Inspect Hydrants

This guide walks you through creating hydrant runs, organizing inspection routes, and conducting hydrant inspections both internally and publicly.

Prerequisites

• Access to your brigade’s StationOne instance
• For creating runs: Brigade admin or organisation admin role
• For inspections: Unit member (or public access if enabled)
• Hydrants already created in the system

Steps

1. Navigate to Hydrant Runs

1. Log in to StationOne
2. Select your organisation and unit (if applicable)
3. Click Hydrants in the main navigation
4. Click Hydrant Runs tab
5. Click New Hydrant Run button

2. Create Hydrant Run

Fill in the run details:

Basic Information

Name (required)

• Descriptive route name
• Example: “Downtown Route”, “Station 2 Area”, “East District”

Description (optional)

• Additional details about the run
• Typical inspection schedule
• Special notes or requirements

Save Run

Click Create Hydrant Run to save.

The run is created without hydrants - you’ll add them next.

3. Add Hydrants to Run

There are three ways to add hydrants to a run:

Method 1: Individual Selection

Add specific hydrants one at a time:

1. Open the hydrant run
2. Scroll to Available Hydrants section
3. Click Add next to each hydrant you want
4. Hydrant moves to Run Hydrants list

Method 2: Polygon Selection (Bulk Add)

Select multiple hydrants by drawing an area on the map:

1. Open the hydrant run
2. Click Add by Area button
3. Map view opens with drawing tools
4. Click points on map to draw polygon around desired hydrants
5. Close polygon by clicking first point
6. Click Add Selected Hydrants
7. All hydrants within polygon are added to run

Tips for Polygon Selection:

• Zoom in for precision
• Include entire area you want
• Can draw complex shapes with many points
• Preview shows hydrant count before adding

Method 3: Add During Inspection

Add hydrants while conducting a public inspection (less common).

4. Reorder Hydrants in Run

Organize hydrants for efficient routing:

1. Open the hydrant run
2. View Run Hydrants list
3. Use drag-and-drop to reorder:
   • Click and hold hydrant row
   • Drag to new position
   • Release to drop
4. Click Save Order

Route Optimization Tips:

• Start from brigade station
• Minimize backtracking
• Group nearby hydrants
• Consider traffic patterns
• Plan for efficient travel

5. Remove Hydrants from Run

Remove hydrants that shouldn’t be in the run:

1. Open the hydrant run
2. Find hydrant in Run Hydrants list
3. Click Remove button
4. Hydrant removed from run (still exists in system)

6. Enable Public Access for Run

Allow volunteers to inspect this run:

1. Open the hydrant run
2. Click Toggle Public Access button
3. Public access enabled
4. Unique token generated
5. QR code displayed

What Gets Enabled:

• Public URL for this specific run
• QR code for printing
• Unauthenticated inspection access
• Name entry for public inspectors

7. Generate QR Code

Create printable QR code for volunteers:

1. Open hydrant run with public access enabled
2. Scroll to Public Access section
3. QR code displayed
4. Click Download QR Code or take screenshot
5. Print on inspection sheets or signage

Using QR Codes:

• Print on inspection clipboards
• Display at volunteer events
• Include in community newsletters
• Post at brigade station

8. Regenerate Public Token

Invalidate old QR codes and create new one:

1. Open the hydrant run
2. Click Regenerate Token button
3. New token created
4. Old QR codes no longer work
5. New QR code displayed

When to Regenerate:

• QR code shared too widely
• Ending public inspection event
• Security concerns
• Start of new inspection season

Conducting Inspections

Internal Inspection (Authenticated)

Brigade members inspect via their accounts:

1. Log in to StationOne
2. Navigate to Hydrants → Hydrant Runs
3. Open the run you want to inspect
4. Click Start Inspection
5. For each hydrant in sequence:
   • View hydrant location on map
   • Navigate to physical hydrant
   • Complete inspection checklist
   • Click Next Hydrant
6. Complete all hydrants in run
7. Click Finish Run

Default Inspection Checklist:

• ☐ Clear of debris
• ☐ Post present
• ☐ Reflector present
• ☐ Road reflector present
• ☐ White road triangle present
• ☐ Accessible
• ☐ Functional

Each item is pass/fail with an optional comment. Units can turn off checks that don’t apply and add their own — see Configure Inspection Checklist — so the checklist you see may differ from the list above.

Pipe Diameter: If the hydrant doesn’t already have a pipe diameter recorded (common for hydrants newly claimed from the statewide pool), the inspection form includes an optional Pipe Diameter field. Filling it in saves it directly to the hydrant record so future inspections won’t ask again — it only appears while the hydrant’s pipe diameter is still blank.

Public Inspection (Unauthenticated)

Volunteers inspect via QR code:

1. Scan QR code with mobile device
2. Enter name when prompted:
   • Type name manually, or
   • Select from unit member list if you’re a member
3. Add members present (optional):
   • Add other inspectors helping
   • Multiple names can be added
4. Inspect first hydrant:
   • View location on map
   • Navigate to physical hydrant
   • Complete the inspection checklist
   • Add comment if debris present
   • Click Next Hydrant
5. Continue through run:
   • Inspect each hydrant in order
   • Mark pass/fail for each check
   • Move to next hydrant
6. Complete inspection:
   • Finish last hydrant
   • Click Submit
   • Inspection recorded

Public Inspection Features:

• No login required
• Works on any mobile device
• GPS map for navigation
• Progress indicator
• Can pause and resume

Suggest a Corrected Hydrant Location

If a hydrant isn’t where the map says it is, flag it while inspecting instead of leaving it for someone else to notice:

1. During the inspection, check This hydrant is in the wrong location (this section also opens automatically if you check Unable to locate this hydrant)
2. A map appears — click where the hydrant actually is to drop a pin
3. The latitude/longitude fields fill in automatically; adjust manually if needed
4. Add an optional comment describing where you found it
5. Continue and submit the rest of the inspection as normal

What Happens Next:

• The hydrant’s location is not changed immediately
• The correction is sent to unit admins for review (in-app notification and email)
• The hydrant shows a review banner on its detail page until an admin approves or rejects it
• Available in both internal and public (QR code) inspections

See Review Location Corrections for the admin-side approval workflow.

