Purpose Statement
The Location Mapping Tool allows departments to define an operational boundary for incident locations and require address validation when users document incidents.
When address validation is enabled, users are prevented from proceeding with an incident location that is outside the department's defined operational boundary or contains an unverified address. This helps ensure incident locations are valid before users continue with incident documentation.
Background Information
The Location Mapping Tool is configured within Fire Incident Setup under the Response section.
Administrators can define their department's operational boundary using either a freehand or polygon drawing tool. Once the boundary is established, address validation can be enabled to validate incident locations against the configured area.
When validation is required, an incident location must meet the configured location requirements before the user can proceed.
Required Permissions
The transcript does not identify the specific First Due permissions required to configure the Location Mapping Tool.
Users must have appropriate access to:
- Incident Documentation
- Fire Incident Setup
- Location Mapping Tool configuration
Verify the user's assigned permissions before attempting to modify the operational boundary or address validation settings.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Navigate to Fire Incident Setup
- From the module stack, select Incident Documentation.
- Select Fire Incident Setup.
2. Locate the Location Mapping Tool
- Navigate to the Response section.
- Locate the Location Mapping Tool.
Select Configure Operational Boundary.
3. Define the Operational Boundary
- Choose one of the available boundary drawing options:
- Freehand Area Tool
- Polygon Area Tool
- Use the selected tool to define your department's operational boundary on the map.
- Verify that the boundary covers the intended operational area.
Select Save.
4. Enable Address Validation
- Locate the option to require address validation through the mapping tool.
- Select the checkbox to enable address validation.
- Once enabled, incident locations that are outside the defined operational boundary or have an unverified address will prevent the user from proceeding until a valid location is provided.
5. Verify Error Validation
- Open an incident where the location can be entered or reviewed.
- Enter or select a location that does not meet the configured validation requirements.
- Review the Display on Map area.
- Verify that an error validation appears when the incident location is outside the configured operational boundary or does not contain a verified address.
- Provide a valid incident location to satisfy the validation requirements and continue with incident documentation.
Best Practices
- Define the operational boundary carefully to reflect the department's intended response area.
- Review the completed boundary before selecting Save.
- Choose the drawing tool that best matches the complexity of your department's boundary.
- Enable address validation when incident locations should be verified before users proceed with documentation.
- Test the configuration after enabling validation to confirm that locations outside the boundary produce the expected validation error.
- Periodically review the operational boundary and update it when the department's response area changes.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why isn't an invalid incident location generating an error?
Verify that the option requiring address validation through the mapping tool has been enabled. Also confirm that the operational boundary has been configured and saved.
What happens when an incident location is outside the operational boundary?
When address validation is enabled, a user submitting a location outside the defined boundary will be prevented from proceeding until a valid location is provided.
What happens if the address cannot be verified?
With address validation enabled, an unverified address will prevent the user from proceeding until a valid location is provided.
How can I tell that location validation is working?
Test a location that does not meet the configured requirements. The Display on Map area should display an error validation corresponding to the invalid location.
Which tool should I use to create the operational boundary?
The configuration provides both a Freehand Area Tool and a Polygon Area Tool. Select the option that best allows you to define your department's operational boundary.