Pre-Plans: Map Overview

Pre-Plans: Map Overview

Purpose Statement

  1. The Pre-Plans Map section within the Pre-Plans module provides users with a comprehensive geographic view of occupancies and related emergency response resources. This feature combines mapping capabilities with pre-plan data to enhance situational awareness, enable distance measurements, and support tactical planning by visualizing occupancies, hydrants, hazmat locations, and other critical information in an interactive map interface.

Background Information

  1. The Pre-Plans Map is essential for fire departments and EMS agencies that need visual geographic context for their pre-plan data. This feature integrates many of the same capabilities found in the web responder map and is commonly used for pre-incident planning, training exercises, response route planning, and tactical size-up preparation. The map interface supports various layers of information and measurement tools to enhance operational effectiveness and spatial awareness.

Required Permissions

  • Pre-Plans - Read: Allows user to access the Pre-Plan in a read only state
  • Pre-Plans - Edit: Allows user to edit Pre-Plans

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Click on Pre-Plans Map via the Pre-Planning Module.






2. The search bar allows the User to search by keywords, business name or address.
Alert
This search is powered by Google Maps and not the Occupancy information within the First Due System







3.  The display of Secondary Addresses can be toggled with this Address Tree Icon.







4.  Map Layers opens a right-side menu that offers the following options:
  1. (4A)  Toggle Secondary Addresses on/off
  2. (4B)  Toggle Hydrants, Pre-Plan Unit, Pre-Plan HAZMATs, and Pre-Plan Annotations on/off
  3. (4C)  Toggle Regional Pre-Plan Layers on/off (Currently in Beta Testing)






5.  Toggle Google Points of Interest on/Off






6.  Takes the User to the Pre-Plan List.






7.  Click on the ruler icon to use the ruler tool. Select at least 2 points on the Map and then choose a measurement display option.






8. Click the target icon to center the map on the device's current location.






9. Select Google Pegman to see enter Google Street View on the Map.






10. Zoom in or out of the Pre-Plan Map





11. Switch Between Google and ArcGIS maps within the Pre-Plan Map. 





12. Within the Google Map users can also select between Satellite and Map views. As well as turn on/off Labels in Satellite View and turn on/off Terrain in Map View.






13. Clicking on the Occupancy Icon (Green house) the following options are available depending on Role Permissions.
  1. Access Pre-Plan
  2. Dashboard
  3. Clone Address   
  4. Start an Inspection
  5. Delete the Pre-Plan (Trash Can Icon)






14. Only Ground Level Pre-Plan Units are displayed. Click on any Pre-Plan Unit to see additional information about that Pre-Plan Unit.




Best Practices

Do's

  • Use appropriate map layers for your specific operational needs to avoid clutter
  • Take advantage of measurement tools for pre-incident planning and tactical decision-making
  • Utilize street view for familiarization with building approaches and access points
  • Regularly toggle between satellite and map views for comprehensive situational awareness
  • Use secondary address display when working with complex occupancies
  • Clear measurements when finished to maintain a clean workspace

Don'ts

  • Don't rely solely on Google Maps search for First Due specific data
  • Don't leave unnecessary layers enabled as they can create visual confusion
  • Don't forget to clear measurements after completing distance calculations
  • Don't assume all occupancies will appear in Google Maps search results

Tips

  • Combine satellite view with labels for optimal detail when examining specific occupancies
  • Use the measurement tool to pre-calculate response distances and establish tactical positions
  • Street view is particularly valuable for pre-incident planning and training familiarization
  • Toggle terrain view when topographical features might impact response operations
  • Use current location feature when conducting field inspections or training exercises

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Why can't I find a specific occupancy when searching?
A: Remember that search is powered by Google Maps, not First Due data. Try searching by street address rather than occupancy name, or navigate directly through the map layers.

Q: My current location isn't working - what should I check?
A: Verify that location services are enabled on your device and that your browser has permission to access location data.

Q: Why don't I see hydrant locations on my map?
A: Check that the hydrants layer is enabled in Map Layers, and verify that hydrant data has been populated in your system.

Q: The measurement tool isn't giving me accurate distances - why?
A: Ensure you're clicking precisely on your intended points and that you're accounting for terrain when measuring tactical distances.

Q: Street view isn't available for my location - what does this mean?
A: Google Street View coverage varies by location. Blue highlighted lines indicate where street view is available.

Related Articles

  1. Pre-Plans: Managing Occupancy Markers or Address Points
  2. Pre-Plans: Managing ArcGIS Layers

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