Unclaimed Hydrants

Hydrants loaded statewide but not yet claimed by any unit (see Unclaimed Hydrants) can still be inspected — you don’t need to wait for your unit to claim a hydrant before checking on it:

• Open the hydrant from Map View (grey pin) and click Inspect as normal, or scan a QR code that points at it
• Because an unclaimed hydrant has no owning unit, the inspection uses your own unit’s checklist configuration (including any custom checks and disabled defaults) rather than a checklist belonging to nobody
• The checklist actually used is permanently recorded against that inspection, so it stays accurate even if the hydrant is later claimed by a unit with a different checklist configuration
• A hydrant already claimed by a different unit in your organisation is not inspectable by you — its detail and inspection pages are off-limits, though you can still see its status on the map and log operational use against it

Inspection from Mobile Device

Access hydrant runs from field:

1. Open StationOne on mobile browser
2. Log in (for internal) or scan QR (for public)
3. Inspection interface is mobile-responsive
4. Use GPS for navigation to hydrants
5. Complete checklists on-site
6. Submit results

Next Steps

After creating runs and conducting inspections, you may want to:

View Inspection History

See all past inspections for a hydrant:

1. Navigate to Hydrants
2. Click on specific hydrant
3. Scroll to Inspection History
4. View all inspections with dates and results

Log Operational Use

Recording an inspection isn’t the only thing you can log against a hydrant — see Log Operational Use to record pressure and a timestamp whenever a crew actually draws water from one, whether or not it’s during a scheduled run.

Monitor Overdue Hydrants

Track which hydrants need inspection:

1. Navigate to Dashboard
2. Check Overdue Hydrants widget
3. Or navigate to Hydrants
4. Filter by Overdue status
5. Prioritize these for next run

Generate Inspection Reports

Create reports for compliance or review:

1. Navigate to Hydrants → Reports
2. Select report type:
   • Inspection status overview
   • Overdue hydrants list
   • Inspection history by hydrant
   • Run completion reports
3. Set date range if applicable
4. Click Generate Report
5. Export as PDF or CSV

Edit Hydrant Run

Update run details or name:

1. Open the hydrant run
2. Click Edit button
3. Update name or description
4. Click Save

Delete Hydrant Run

Remove a run completely:

1. Open the hydrant run
2. Click Delete button
3. Confirm deletion
4. Run deleted (hydrants remain in system)

Note: Inspection history is preserved even after run deletion.

Tips

Planning Effective Runs

Run Size:

• 10-20 hydrants for single session
• 20-50 for full-day event
• Group geographically for efficiency

Naming Conventions:

• Use clear, descriptive names
• Include area or route number
• Examples: “Route 1 - Main Street”, “East Quadrant”, “Industrial Zone”

Timing:

• Plan for 5-10 minutes per hydrant
• Include travel time between hydrants
• Account for access challenges
• Build in buffer time

Using Polygon Selection

Best Practices:

• Zoom in before drawing
• Click precisely on map
• Close polygon completely
• Review count before confirming

Common Patterns:

• Draw around neighborhood boundaries
• Follow road networks
• Select grid sections
• Exclude non-brigade areas

Public Inspection Events

Preparation:

• Create runs in advance
• Print QR codes on clipboards
• Brief volunteers on checklist
• Assign run leaders
• Provide maps or navigation support

During Event:

• Monitor submissions in real-time
• Answer volunteer questions
• Track completion progress
• Document issues found

After Event:

• Review all submitted inspections
• Follow up on failed items
• Thank volunteers
• Generate summary report

Inspection Accuracy

Training Inspectors:

• Explain each checklist item
• Show examples of pass/fail
• Demonstrate debris assessment
• Practice on test hydrants

Quality Control:

• Review public submissions
• Verify suspicious failures
• Re-inspect questionable results
• Provide feedback to inspectors

Managing Inspector Names

Public Inspections:

• Encourage real names for accountability
• Track frequent volunteers
• Build community recognition
• Export inspector lists

Member Selection:

• Members can select from dropdown
• Faster than typing
• Maintains consistency
• Links to user accounts

Common Issues

Cannot Add Hydrants to Run

If hydrants won’t add:

1. Verify hydrants belong to your unit
2. Check hydrant isn’t already in run
3. Ensure you have proper permissions
4. Refresh page and try again

QR Code Not Working

If QR code doesn’t scan or load:

1. Verify public access is enabled
2. Check network connectivity
3. Try regenerating token
4. Test with different QR scanner app
5. Ensure QR code image is clear

Hydrants Out of Order

If hydrants appear in wrong sequence:

1. Use drag-and-drop to reorder
2. Click Save Order
3. Refresh page to verify
4. Reorder as needed

Public Inspector Can’t Submit

If submission fails:

1. Check network connection
2. Verify all required fields completed
3. Ensure name is entered
4. Try refreshing page
5. Check if public access was disabled

Missing Inspection History

If past inspections don’t show:

1. Verify you’re viewing correct hydrant
2. Check date range filters
3. Confirm inspections were actually submitted
4. Review under Inspection History tab
5. Check permissions to view history

Related Guides

• Manage Hydrants - Creating and syncing hydrants
• Hydrant Management - Feature overview
• Public Access - QR code functionality