Whether your department needs to map hydrant locations for emergencies or just for routine tracking and maintenance, the Hydrant Module is a handy tool for first responders. This module features easy monitoring of maintenance records, flow test data, and manufacturer information. It also includes powerful automation in the form of a Bulk Operations tool that makes fast, easy work out of routine tasks like printing, scheduling, maintenance and creating work orders. However, there is always room for improvement, so we decided to add even more value to this module with our new Hydrant Geolocation feature. This feature uses “reverse geolocation” to enter hydrant location information into ER which makes the process easier and more accurate than ever before.
Previously, our program worked by placing location markers on the map view according to the manually entered address for the hydrant. When adding a hydrant in the field, the map would create a “pin” for that hydrant based on which address you enter. The pin location could then be adjusted in the map view to more accurately reflect the hydrants physical location at that address (such as a building corner).
Our new Hydrant Geolocation feature gets rid of the guesswork by using the latitude and longitude information from a mobile GPS enabled device to pinpoint the hydrants exact location on a map. It then automatically enters that data and its associated address into the Hydrants Module, eliminating the need for manual entry. The information will fill in automatically on the Hydrant page when the ‘Save’ button is clicked on the Geolocation popup dialog. Once the latitude and longitude coordinates are saved, the hydrant will be visible on the Google Maps view that is already a feature in this Module.
This feature can be especially useful if you are having trouble viewing a digital map in the field or if there is no apparent address for the hydrant. For this feature, there is no setup for the user; just take your mobile device with GPS capability to your hydrant, log into your account and follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Hydrants Module.
- Select “Fill From Current Location”
- Current Latitude/Longitude will be displayed with several address options. Choose one address location (can be edited after data is saved)
- Select “Save.”
For more detailed instructions, please check out our Knowledge Base Article.
Please note is that this feature is only intended to be used on mobile devices. While some laptops have GPS capabilities, most do not and will give very inaccurate results.
