Purpose Statement 

Automatic Compliance Checks streamline the follow-up process for ITM (Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance) reports that identify critical deficiencies in fire protection systems. This feature enables fire departments to automatically schedule follow-up inspections when service providers submit ITM reports flagged with a Critical Deficiency status, ensuring timely verification that systems have been properly corrected and are back in compliance. The system tracks each compliance check throughout the entire series—from Initial inspection through multiple Reinspection's if needed—providing clear visibility into where each system stands in the compliance process. By automating this workflow, departments reduce manual scheduling tasks, improve response times to critical issues, and maintain better oversight of fire protection system compliance within their jurisdiction. 

Background Information 

When service providers perform ITM services on fire protection systems (such as sprinkler systems, fire alarms, or suppression systems), they submit reports through the Business Portal documenting the system status. When a system is found to have a Critical Deficiency—meaning it has a condition that significantly impairs the system's ability to protect the building—fire departments need to conduct a follow-up Compliance Check inspection to verify the deficiency has been corrected. 

Common Use Cases: 

• Fire sprinkler system with impaired water supply 
• Fire alarm system with failed communication path to monitoring station 
• Emergency lighting system with non-functional battery backup 
• Fire pump that fails operational testing 

Prerequisites: 

• ITM module must be enabled 
• Inspection Types configured (including a Compliance Check inspection type) 
• Initial Notification settings configured in ITM Setup 
• Service providers have access to Business Portal for ITM submissions 
• Occupancy records exist for properties requiring ITM services 

How It Works: 
 

The system monitors incoming ITM reports and automatically triggers actions based on the Initial System Status. When a Critical Deficiency is detected, the system can flag the report as Pending (requiring department review/approval), send notifications to designated personnel, and automatically schedule a Compliance Check inspection assigned to specific inspectors or teams. 
 

The system intelligently manages the compliance check series: 

• Initial Compliance Check: Created when the ITM report is first submitted with a deficiency 
• Reinspection's (Reinspection 1, 2, 3, etc.): Additional compliance checks scheduled if deficiencies persist or new issues are found 
• Status Protection: The system prevents duplicate inspections—if a compliance check already exists in Scheduled, In Progress, Ready to Review, or Completed status, no new compliance check will be created 

For multi-system ITM submissions (where one property has multiple fire protection systems), each system is tracked independently, allowing you to see exactly where each system stands in its own compliance check series. 

Required Permissions 

To configure automatic Compliance Checks and work with the ITM workflow, users need the following permissions: 

Configuration (Admin/Supervisor Level): 

• ITM Setup - Allows access to configure Initial Notifications and Compliance Check automation settings 
• Setup Inspection Types - Required to create or modify the Compliance Check inspection type 

Working with ITM Reports (Inspector/Review Level): 

• ITM Reports - Read - View submitted ITM reports 
• ITM Reports - Update - Approve or reject pending ITM submissions 
• ITM Manager (or equivalent review role) - Full access to approve/reject reports and manage compliance workflow 

Conducting Compliance Check Inspections: 

• Inspections - Create - Start new inspections including Compliance Checks 
• Inspections - Update - Complete and document Compliance Check inspections 
• Inspections - Read - View assigned inspections and related ITM report data 

 Video  

Step-By-Step Guide 

Part 1: Understanding ITM Reports and Compliance Check Tracking 

 
1. Click on the First Due logo in the upper left corner to access the main navigation menu. 

2. Click on ITM. and Select ITM Reports from the submenu. 

   

3. Understanding the ITM List View Columns 
 

When viewing the ITM Reports list, you'll see three key columns that help you track compliance check progress: 

Compliance Check Type – The inspection checklist used for this compliance check (e.g., "System Compliance Check") 

Compliance Check # – Which round of inspection: Initial (first check) or Reinspection 1, 2, 3, etc. (follow-ups) 

Inspection Status of Compliance Check – Current status of the latest compliance check: Scheduled, In Progress, Ready to Review, Completed, Completed with Failures, Completed with Citations, or Cancelled 

Important: For multi-system ITMs, each system row now displays its own latest compliance check status, not the same status across all systems. This makes it much easier to track where each system stands in the compliance process. 

 Utilize columns to view specific System Status on ITM Submissions.

4. Click on the Filter button at the top of the ITM Reports list. 

• Click on Filter to look for specific ITM Report Criteria

 5. For this example, we are looking at narrowing down our list by "Initial System Status" and Select "Critical Deficiency". 

