Team Inspections
Purpose Statement
Team Inspections enables multiple fire inspectors to collaborate on a single inspection at the same location. This feature allows inspection teams to divide responsibilities across different areas of large buildings or complex properties, improving efficiency while maintaining comprehensive documentation. Each inspector completes their assigned portion independently, with all findings consolidated into one unified report.
Background Information
Traditional single-inspector workflows can be time-consuming for large commercial buildings, industrial facilities, or multi-story structures. Team Inspections addresses this challenge by allowing a primary inspector to invite secondary inspectors to work simultaneously on different sections of the same inspection.
Common Use Cases:
- Large commercial buildings requiring multiple inspectors to cover different floors or wings
- Complex industrial facilities with specialized areas
- Time-sensitive inspections where efficiency is critical
- Training scenarios where experienced inspectors mentor newer team members
Prerequisites:
- Inspection must be in "In Progress" status
- All inspectors must have appropriate permissions
- For clients with data sharing enabled, all inspectors must have access to the specific location
Required Permissions
Primary Inspector (to invite secondary inspectors):
- Team - Inspection Request
- Fire Inspection - Complete Inspection
- Fire Inspections - Create
Secondary Inspector (to be invited and participate):
- Fire Inspection - Complete Inspection
- Fire Inspections - Create
**Note:** For organizations with data sharing enabled, only inspectors with access to the specific location will appear in the inspector selection list.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
For Primary Inspectors: Inviting Secondary Inspectors
1. Start the inspection as you normally would through your inspection workflow.
2. Navigate to the Checklist tab within the active inspection.
3. Click the "+ Request Inspectors" button (this button only appears when the inspection status is "In Progress").
4. Select secondary inspectors from the dropdown menu. Only inspectors with proper permissions and location access will appear in the list.
5. Confirm your selections by clicking on the Request button. Secondary inspectors will receive both an email notification and a Notification Center alert.
6. Monitor progress by clicking the "Request Inspector area" button to refresh and view the current status of all secondary inspections.
7. Review secondary findings using the arrow buttons to view each secondary inspector's checklist (view-only). The "Assigned To" column in Review Violations shows which inspector found each issue.
8. Complete the primary inspection once all secondary inspections show "Completed" status. The system will validate that all secondary inspections are finished before allowing you to add signatures or finalize.
For Secondary Inspectors: Participating in Team Inspections
1. Check for notifications in your email and Notification Center when invited to a team inspection. Access the inspection by clicking the Notification Center alert OR by copying the plain-text URL from the email and pasting it into a browser where you're already logged into First Due.
3. Download inspection data by accessing the inspection online first (required for offline capability).
4. Complete your assigned checklist items, adding codes, remarks, and photos as needed to document your findings.
5. Use remarks to identify location context (e.g., "2nd Floor East Wing," "Mechanical Room B") so other inspectors understand which area you covered.
6. Work offline if needed after your initial online access. Sync indicators will show your connection status, and data will sync automatically when restored.
7. Mark your inspection complete when you've finished your portion of the checklist.
Best Practices
For Primary Inspectors:
- Communicate with secondary inspectors before starting to assign specific areas or responsibilities
- Refresh inspector status regularly by clicking "Request Inspector" to see real-time progress
- Review all secondary checklists before finalizing to ensure comprehensive coverage
- Use the "Assigned To" column to track which inspector documented each finding
For Secondary Inspectors:
- Always access the inspection online first, even if you plan to work offline
- Use clear, descriptive remarks to indicate which building area your responses cover
- Add detailed photo captions to provide context for your findings
- Check sync status regularly if working offline to ensure your data is saved
General Tips:
- Coordinate inspection areas before starting to avoid duplicate coverage
- Ensure all inspectors understand the checklist structure and requirements
- Plan for connectivity if working in areas with limited signal
- Communicate any issues or questions promptly to the primary inspector
Use Case Examples
Example 1: Large Commercial Office Building
A 10-story office building requires annual fire inspection. The primary inspector assigns the 1st-5th floors to themselves and invites two secondary inspectors to cover the 6th-10th floors and common areas/mechanical rooms respectively. Each inspector completes their sections simultaneously, reducing total inspection time from 8 hours to 3 hours.
Example 2: Industrial Manufacturing Facility
A complex manufacturing plant with specialized areas requires expertise in different systems. The primary inspector handles general fire safety while secondary inspectors with specialized knowledge cover the chemical storage area and high-hazard production zones. All findings merge into one comprehensive report.
Example 3: Training and Mentorship
An experienced inspector (primary) invites a trainee (secondary) to participate in an inspection. The trainee handles straightforward sections while the primary inspector covers complex areas, allowing for hands-on training with supervision and unified documentation.
What Inspectors Can and Cannot Do
Secondary Inspectors CAN:
- Complete inspection checklist items
- Add and edit photo captions
- Associate codes and remarks
- Create ad-hoc violations
- Clone checklist items
- Update Completed At/Time fields
- Work offline after initial online access
Secondary Inspectors CANNOT:
- Edit occupancy fields or pre-plan data
- Manage contacts
- Create permits or invoices
- Track time
- Send inspection reports
- Add signatures
- Schedule inspections
- Add attachments
- Invite additional inspectors
Key Features and Behaviors
Inspector Switching:
Primary inspectors can view all secondary checklists in read-only mode using arrow buttons. Each inspector's work remains separate but viewable for coordination.
Completion Requirements:
All secondary inspections must be completed before the primary inspection can be finalized. The system validates completion status when the primary inspector attempts to add signatures or complete the inspection.
Offline Support:
Secondary inspectors must access the inspection online first to download data. After initial access, offline work is supported with automatic syncing when connection is restored.
Unified Reporting:
One comprehensive report includes findings from all inspectors. Primary inspector responses appear first, followed by secondary inspectors, with each inspector's full context preserved.
Re-inspections:
Re-inspections merge all previous inspectors' checklists into one view, showing all primary inspection items plus answered items from secondary inspections. Duplicate answers are labeled (2nd instance, 3rd instance, etc.).
Note: You cannot invite secondary inspectors on re-inspections.
Checklist Consistency:
If a checklist template is modified after an inspection starts, all inspectors work with the same checklist version from when the inspection was created, ensuring consistency across the entire team.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Q: Secondary inspector can't access the inspection from the email link.
A: The clickable email link may not work directly. Have the secondary inspector copy the plain-text URL from the email and paste it into a browser where they're already logged into First Due. Alternatively, use the Notification Center link, which is more reliable.
Q: I can't complete the primary inspection.
A: Verify all secondary inspections show "Completed" status. Click the "Request Inspector" button to refresh and see current statuses. The system requires all secondary inspections to be finished before allowing primary completion.
Q: Wrong inspectors are appearing in the dropdown menu.
A: Verify the inspector has the required permissions (Fire Inspection - Complete Inspection and Fire Inspections - Create). For organizations with data sharing enabled, also verify the inspector has access to this specific location.
Q: Can I reopen a team inspection after it's completed?
A: No, reopening team inspections is not currently supported. Team inspections cannot be edited after any secondary inspection is completed.
Q: Can I use team inspections for re-inspections?
A: No, the team inspection functionality is only available for initial inspections. Re-inspections will merge results from previous team inspections but cannot use the team collaboration feature.
Feature Limitations
- Only supports initial inspections (re-inspections merge results but cannot use team functionality)
- Reopening team inspections is not supported
- Team inspections cannot be edited after any secondary inspection is completed
- Secondary inspectors have limited functionality compared to primary inspectors (see "What Inspectors Can and Cannot Do" section)
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