Pre-Plans: Review Process

Pre-Plans: Review Process

Purpose Statement

  1. The Pre-Plan Review Process provides jurisdictions with greater control for standardization and consistency of their Pre-Plan Program. This workflow ensures all pre-plans undergo quality control before being published and made available to responding crews, maintaining department standards and accuracy across all pre-plan documentation.

Background Information

  1. When the Pre-Plan Program within First Due is configured with a review process, end users can only submit pre-plans for approval rather than publishing them directly. This creates a controlled workflow where designated reviewers with publish permissions must approve all pre-plans before they become available to responding crews. The review process helps maintain consistency, accuracy, and compliance with department SOPs across all pre-plan documentation.

Info
This workflow is intended for agencies that grant permission for users to add or edit a pre-plan but not publish them until they undergo a review with a user with "publish" permissions. Workflow example: 
  1. Step 1: Pre-Planning user creates/edits a Pre-Plan.
  2. Step 2: Pre-Planning user submits pre-plan.
  3. Step 3: Admin user with "publish" permission reviews the pre-plan for accuracy, quality, and consistency, and can publish (approve) or reject the pre-plan with feedback.

Required Permissions

  • Inspection - Pre-Plans – Publish: Allows user to click on Pre-Plan Reviewed while conducting an inspection and publish the Pre-Plan.
  • Pre-Plans - Publish: Allows user to publish Pre-Plans. Without this permission User can only save to Draft or Submit a Pre-Plan for review.
  • Pre-Plan Organizer: Allows user to access Pre-Plan Organizer
  • Pre-Plans - Read: Allows user to access the Pre-Plan in a read only state
  • Pre-Plans - Edit: Allows user to edit Pre-Plans
  • Edit Pre-Plan Organizer: Allows user to manage Pre-Plans within the Pre-Plan Organizer
  • Pre-Plans - Approve: Allows user to approve submitted Pre-Plans
  • Pre-Plans - Delete Saved: Allows user to Delete saved Pre-Plans
  • Pre-Plans - Delete All: Allows user to Delete ANY Pre-Plans.

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

1.  After a user has created or edited a pre-plan, they should select the Submit button.






2.  Users with the publish permission can locate submitted pre-plans needing review by navigating to Pre-Planning > Pre-Plan Organizer or Pre-Plan List






3.  Any Pre-Plan(s) needing review can be found by selecting "Pending Approval" in the Status dropdown and then selecting the Search button.




Pre-Plan Organizer



4.  To review the pre-plan, select the edit icon .





6.  After reviewing the Pre-Plan, the Reviewer has the ability to Publish, Reject, or Cancel within the Pre-Plan editing view.





7.  The Pre-Plan can also be Published or rejected without being reviewed by selecting the approve icon    , or reject the pre-plan by selecting the reject icon   .





8.  If the pre-plan is Rejected or Published, the reviewer can enter feedback to the user who submitted the pre-plan for approval.
WarningIf "Create a draft from this rejected preplan" is selected, the pre-plan will go into a Draft status, if it is unselected, the pre-plan will go into a Rejected status and the changes since the last Published status will be deleted.






9.  The user that submitted the Pre-Plan will automatically receive an e-mail with the feedback and a link to edit the pre-plan if rejected.




10.  Any feedback can also be viewed within the notes area of the Pre-Plan by selecting the Notes Icon.



Best Practices

Do's:

  • Review pre-plans promptly to maintain operational readiness
  • Provide specific, actionable feedback referencing department SOPs
  • Use the draft status option when rejecting to preserve user work
  • Maintain consistent review standards across all reviewers
  • Include positive reinforcement when approving quality pre-plans
  • Prioritize time-sensitive pre-plans for high-risk or new properties

Don'ts:

  • Don't provide vague feedback that doesn't help users improve
  • Don't delay reviews unnecessarily, impacting workflow efficiency
  • Don't use full rejection with deletion unless absolutely necessary
  • Don't approve pre-plans that don't meet department standards
  • Don't skip the feedback window, even for quick approvals/rejections

Tips:

  • Create a review checklist based on your department's pre-plan standards
  • Set up email notifications to stay informed of pending approvals
  • Use the Notes area to track feedback history for reference
  • Establish clear turnaround time expectations with your team
  • Consider batch reviewing multiple pre-plans for efficiency

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Why can't I see the Publish button on my pre-plan?
A: When the review process is enabled, end users only have access to the Submit button. Only reviewers with publish permissions can publish pre-plans.

Q: Where can I find my feedback after a pre-plan is reviewed?
A: Reviewer feedback is sent via email and also displayed in the Notes area of the pre-plan.

Q: What happens if I uncheck the box when rejecting a pre-plan?
A: This fully rejects the pre-plan and deletes all submitted edits. The user must start over from the last approved version (or from scratch for new pre-plans).

Q: Can I approve/reject pre-plans without reviewing them in detail?
A: Yes, you can use the quick checkmark (approve) or X (reject) options, but you'll still need to complete the feedback window.

Q: What's the difference between draft status and full rejection?
 A: Draft status preserves the user's work and allows modifications. Full rejection deletes all edits and requires starting over.

Related Articles

  1. Pre-Plans: Where to Start/Edit a Pre-Plan
  2. Pre-Plans: Pre-Plan Organizer Overview
  3. My Assigned Pre-Plans
  4. Pre-Plans: Understanding Pre-Plan Status


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