6. The list now displays only ITM reports flagged with Critical Deficiency status. 

7. Identify reports showing Pending status and click the eye icon next to a report to view full details. 
   

 

8. In addition to being able to approve or reject an ITM submission from the list grid, you can now also make those changes from within the report itself after reviewing the information. 
 After reviewing the ITM report details, you can: 

• Click Approve to accept the report and proceed with the Compliance Check workflow 
• Click Reject to return the report to the service provider with notes for correction 

Part 2: Configuring Automatic Compliance Checks 

9. Click on the First Due logo in the upper left corner to access the main navigation menu.
 
 
 

10. Click on ITM Setup. 

 
 

11. Within ITM Setup, click on Initial Notifications. 

 
 

12. For this example, we will select "Critical Deficiency" 
 

Automatic Compliance checks can be established for all System Status Levels: Compliant, Non-Critical Deficiency, Critical Deficiency or Impairment. 

13. In the Notifications section, configure who should be alerted when Critical Deficiency reports are submitted. 

• Select notification method: Email, Text, or both 

14. In the Compliance Check section, check the box to Schedule Compliance Check. 
 

Notes: This enables automatic inspection scheduling for all Critical Deficiency submissions 
 

15. Choose the Inspection Type that will be used for Compliance Checks. 

Notes: Select whether Compliance Checks should be assigned to:  

• Specific User - Choose an individual inspector from the dropdown 
• Team - Select an inspection team from the dropdown 
   

16. Choose one of three scheduling options:   

• Will Call - Inspection is scheduled but date/time to be determined (inspector contacts property owner to schedule) 
• Today - Inspection is automatically scheduled for the current date 
• Number of Days - Specify how many days from submission the inspection should be scheduled (e.g., "3" for three business days out) 

Part 3: Conducting the Compliance Check Inspection 

17. Click on the First Due logo to return to the main navigation menu. 

18. Click on Inspections and select Inspections List. 

 

 

19. Filter for Inspection Type. 

 

 

20. Select Inspection Type from the filter options. 
 

• Choose the Inspection Type that was chosen in the setup for Compliance Check
   

21. Locate the occupancy/property for your Compliance Check. 
 

Click the Play button (triangle icon) next to the inspection to begin. 
 

22. While in the inspection checklist, click on ITM Report tab or button. 
 

23. This displays all information from the original ITM submission, including: 

• System details and deficiency description 
• Service provider notes 
• Photos and attachments 
• Date of original service 

24. Click Dismiss to return to your Inspection checklist. 
 
 
 

Best Practices

Configuration Best Practices

• Use Will Call scheduling for Compliance Checks when inspector availability varies or property access requires advance coordination.
• Set realistic timeframes. Consider allowing 3–5 business days for property owners to complete corrections before scheduling the Compliance Check.
• Assign inspections to teams rather than individuals, when possible, to distribute workload and provide flexibility for coverage.
• Enable email and text notifications to ensure critical deficiency alerts reach key personnel promptly.
• Review your notification list quarterly to ensure the appropriate personnel continue to receive alerts as staffing changes occur.

ITM Report Review Best Practices

• Review pending Critical Deficiency reports daily to maintain quick response times and demonstrate department responsiveness.
• Examine attached photos carefully before approving reports. Visual documentation can help verify the severity and nature of deficiencies.
• Communicate with service providers when report details are unclear or incomplete rather than immediately rejecting the report.
• Track approval and rejection patterns by service provider to identify potential training opportunities or compliance concerns.
• Document review notes when approving or rejecting reports for future reference and accountability.
• For multi-system ITMs, review each system's Compliance Check status individually. Do not assume all systems are at the same stage.

Compliance Check Inspection Best Practices

• Contact the property owner before arriving to confirm the deficiency has been corrected and coordinate access.
• Review the original ITM report before conducting the Compliance Check to understand which specific items require verification.
• Have the ITM report available on a mobile device or as a printed copy while on-site for easy reference.
• Document findings with photos showing the corrected condition of the system.
• Verify corrections with the property owner on-site to ensure they understand what was required and why.
• Follow up on any new issues discovered during the Compliance Check that were not part of the original deficiency.
• For reinspections, document why additional visits were required and what changed between inspections.

