Fire Hydrant Inspection Application

The Broken Arrow Fire Department needed a web application that could be used to perform its annual hydrant inspection program. In 2018, the City of Broken Arrow partnered with Meshek & Associates to create an ArcGIS Collector interface using a specially configured web map and feature service with customized backend scripting. The app allowed firefighters to collect hydrant inspection records — including photo attachments — and submit work orders for required maintenance to the utilities department.

Along with the app development, Meshek’s GIS experts trained the 150 fire department crew members how to use the program.

Since training the fire department’s personnel, we monitored the progress of the crews, providing additional support and guidance as needed. We effectively acted as assistant remote managers for a team of 150 field collection personnel – in this case, the fire department.

During the first year of inspections, the fire department was able to inspect nearly 6,000 hydrants every three months utilizing existing equipment and personnel.

As part of the second year of inspections we incorporated the ability to geocode their monthly fire calls and classify their mutual aid calls for reimbursement. We updated the adjacent PSAP boundaries where annexations occurred to better classify their mutual aid calls. This let them bill for previously unaccounted mutual aid expenses.

This project won audience acclaim at every conference where it was presented, including the Oklahoma SCAUG Tulsa User Group Meeting, the Oklahoma SCAUG Annual Conference, and the 2019 ESRI International User Conference (where the team received a special invitation to present).