Monthly Release Webinar
Learn About New Features in First Due
Each month, we’ll cover the latest First Due releases in a dedicated webinar. Join us to review new features, product updates, and enhancements designed to help your agency get the most out of First Due.
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New Features
Electronic Product Code (EPC) Support for Kit Records
- What - Kit records now include an Electronic Product Code (EPC) field to support RFID identification and tracking. EPC values can contain up to 30 characters, including supported special characters, and are available across Kit records, list and saved views, search, imports, CSV downloads, exports, and reporting.
- Why - Adding a dedicated EPC field allows RFID tags to be associated with individual Kits, providing the underlying identification needed for RFID-based inventory and location tracking.
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How
- Enter or update the EPC value when creating or editing a Kit record.
- Use the EPC value when searching for Kit records.
- Add EPC as a column in the Kit Master View or a saved view.
- Use EPC as saved-view criteria or a filter where applicable.
- Map EPC values when importing Kit records through the Import Wizard.
- Include the EPC field when downloading Kit information as a CSV or when selecting fields for export.
- Include EPC information in supported Kit reporting.
- EPC values support up to 30 characters, including the supported special characters available for SKU inventory.
- Use Case - An organization implementing RFID tracking can assign an EPC value to a Kit and associate that value with its RFID tag. Users can then search for the Kit by EPC, include the identifier in views and reports, or import existing EPC assignments in bulk to support RFID-enabled inventory and location workflows.
Current APU Generator Hours for Apparatus
- What - Apparatus records now support Current APU Generator Hours, allowing users to track APU generator usage separately from other apparatus meter readings. APU hours can be maintained on the apparatus record, updated through checks, used with Preventative Maintenance triggers, displayed in list and custom views, captured on Work Orders, configured through Field Management, and made available for reporting.
- Why - Tracking APU generator hours separately from engine, aerial, and odometer readings provides a more complete record of apparatus usage and supports maintenance workflows that depend specifically on APU operating hours.
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How
- View or update Current APU Generator Hours on the Apparatus record. The field accepts decimal values from 0–99,999.00.
- When configuring a check, select Current APU Generator Hours from the field update options to allow users to record the current value during a check.
- Configure a threshold when applicable. If a submitted value exceeds the configured threshold, the user is notified that the value exceeds the threshold.
- Values lower than the previously recorded value are prevented from being saved unless the user has the Override Apparatus Records permission.
- Select APU hours as a trigger when configuring applicable Preventative Maintenance.
- Add Current APU Generator Hours to the master Apparatus list or use it as a column or filter in custom views.
- When an Apparatus Work Order is created, the current APU hours are captured in the Work Order's APU Hours field. This captures the value at the time the Work Order is created and the Work Order value can subsequently be edited.
- Administrators can use Field Management to rename the field label, configure permissions, or make the field required for save.
- Use Case - During a routine apparatus check, a user can record the current APU generator hours along with other apparatus readings. The submitted value updates the Apparatus record and can later be used for maintenance triggers, list filtering, reporting, or captured on a Work Order to document the APU hours at the time maintenance work begins.
Feature Enhancements
Standardized Close Confirmation Experience
- What - Close confirmation prompts have been standardized across the application to provide a consistent experience whenever users attempt to leave a modal or editable page with unsaved changes. The updated Close confirmation provides clear options to Save, Exit without Saving, or Cancel.
- Why - Previously, different areas of the application used different confirmation messages, layouts, and button labels when users attempted to leave their work. Standardizing these prompts makes the result of each option clearer and helps users avoid accidentally saving or discarding changes.
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How
- When leaving a modal or editable page with no unsaved changes, continue normally; no confirmation is displayed.
- If unsaved changes exist, the Close confirmation appears.
- Select Save to save the changes and exit.
- Select Exit without Saving to discard the changes and exit.
- Select Cancel or the X to return to your work without losing the current changes.
- On desktop, the actions appear as Cancel, Exit without Saving, and Save.
- On mobile or narrow screens, the actions are stacked as Save, Exit without Saving, and Cancel.
- Some workflows may display additional contextual messaging when leaving could have other consequences, such as resetting checklist progress.
- Use Case - A user makes changes to a record and then attempts to leave before saving. Instead of encountering different confirmation prompts depending on the area of the application, the user receives the standardized Close confirmation and can clearly choose whether to save the work, discard the changes, or return to editing.
Upgraded Barcode Scanning Engine for Improved Workflow Reliability
- What - The barcode scanning engine has been updated to use Dynamsoft while maintaining existing barcode-supported workflows. The update is designed to provide reliable barcode scanning without changing how users perform scans.
- Why - Updating the underlying scanning technology improves the performance and compatibility of barcode functionality while allowing users to continue using their existing barcode workflows.
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How
- Navigate to an existing workflow that supports barcode scanning.
- Use the barcode scanner as you normally would.
- No additional user configuration or setup is required.
- Existing barcode workflows continue to use the same user-facing scanning process.
- Use Case - A user scanning barcodes while working with equipment or inventory can continue using the existing scanning workflow while benefiting from the updated barcode scanning engine behind the scenes.
Bug Fixes
Unified NERIS ID for Apparatus Records and Imports
- What - Apparatus records now use the NERIS Unit ID as the unified NERIS identifier, resolving an issue where two separate NERIS ID fields could be used by different workflows. Existing NERIS ID values are migrated to the NERIS Unit ID when that field is blank, and Apparatus imports now map NERIS IDs to the correct field.
- Why - Previously, Apparatus records contained two NERIS identifier fields, which could cause imported values to be stored separately from the identifier used by NERIS integrations. Consolidating these workflows around the NERIS Unit ID reduces confusion and helps prevent an existing apparatus from unintentionally receiving a different identifier.
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How
- View the unified NERIS Unit ID on the Apparatus record.
- Use the Apparatus Import Wizard to upload or update the NERIS Unit ID when the supplied value matches the required schema.
- A blank NERIS Unit ID in an import does not overwrite an existing value.
- A valid supplied value can update an existing NERIS Unit ID.
- Use NERIS Unit ID in supported Apparatus list-view searches, filters, criteria, and reporting.
- Administrators can access NERIS Unit ID through Field Management to manage field access.
- The previous NERIS ID field is deprecated in Apparatus Ad-Hoc Reporting.
- Use Case - An organization importing existing apparatus with established NERIS identifiers can populate the NERIS Unit ID through the Apparatus Import Wizard. The same identifier is then visible on the Apparatus record and available in supported views and reporting, helping ensure the identifier users manage is the one used by the associated NERIS workflow.