Tracking Compliance Check Series

• Use the Compliance Check # column to quickly identify properties that are progressing through multiple reinspection cycles.
• Monitor properties requiring Reinspection 2 or higher. These properties may require additional enforcement action or property owner education.
• Track the average time from the Initial Compliance Check through completion by property or service provider to identify patterns.
• Use the Inspection Status column to prioritize inspections in Ready to Review status for timely completion.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Compliance Check inspections are not being automatically created.

Verify that Schedule Compliance Check is enabled under ITM Setup > Initial Notifications > Critical Deficiency.

Confirm the selected Inspection Type exists and is active in the Inspection Types configuration.

Check that a valid user or team is assigned in the Compliance Check settings.

Ensure the ITM report was submitted with Critical Deficiency as the Initial System Status.

Verify there is not already an existing Compliance Check associated with the ITM report. The system will not create a duplicate when a Compliance Check already exists in Scheduled, In Progress, Ready to Review, or Completed status.

Inspectors are not receiving notifications about new Compliance Checks.

Verify that email addresses and phone numbers are entered correctly in the Notifications section.

Check the inspector's notification preferences in their user profile settings.

Confirm notifications are enabled at both the ITM Setup level and user level.

Test the notification configuration by having a service provider submit a test ITM report with a Critical Deficiency status.

I cannot find the ITM Report tab when conducting a Compliance Check.

Ensure the inspection was started by selecting the Play button from an inspection generated from an ITM report.

Verify your user role has the ITM Reports - Read permission.

Confirm the inspection is linked to an ITM submission. Manually created inspections will not have the ITM Report tab.

Contact information from the ITM report is not populating in the Occupancy record.

Verify the service provider completed the contact information fields in the ITM submission.

Check that the Occupancy record exists and is properly linked to the ITM report.

Ensure your user role has the required permissions to update Occupancy contact information.

I don't see the Compliance Check # column in my ITM Reports list.

Refresh your browser and clear the browser cache if necessary.

Verify you are viewing the ITM Reports list and not a custom view that may hide certain columns.

Check the column visibility settings to confirm the Compliance Check # column is enabled for the current view.

FAQs

Can I customize which system statuses trigger automatic Compliance Checks?

Yes. The Initial Notifications section allows automation to be configured for the available system status options. Critical Deficiency is a common use case, but departments can configure other statuses, such as Non-Critical Deficiency, based on their policies.

What happens if a property owner doesn't correct the Critical Deficiency before the scheduled Compliance Check?

The inspector should document the non-compliance during the Compliance Check inspection. The follow-up can then be tracked as Reinspection 1, allowing another inspection to be scheduled. The department can follow its applicable enforcement procedures according to local codes and policies.

Can I change the assigned inspector after the Compliance Check is automatically scheduled?

Yes. Inspections can be reassigned after creation. Navigate to the inspection in the Inspections List, edit the inspection, and change the assigned user or team. This allows departments to balance workloads and provide coverage when inspectors are unavailable.

Will the service provider know when the Compliance Check has been completed?

Service providers can view the status of their submitted ITM reports in the Business Portal. When the Compliance Check is completed and the report is finalized, the updated status is available. Notification settings can also be configured to notify service providers of applicable status changes.

How far back can I view ITM reports and Compliance Check history?

Historical ITM reports and associated inspections can be accessed through the ITM Reports list or the Occupancy's Inspection History. Use the available date range filters to locate older records efficiently.

Can multiple Compliance Checks be required for a single ITM report?

Yes. If the Initial Compliance Check determines that the deficiency has not been fully corrected, additional Compliance Check inspections can be scheduled. These are tracked as Reinspection 1, Reinspection 2, and subsequent reinspections in the Compliance Check # column. Document the reason for each follow-up in the inspection notes.

What does "Ready to Review" mean in the Inspection Status column?

Ready to Review indicates that the inspector has completed the field inspection and the Compliance Check is awaiting final review before being marked Completed. The system treats Ready to Review as an existing Compliance Check status and will not create a duplicate inspection for the same Compliance Check.

How do I know if I'm conducting an Initial inspection or a Reinspection?

Review the Compliance Check # column in the ITM Reports list. Initial inspections display Initial, while subsequent inspections display Reinspection 1, Reinspection 2, and so on.

Why can't I create a new Compliance Check for an ITM report that already has one scheduled?

The system prevents duplicate Compliance Checks when an applicable inspection already exists. If a Compliance Check is in Scheduled, In Progress, Ready to Review, or Completed status, another duplicate Compliance Check will not be automatically created. This allows the Compliance Check series to progress sequentially from Initial → Reinspection 1 → Reinspection 2, and so on.