Fire Prevention Supervisor: Ability to modify "Inspector Scheduled To" field for their assigned areas
- Inspector View Access: Read-only access to view both assignment fields
- Inspection Management: Permission to edit inspection details and assignments
- Inspection Setup: Toggle must be on for Enable Inspector Scheduled To in the System Options
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
- Filter for inspections
- Either Bulk select or select the individual inspections
- Inspections can be Scheduled To either a User, Team, Shift, or Fire Station
- 10 business days
- 20 business days
- 5 business days
- Next Day
- Calendar
- Will Call
- This system-level setting must be enabled for the Default Reinspection Assignee dropdown to appear in Inspection Type settings.
- Select the Inspection Type you want to configure.
- Open the specific inspection type where you want to set the default reinspection assignment behavior.
- This dropdown will only be visible if the system-level "Enable Inspector Scheduled To Field" setting is ON.
- Assigned To – Reinspections will be prefilled with the inspector originally assigned to the inspection (Default option)
- Scheduled To – Reinspections will be prefilled with the inspector scheduled for the inspection
- Logged In User – Reinspections will be prefilled with the user who is creating the reinspection
- When you create a reinspection (either during an inspection or from the inspection list), the Schedule Reinspection modal's "Assigned to" field will now be prefilled according to your configured strategy.
Best Practice
Do:
- Communicate reassignments to both original and scheduled inspectors
- Review assignment status regularly to ensure coverage
- Add comments explaining reassignment reasons for audit trails
- Choose a Default Reinspection Assignee strategy that aligns with your department's workflow and accountability requirements
- Use "Assigned To" strategy when you want reinspections to maintain district/area consistency
- Use "Scheduled To" strategy when the inspector who performed the original inspection should handle follow-up
- Use "Logged In User" strategy for departments where violation identification creates immediate reinspection responsibility
Don't:
- Change the "Assigned To" field unless permanently transferring district responsibility
- Leave reassignments without documentation in the comments
- Forget to notify the scheduled performer of their assignment
- Use temporary reassignments for permanent staffing changes
- Configure Default Reinspection Assignee without considering your department's accountability and follow-up workflows
Tips:
- Set up automated notifications for scheduled performers
- Use consistent naming conventions for reassignment reasons
- Monitor workload distribution through reporting dashboards
- Plan ahead for known absences by pre-scheduling performers
- Configure Default Reinspection Assignee at the inspection type level to match different workflow needs (e.g., annual inspections vs. complaint-based inspections may need different strategies)
- Review your Default Reinspection Assignee configuration periodically to ensure it still matches operational needs
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Q: What happens to next year's inspection assignment?
A: Next year's inspection will be automatically assigned based on the "Assigned To" field (original owner), not the "Inspector Scheduled To" field, maintaining district consistency.
Q: Can I see a history of all reassignments?
A: Yes, the Assignment Log section shows all changes to both assignment fields with timestamps and user information.
Q: What if I need to permanently change district responsibility?
A: Update the "Assigned To" field for permanent changes. This will affect next year's automatic assignment generation.
Q: Can scheduled performers reassign to someone else?
A: This depends on your permission settings. Typically, only managers and supervisors can modify the "Inspector Scheduled To" field.
Q: Will reports show both assignees?
A: Yes, inspection reports can display both fields, allowing you to track original ownership and current performance responsibility.
Q: What happens if the scheduled performer is also unavailable?
A: Simply update the "Inspector Scheduled To" field to assign a new performer while keeping the original assignee unchanged.
Q: I don't see the Default Reinspection Assignee dropdown in my Inspection Type settings. Why?
A: The dropdown only appears when the system-level "Enable Inspector Scheduled To Field" setting is turned ON in System Options. Check with your system administrator to enable this setting.
Q: What happens if I select "Scheduled To" as the default but an inspection doesn't have a Scheduled To inspector?
A: The system will fall back to the original inspection's "Assigned To" value if valid. If neither is available, the field will be left blank and require manual selection when creating the reinspection.
Q: Can inspectors override the default reinspection assignee?
A: Yes! The Default Reinspection Assignee configuration only prefills the "Assigned to" field in the Schedule Reinspection modal. Inspectors can change the assignee before saving the reinspection.
Q: If an inspection was initially assigned to a team but later changed to a user, what happens when creating a reinspection with "Assigned To" strategy?
A: The reinspection will be assigned back to the original team, maintaining the initial assignment structure.
Q: Does the Default Reinspection Assignee affect existing scheduled reinspections?
A: No. The configuration only affects new reinspections created after the setting is configured. Existing scheduled reinspections retain their current assignments.
Q: Which Default Reinspection Assignee strategy should I choose?
A: This depends on your department's workflow:
- Choose "Assigned To" for district-based accountability where the area owner should handle all follow-ups
- Choose "Scheduled To" when the inspector who physically performed the inspection should conduct the reinspection for continuity
- Choose "Logged In User" when your workflow requires the person identifying violations to take immediate responsibility for follow-up