Purpose Statement

The Assets Out of Service Log allows administrators and supervisors to track and document when apparatus and equipment are unavailable for service. This feature maintains a historical record of asset downtime, supports accurate reporting for availability metrics, and ensures proper documentation for maintenance, repairs, or other service interruptions. By maintaining detailed out-of-service logs, departments can analyze asset reliability, justify equipment replacement decisions, and ensure compliance with operational readiness requirements.

Background Information

The Out of Service Log is a critical component of asset management in the First Due platform. This feature enables departments to maintain comprehensive records of when apparatus and equipment were unavailable for emergency response, including vehicles, pumps, ladders, rescue equipment, and other essential assets.

Common use cases include:

• Documenting apparatus downtime for maintenance or repairs
• Tracking equipment that is temporarily unavailable due to damage
• Recording scheduled service intervals or annual inspections
• Building historical data for asset performance analysis
• Supporting grant applications or capital budget requests with reliability data

Prerequisites:

• Assets must already be created in the Assets module
• Users must have appropriate permissions to access and edit the Out of Service Log
• Understanding of your department's asset inventory and numbering system

Required Permissions

To access and manage the Out of Service Log, users need:

• Assets - View: Allows users to view asset information and out of service logs
• Assets - Edit: Required to add new time logs and edit existing out of service records

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Accessing the Out of Service Log

1. Navigate to the Assets module from the main menu
2. Select Out of Service Log from the Assets submenu

Editing an Existing Out of Service Log

1. Locate the log entry you need to modify in the Out of Service Log list
2. Click the edit pencil icon next to the entry
3. Update the Start Date/Time and/or End Date/Time as needed
4. Click Save to apply your changes

Filter the Out of Service Log

1. Access the Filter Panel
   
1. Click the Filter icon at the top of the Out of Service Log interface
   
2. The filter panel will open, displaying all available search criteria 
   
2. Filter by Apparatus, Equipment, or Asset Type
   
1. For Apparatus, enter keywords or find an Apparatus by selecting the specific Apparatus name
   
2. For Equipment, enter keywords or by finding the specific Equipment name
   
3. Select a specific Asset Type from the dropdown menu
   
3. Filter by Created By or Updated By
   
1. For both Created By and Updated By, enter a specific users name or find them in the roster list
   
4. Filter by Start or End Time, or Created At timeframes
   
1. Click Start Date or End Date to filter by a specific date range
   
2. Enter the appropriate timeframe in Created At to filter the log by a specific period
   

Adding a New Out of Service Time Log

1. Click the New Time Log button at the top of the Out of Service Log screen
2. Select the asset name from the dropdown menu (search by apparatus number or equipment name)
3. Enter the Start Date/Time when the asset was placed out of service
4. If applicable, enter the End Date/Time when the asset returned to service
5. Click Save to create the log entry

Important Notes:

1. Adding a new time log does NOT automatically update the current operational status of an asset to "In Service" or "Out of Service"
   
2. The Out of Service Log is for historical tracking purposes; real-time asset status should be managed separately through asset status updates
   

Create and Manage Saved Views

1. Create a New Saved View
• Click on the Ellipsis (⋮) next to the current view name at the top of the System Log
• Select Add View from the dropdown menu

Please reference the Assets: System Log article on creating, managing, and editing saved views with any Assets Log.

Importing Historical Out of Service Data

When adding past history prior to going live in First Due:

1. Start with the oldest timeframe first
2. Work chronologically toward the most recent date
3. This ensures accurate sequential logging and prevents confusion in historical reports
   

Downloading Out of Service Data

1. Find the download button at the bottom of the screen next to the change page options
   
2. Select download
   
3. A compatible .CSV file will download to your local files for use

Best Practices

Do:

• Enter out of service logs promptly when assets become unavailable
• Include complete date and time information for accurate duration tracking
• Enter historical data in chronological order (oldest to newest)
• Document the reason for out of service time in any available notes fields
• Review and verify log entries for accuracy before saving
• Keep consistent naming conventions when searching for assets

Don't:

• Rely on out of service logs alone to manage current asset status
• Enter future-dated out of service logs without a clear operational reason
• Leave end dates blank unless the asset is still currently out of service
• Forget to update logs when assets return to service earlier or later than expected

Tips:

• Use the search function in the asset dropdown to quickly locate specific apparatus or equipment
• Consider creating a standard workflow for tracking maintenance downtime to ensure logs are completed consistently
• Export out of service log data periodically for long-term record retention and analysis

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Why doesn't adding a new time log change my asset's current status? A: The Out of Service Log is a historical tracking tool. To change an asset's current operational status, you must update the asset status separately in the Assets module. The log maintains a record of past availability but does not control real-time status.

Q: Can I delete an out of service log entry if I made a mistake? A: Check your permissions settings. Users with appropriate edit permissions should be able to modify or remove incorrect entries. Contact your system administrator if you need additional access.

Q: What happens if I don't enter an End Date/Time? A: Leaving the End Date/Time blank indicates the asset is still out of service. Be sure to update the log with an end date once the asset returns to availability.

Q: Can I run reports based on out of service log data? A: Yes, First Due's reporting capabilities allow you to analyze asset downtime, calculate availability percentages, and identify patterns in equipment reliability using out of service log data.

Q: How far back should I enter historical data? A: This depends on your department's needs. Consider entering at least one year of historical data to establish baseline availability metrics, or more if you're tracking long-term asset performance trends.

Q: Can I edit logs for assets that have been retired or removed? A: This may depend on how the asset was archived in your system. Contact support if you need to modify logs for assets that are no longer active in your inventory.